The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-08-15

Charged with Violating the law. For.
mai Complaint Filled with Ihe Inter-
state Commission.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. S.-TheTe
has been filed with the interstate COM
merce commission a complaint of the
interstate commerce railway associaa-
ton VS.. the Chicago and Alton rail-
road.
The petition of the complainant re-
cites that the defendant was q men,
Der of the association until July 15,
1889; that the defendant is cOmpeti-
tor for the products of live stock from
Kansas City to Chicago with other
lines of the association-the Chicago
Burlington and Quincy and affiliated
lines, the Chicago Rock Island and Pa
cific, the Chicago, Milwaukee and st.
Paul, the Wabash Western, the Chica-
90, Santa Fe and California and the
Missouri Pacific; that these companies
together with the defendent. united in
the establishment of tariff for the
transportation of live stock from be-
yOnd Kansas City to Chicago, and that
the other lines also aided in the estab-
lishment of a tariff on live stock,
dressed beef and packing house pro-
ducts, ETC., from Kansas City to Chica-
go.
The complaint then outlines the
course of business in the handling of
such traffics shipments of cattle as are
received in Kansas and the Indian
Territory by lines reaching the graz
ing points and consigned by the ship
pers to Chicago with the privilege
neverthe less, of stop offs at Kansas
City, and reciteS that each line en-
gagged in traffic owns a considerable
amount of equipments especially con-
structed therefor. OF late, however,
the transportation of cattle, especially
very largely carried on by the use of
private stock cars of various SO called
improved patterns, the owners of
which are accustomed to engage ship
ments by negotiations with dealers In
live stock, and they to collect from the
lines hauling the cars milage of "a
per cent per mile run. Such cars are
cago to initial points and loaded for
Chicago with or without the privilege
of the Kansas City market, as the
shippers may desire. One result of
this practice is that the cattle
cars owned by the lines are now
to large extent, unemployed
THE LEASING OF STOCK CARS.
The complaint recites that the Alton
road has leased 400 of its unemployed
cattle cars to the American Live Stock
Commission company at a rental of
IS per car per month. The mileage up
on the cars in both directions In the
ordinary course of affairs would
amount to at least S12 per month, af-
fording profit Of at least S6 per
month per car to the lessees, while the
repairs on the cars and the services as
sumed by the lessor in collecting the
mileage earned, makes the so-called
rental almost nominal; that an ar
| rangement of this character, whereby
the ordinary equipment of line is
leased outright TO shippers is unusual
and irregular; that in SO far the pay
ment of the mileage made or partici-
pated in by the defendant by the use
of its own cars of any sum in excess
of S6 per month realized by the lesSees
in the nature of a rebate, COM
plainant AYERS that the transac-
ton is device whereby the defendant
will receive from the American Live
stock company less compensation for
the transportation of cattle than it re-
ceiveS from other persons for a like
contemp0raneous service. Complain
ant AYERS it is unable to prevent this
ton of the court.
The complainant recites that a very
material reduction in the rates from
Kansas City to Chicago made July 10,
1889, was forced upon the other roads
by defendant, as is believed. with a
view to put the defendant in posi-
ton to carry out its obligation under
the contract. Complainant AYERS that
the contract is also in contravention of
the act to regulate commerce in many
ways. The complainant therefore de-
siTeS an investigation and an order
commanding the defendant to cease
and desiSt from violation of the act