In the investigation now going on in Kansas City (July, 1905) it appears that some elevator men get double rebates, while others get no allowances at all from certain roads. E. O. Moffat said he got 1¼ cents a hundred from the Union Pacific, Rock Island, Burlington, Santa Fe, Alton, and Missouri Pacific, but got nothing from the Milwaukee. That railway he believed paid an allowance to the Simonds-Shields Company but refused to allow him anything, though he is a heavy shipper.[216] M. H. McNeill, representing the Chicago and Great Western, admitted that the custom was a senseless one and a wrong one, but said it had been started at Omaha and had to be adopted at Kansas City. E. P. Shields of the Simonds-Shields Company was asked by Commissioner Cockrell: “When such allowances are made are not opportunities for discrimination and the granting of rebates opened up?” “Certainly,” he replied. “I believe there are some abuses to-day regarding the matter of allowances which ought to be corrected,” said the witness. “Do you believe double or triple allowances have been made in Kansas City?” asked Mr. Barry. “I don’t know of my own knowledge,” replied the witness, “but I suspect that they have been.” CHAPTER XXII. COMMODITY DISCRIMINATIONS. Unfair discriminations in respect to special commodities are very common. The New Haven and Hartford charges $80 a car on peaches from New York to Boston, 228 miles, while the same peaches come from Georgia points to New York, 1150 miles, for $162 a car. The Commission says the $80 rate is arbitrary and unjust and that $50 a car would be a reasonable charge.[217] The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad made its rate on peaches depend on the valuation put on the fruit, in order that by increase of rate in proportion to valuation, shippers might be led to put low valuation on their shipments and so provide the railways with an argument against paying the real damages in case of accident or loss.[218] From some places shingles are carried at rates as low as those applied to lumber, while shingle shippers at other points pay more than the lumber rates. This is held an unjust discrimination against shingles, and against the places and shippers that pay the high rates.[219] Railroads make high rates on ties, higher than on lumber, in order to prevent their shipment to other parts of the country, and so diminish their value and lower their cost to the discriminating railroad. The president of one railroad stated the policy clearly: “We are simply following what we consider our interest, which is to prevent the shipment of tie lumber.”[220]