GREEN BAY, Wis., July 11, 1962. Hon. OREN HARRIS, Chairman, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: May I respectfully call your attention to H.R. 11583 now before the Congress. In my opinion this bill will bring tremendous benefits to agriculture, commerce, industry, and the consumer by lowering the cost of unnecessarily high freight charges. It will also begin an end to the chaotic patchwork of inconsistent and often obsolete legislation and place greater reliance on the forces of competition and less reliance on the restraints of regulation. Passage of this legislation will be fully in the public interest and I respectfully urge your support of it. I request that this letter be made part of the official record. Respectfully yours, H. J. BRUGEN HEMKE. APPLETON MANUFACTURING CO., Hon. OREN HARRIS, Chairman, Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, SIR: May I respectfully call your attention to bill H.R. 11583 now before the House. In my opinion this bill will bring tremendous benefits to agriculture, commerce, industry, and the consumer by lowering the cost of unnecessarily high freight charges. It will also begin an end to the choatic patchwork of inconsistent and often obsolete legislation and place greater reliance on the forces of competition, and less reliance on the restraints of regulation. Passage of this legislation will be fully in the public interest, and I respectfully urge your support of it. I request that this letter be made part of the official records. Very truly yours, CHARLES DE YOUNG, Vice President. MAXWELL BROS., INC., Hon. OREN HARRIS, Chairman, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: I would like to ask for your support to the passage of House bill H.R. 11583, which will tend to eliminate certain regulations from railroads in the establishment of rates on bulk and agricultural products. Also, I would like to request that this letter be made a part of the record of the proceedings regarding this bill. Yours truly, H. W. SCRUGGS, Manager. CALIFORNIA MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, Hon. OREN HARRIS, Chairman, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR MR. HARRIS: As part of its policy to promote a sound, efficient, equally regulated national transportation system, California Manufacturers Association supports the basic objective of H.R. 11583 to equalize competitive opportunities between different types of carriers by extending to railroads the exemptions from minimum rate regulation with respect to bulk commodities, ordinary livestock, fish and agricultural commodities that are now applicable to competing modes of transportation under provisions of the Interstate Commerce Act. We are, however, opposed to the provision on pages 4 and 5 of the bill which would deny to carriers freed from minimum rate regulation on the designated commodities the present section 5a exemption from antitrust laws, as we are of the firm belief that it is in the public interest that the carriers be allowed to continue the present conference method of determining rates, and that denial of that privilege is neither necessary nor desirable. Therefore, we respectfully urge that the bill be favorably reported with an amendment striking lines 22 to 25, inclusive, on page 3 and lines 1 to 3, inclusive, on page 4 from the bill, and shall appreciate your making our position known to the members of the committee. Respectfully yours, Mr. OREN HARRIS, LUTHER A. NICHOLS, Executive Vice President. GREEN BAY FOOD CO., Green Bay, Wis., July 12, 1962. Chairman, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Housé Office Building, Washington, D.C. GENTLEMEN: May I call to your attention, bill H.R. 11583 now before the Congress. It is my opinion that this bill will bring great benefits to agriculture, commerce, industry, and the consumer by lowering the presently unnecessarily high freight rates. It will also begin an end to the chaotic patchwork of inconsistent, and often out-dated legislation, and place a far greater reliance on the forces of competition, and a less reliance on the restraints of regulation presently in effect. The passage of these bills, we believe, is fully in the public interest, and I respectfully urge your support of same. We, therefore, request that this letter be part of the official record. Yours very truly, JIM WHITE, Traffic Manager. GREEN BAY, WIS., July 11, 1962. Hon. OREN HARRIS, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: May I respectfully call to your attention House bill 11583, a bill to put into effect the more urgent of President Kennedy's recommendations for reforms in our transportation policy. This bill will bring tremendous benefits to agriculture, commerce, industry, and the consumer, and will go far toward strengthening the national transportation policy. Passage of this legislation will be fully in the public interest. I earnestly urge your support of this bill, and that you will also urge your fellow Representatives to do likewise. I request that this letter be made part of the official record. Hon. OREN HARRIS, R. J. MACCARTHY. GREEN BAY, Wis., July 12, 1962. Chairman, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: At last a serious attempt is being made to establish a more practical policy for the transportation facilities of our Nation. I sincerely hope you will find it consistant to support minimum rate bill H.R. 11583 now before you and your committee for consideration. This bill will correct some of the inequalities now existing between the various forms of transportation. Please make this a part of the official record. Respectfully yours, D. L. MCCAUGHAN. COHEN BROTHERS FRUIT CO., Hon. OREN HARRIS, DEAR MR. HARRIS: We are in the fruit and vegetable distributing business and using the rails; therefore, may I respectfully call your attention to H.R. 11583, now before the Congress. In my opinion this bill will bring tremendous benefits to agriculture, commerce, industry, and the consumer by lowering the cost of unnecessarily high freight charges. It will also begin an end to the chaotic patchwork of inconsistent and often obsolete legislation and place greater reliance on the forces of competition and less reliance on the restraints of regulation. Passage of this legislation will be fully in the public interest, and I respectfully urge your support of it. I request that this letter be made part of the official record. Your very truly, FRANK COHEN. GREEN BAY, Wis., July 13, 1962. Hon. OREN HARRIS, Chairman, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: House bill 11583, now before you and your committee, embodies President Kennedy's recommendations for reforms in our Nation's transportation policy. In the interest of our general economy, I urge you to support this legislation, for this country has needed a program like this for many years, and it is certainly a big step toward putting aside special interests and concerns, and putting the public interest in faster, better, and cheaper transportation first. Please make this a part of the official record. Respectfully yours, C. D. AMES. GREEN BAY, WIS., July 12, 1962. Hon. OREN HARRIS, Chairman, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: House bill 11583, now before