The morning call., 1891-03-11
WAXING BITTER.
Railroad CONVENTIONS Regarding
Combinations.

The quarrel between citizens and the rail-
road companies in Southern California IS
waxing bitter, and some Interesting facts
may be revealed at the investigation OF the
Railroad Commissioners at Pasadena on
the 10th proX.
In this complaint, filed few days since
with the commission, the people OF Los
Angeles and Pasadena, and towns along
the line of the Southern California road,
between those two points, allege that the
| aforementioned road raised the price OF
Communication tickets from So 30 to 81 90. the
price of sixty rides having been lowered to
the former rate Oh account of competition
with another road-the Los Angeles Ter
minal Company. The people claim that the
company has no right to increase rates re-
duced in competition.
The reply of the Southern California IS
given herewith, and is of interest, inasmueh
as 1t defines the attitudes of railway cor
porations toward the people, in the matter
OF Communication and round trip tickets. The
attorney for the road says that the South
ern California Hallway Company has not at
| any time reduced rates for the purposes OF
competition, and the rates between the city
Of Pasadena and Los Angeles have at all
times been regulated by the company TO
suit its convenience and its ideas of justice
and propriety, and after the road now
| known as the Terminal road was con-
Structed rates were arranged by the two
companies without competition and without
any reduction OF rates-amica6ly and with
mutual understanding between the TWO
companies
1t is further denied that it has ever
agreed or consented to any rates such as
those adopted by the road now known as
the Los Angeles Terminal Railway Com
pany, but on the contrary, it has eStab-
lished and maintained rates between the
points aforesaid different from those OF the
Terminal Railroad Company.
The company, further answering, denies
that it has given cut formally or informally,
that it had the consent of the board TO any
increase III the prices beforehand or behind
hand, or in any other manner whatever; and
denies that there has ever at any time been
auy occasion to apply to the board tor any
change in rates between any stations ON the
lines operated.
1t is denied that it has ever made any
threats that II would or could lower its rates
so as TO run the Rapid Transit Company or
Los Angeles Terminal Company out of bus
mess, or that by reason of any threats 1t
has compelled said Los Angeles Terminal
Company to increase Its prices, and II de-
MES any threats or any force or intimidation
whatever by which the price of any ticket
has been changed or any arrangement has
been made between the Terminal Railway
Company and this defendant.
l, 1891, the company had sold Communication
tickets for sixty rides between Pasadena
and Los Angeles for Sc 80. and that the
price of such tickets was raised January 1st
to 81 50: and it affirmS that it mad the right
to increase or disminish the price Of this
class OF tickets at its pleasure under the
provisions OF Section u, Article XII, of the
Constitution OF the State.
1t is denied that the company is under any
obligation to keep on sale communication or
round-trip excursion tickets, but wheh the
same are Kept Tor sale and all applying for
such tickets are treated alike, without dis
elimination, then it is cOntended that it has
the right to increase or diminish or entirely
withdraw such tickets or any of them from
sale at any time, as it in its judgment may
see proper.
1t is also alleged that such tickets are Kept
on sale for the convenience of the road sub
ject TO all such reasonable rules and regula-
tons both rs to price and sale, as it may
see proper to make and enforce in the prem
ises; and hereupon denial is made that it is
ameuable to any court, body or board for
its increase in the price OF Communication or
round-trip tickets; the same being eXclu-
sively within its jurisdiction and control,
subject only to the reasonableness of the
rule which it establishes for their sale and
use,