The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-04-03
RAILROAD DECISIONS.
The commissioners Receive Several Cos
plants aud Render Decisions.

Nho commissioners Receive several Cos
plants aud Render Decisions.
The Railroad Commissioners recently
made several Important decisions. c. NJ.
Grover, In complaint to the beard against the
Union Pacific Railroad Company. charges
discrimination i'm the rates OH lumber west
from LeayenwOrth over the Kansas Central
Railroad to Havenville. The complaint says:
Ihe rate to Holton. twenty-three miles
easI OF Havenville, is eight cents per cwt;
10 Circieville. fifteen miles east. eight cents;
20 solder, seven miles, ten cents, and to
Havenvilie eleven cents and the same rate
eleven cents cwt.b to Onaga, wharton and
Butier, respectfully eight, fifteen and TWEEN
ty-one miles west of Havenville, on the same
road. The complaint further says that,
''by this tariff | am compelled to pay the
same freight on car of lumber as my COM
petitors twenty.one miles west, while those
OF three cents per cwt."
The point OF the complaint seems to con-
sist in the fact that the rates ON lumber TO
several points within distance of twenty
one miles west OF Havenville are the same
as for the less distance to the latter named
place. In answer the Board says:
We do not regard this as an unjust dis.
elimination or any discrimination at all. u
the rate was less for long distance it would
he i'm arranging q tariff on lumber or any
other commodity possessing great bulk com.
pared to value, and upon which the class OF
were made higher at each distance of a sta
ton along the line they would soon become
so high as to put an embargo upon the FUR
Their transportation OF the commodity. Ii IL
necessary in such cases to give several sta
tons which lie together. the same rate and
raise the scale at greater distances than those
that exist between stations. In this there Is
no injustice and no wrong. in the table of
rates, upon which this complaint is based.
Euston, Lee and Winchester sixteen, twenty
and twenty Ave miles respectively from
Leavenworth, have the same rate on lumber,
and so of other stations. -.-..-,..s..r .
r Another Complaint.
The Columbus Coal Company, In COM
municatiOn to the Board. asked:
suppose coal company is shipping to
point fifty miles from their shaft. aud the
cars of coal so one half of the distarce on
one road ard the other half on another road,
now. ms you are aware, the shorter the haul
the hiGhcrthc rate per mile. In this case
can the company charge 70: two short hauls
of twenty-five miles each or is it not proper
that they should charge for one continuous
haul FOR the ATTY miles?
To this the Board answered as follows:
There is no law compelling railroad compa
panics to pro rate upon the same freigh,
hauled over their respective lines Each
company has the right to charge its own
tariff rate for the distance hauled over
its own line. If it were otherwise and two
connecting companies were required to make
the two hauls rs though they were one, and
to charge as for one continuous haul. IL
would result that compared with the cost
of the service. the rate upon the two hauls
would he more probable than the rate upon
the continuous haul upon the same line. The
delays of cars ind the cost OF transfers ut
the point of connection increase the expense
of the service considerably over the expense
incurred in n continuous haul. Upon some
classes OF through freight connecting rail-
roads quite frequently make through rates.
This. however. is a voluntary arrangement
on their Part and it is considered doubtful
whether railroads could be compelled by law
to charge for one haul when two are made.
HHt. Still Another
j. 7. Ryan complained against the South
ern Kansas Railroad Company of an over
charge upon carload of machinery, shipped
originally from Richmond, Ind, and des-
tined to Liberty, Kan. The charges at St
Louis were $40 and the freight from that
point to their destination was S102. The
Commissioners, in their decision. say:
Complainant evidently supposes that The
$40 charge was made by the Southern Kan
sas Railroad Company for its share of the
service. viz: hauling from Cherryvnle
TO Liberty. This is a mistake. as above
indicated; The shipment was made upon
from st. ouis to Liberty. What proportion
of the TIN ough rate was paid to the respond
ent company does not appear and would he
quite imTnateria! If it did; This shipment
st. Louis to Liberty and constituted Inter
State commerce, and the rate charged is be-
yond the power of the board to interfere. Or
TO determine what proportion OF the rate
each company should receive Ii,
docs not concern the shipper how
the companies doing the business divide
their joint earnings, so long as their total
charge does not exceed the usual rate upon
the same class of freights. We see nothing
to correct in the complaint
In a letter to the different roads running |
into LeavcnwOrth the Commissioners direct |
the attention of these roads to the import
ance of building Union Depot at that |
city. While not assuming authority to or
der the building of Union Depot the |
Commissioners claim authority which may |
be lawfully invoked with reference to the |
supply of adequate facilities for the eXpe- |
ilitious and proper handling of freight and |
the accommodation of passengers.
e.