the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, embodies President Kennedy's recommendations for changes in our Nation's transportation policy. This legislation is in the interest of the public. It will be of benefit to agriculture, commerce, industry, and the consumer, and I therefore strongly urge you to support this bill and to prevail upon your constituents to also give it their support. Please make this letter a part of the official record. Respectfully yours, (Mrs.) W. M. POMMIER. GREEN BAY, WIS., July 13, 1962. Hon. OREN HARRIS, Chairman, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: Please be referred to H.R. 11583 which is presently before Congress. I respectfully urge you to support this bill as it is my opinion that agriculture, industry, and even we as individuals will benefit greatly by the passage of this legislation. I request that this letter be made a part of the official record. Respectfully yours, D. A. UNDERWOOD. GREEN BAY, WIS., July 12, 1962. Hon. OREN HARRIS, DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: Passage of H.R. 11583, now before the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, will make great strides toward strengthening our national transportation policy. The enactment of this minimum rate bill will bring tremendous benefits to the public and to our country as a whole-agriculture, commerce, industry, and consumer will all profit. This legislation is in the interest of the public, and I respectfully request your support of this bill. Please make this letter a part of the official record. T. B. RINGSRED. Hon. OREN HARRIS, GREEN BAY, Wis., July 13, 1962. Chairman, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: H.R. 11583 now before the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce is a tremendous step toward the solution of a serious national problem. If enacted it will benefit the entire American economy. There is a great need for reshaping of our Nation's transportation policies. This bill is fully in the public interest, and with this thought in mind I earnestly urge you to give this legislation your support. Please make this letter a part of the official record. Hon. OREN HARRIS, E. S. ALLEN. GREEN BAY, Wis., July 13, 1962. Chairman, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Washington, D.C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: House bill 11583 is now before the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Passage of this legislation would be fully in the public interest, for our entire American economy would benefit by its enactment. At long last a real attempt is being made to solve an urgent national problem, and I strongly urge you to give this legislation your support. Please make this a part of the official record. Respectfully yours, (Miss) E. E. HNILICKA. In re House bill H.R. 11583. Congressman OREN HARRIS, EUFAULA HARDWARE Co., Chairman, House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: The above is commonly referred to as the "minimum rate" bill which we feel is a good bill and should be passed. We understand that it proposes to give all forms of transportation an equal opportunity to lower freight rates on agricultural products and bulk commodities without changing the existing controls on maximum rates. We feel that the antitrust laws are adequate to prevent monoply and that competition should be allowed to fix the lowest rates charged by carriers— regulated as well as unregulated. We believe that the unregulated carriers can now charge any rate they choose under the maximum rate and extend them to whomever they choose. This very definitely discriminates against the regulated carriers, as well as the buying public who, for various reasons, are not always in a position to negotiate for a lower rate with an unregulated carrier. We urge your support of this legislation and ask that our letter be made a part of your committee's files on this matter. Very truly yours, A. C. MITCHELL, Jr., Partner. SISKIN STEEL & SUPPLY CO., Hon. OREN HARRIS, Chairman of House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: We have written to Congressman Frazier, of Tennessee, and we would like to use this letter as a means to strongly urge you to vote in favor of House of Representatives bill No. 11583, which was introduced on May 3, 1962. This is a minimum rate bill and covers movement of agricultural products of bulk commodities such as grain, ore, coal, salt, sugar, etc., and of passengers. Passage of this bill will enable railroads to compete more nearly on equal terms for the vast tonnages of bulk and agricultural commodities which now move mostly in private and unregulated highway trucks and waterway barges. This will give the railroads nothing that other forms of transportation do not already have. In fact, this will not give the railroads as much as other forms of transportation now have. At the same time, it will definitely help railroads compete for this profitable traffic, save American people hundreds of millions of dollars each year in unnecessarily high transportation costs and strengthen the entire common carrier transportation system. This bill will give all forms of transportation more nearly equal freedom in setting minimum rates on bulk and agricultural commodities, and minimum passenger fares, while retaining in the Interstate Commerce Commission the right to prevent rate increases, and extending the powers of the antitrust laws to prevent monopoly. For the above reasons we are in favor of bill No. 11583 being passed and we would like for you to make our letter part of the records. Thank you for your cooperation. Yours very truly, Hon. OREN HARRIS, GARRISON SISKIN. BURBACH ELEVATOR, Crofton, Nebr., July 13, 1962. Chairman, House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, DEAR CONGRESSMAN HARRIS: My name is Jules Burbach and I am a resident of Crofton, Nebr., located in the extreme north-central part of my State. I am the sole owner of the Burbach Elevator and I also own and operate the grain elevator at Fordyce, Nebr., some 10 miles from Crofton and I also operate a grain elevator at the village of Mosher, S. Dak. In addition, I have some farming and livestock interests. All in all I am what is sometimes described as a small businessman. I have nine employees and I personally conduct my business affairs and direct my own business. To this extent I very often buy and sell grain in my dealings with my farmer customers; I very often help load and unload grain trucks and freight cars; I very often buy and sell feed as well as many other items of farm supplies that we deal in. I tell you this to let you know that I run my own business not only from the "front office" but also down to the "grassroots." In addition to running my business I am also a member of the Nebraska State Legislature serving as a State senator representing the 14th District of Nebraska. As I have stated I am a small operator of country grain elevators and in no sense do I operate so-called terminal or large grain elevators. I am aware of some of the problems faced by the railroads of our country and particularly with the midwestern railroad which serves my elevators and upon whom I must depend for the bulk of the transportation of my inbound and |