The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-12-27
EYADING THE Law.
How Railroads Dodge the Law to Sc
cure Business.
Notices Of Reduced Rates Posted in
Obscure Places.
Favored Shippers Get the Benefit o.
Special Inducements.
Passenger Rates from ST. Paul West
Go to Pieces.

CHICAGO, Dec. 21.-President A. b.
Stickney of the Chicago, Kansas City
s. st. Paul road, created quite sensa-
ton among railroad managers by his
speech made at the meeting of the
Western Freight association yesterday.
The question came up Of adopting a
resolution proposed at the previous
meeting, to reaffirm the existing agree
ments and give additional power to
the chairman, enabling him to investi-
gate charges of violation of rules and
rates without waiting for formal
complaints to be made. Mr.. Stickney
took the ground that such action as
was proposed would in no way correct
the abuses from which the roads were
suffering, because tie chairman would
not be able to secure the evidence to
convict a road. The present demon
allied state of affairs, he said, was due
Gals and their Wilful violations
of the interstate commerce law.
Not one road in the asso-
citation. he said. had complied with
the law since it's adoption. Instead
of cOnspiring to evade the provisions of
the law, they should band together and
prosecute any road guilty of violating
any of it's provisions. The Interstate
commerce commission was the proper
authority to investigate charges, he
said. 1t would bring all railway Off
cials before it and compel them to tes
tify under oath. The commission
would have no difficulty in finding out
that secret rebates, drawbacks or othel
| inducements were given favored ship
pers; that tickets were placed in the
hands of scalpers to be sold at cut rates
and that other illegal practices were in
dulged in. If the railroads failed tt
take action to enforce the law, he
| for one, proposed to take individual ac
ton before the commission against the
parties he found violating it. He read
a draft of charges against number o.
roads, to which he proposed to call thu
attention of the commission, and SAID
he would appear before it as public
prosecutor. His principal charge was
that instead of publishing and posting
all tariffs in plea type and giving ter
days notice of proposed change il
rates, alterations were being made
without previous notice being given
and instead of publishing and posting
notices as required by law, they simpl!
posted written copy in some out-Of
the way place. Thus if road desired
20 take a large shipment at reduced
rate, it posted such clandestine no
tice in some obscure place. At the ex
piration of ten days the freight OF
which the cut rate had been made wa
all disposed of and the road woulC
again charge tariff rates until Their
was another opportunity to take larg
amount of business away from a com
petitor. Under the law, the rates t.
intermediate stations must correspond
with the through rates, but although
was usually stated at the bottom of
special tariff giving through rates tina
charges to intermediate stations woul
not be higher, yet the regular tariff t
such points was not changed I'll
speech forms the general topic of di:
cussion in railroad circles.