The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-28
SOUTHERN PACIFIC IDEAS,
Its Attorneys Take a Stand
Against the Railroad
Commission.
THE STATE BOARD IGNORED.
Commissioner Stanton Says Clark
Was Entitled to Credit In
the Grain Cut.

1uc HSuG Is already On between the
Southern Pacific Railway Company and
the State Board of Railroad Commission
ers. In fact egotiations-the former quite
friendly interchange of courtesies. or what
had come to be custom through force of
habit-have ceased to exist. The railway
company used to send every day to the
Commissioners office a copy of amend
ments to some of it's multitudinous tariffs.
To be sure these changes were, as a rule,
of little Importance to the people of the
State at large, though affecting a few ship
pers in certain districts. Occasionally a
comprehensive amendment would come
into the Commissioners office to be filed
for reference. But nowadays neither large
nor small amendments of freight tariffs
are sent out by the Southern Pacific to the
Railroad Commission.
The theory of this sudden change of
front has been supposed by the Commits
sioners to be an attempt to ignore the State
Railroad Commission as legal body-a
point in law which has not been explained
by the Southern Pacific men.
Two days after the board voted in favor
of horizontal" reductions it's messenger
was sent to the freight Office of the South
ern Pacific Company for certain blanks,
which the company had previously sup
piled quite literally. He was we'll known
to the railway officials, but when he made
a request for the blanks they knew him no
more.
"You can't have any blanks or other
papers, or anything else from this Office"
was the reply.
"And the reason ?' he asked in surprise.
at is nothing personal to the members
OF the Railroad Commission. Our attor-
neys have instructed US to give you no
papers-no amendments to our tariffs"
So far as the railway was concerned 1t
pretended to believe that such a thing as
the State Railroad Commission did not
exist. The Southern Pacific attorneys
would not make explanations, and so the
Commissioners have begun to wonder
whether their new tariffs will receive SIM
liar treatment, in which case there will be
a fight in the courts. At this alternative
Mr.. Herrin, the chief of the Southern Pa
citic law department, has limited very
strongly.
The next meeting of the commission
will be held on Thursday. On that day
further contemplated reductions will be
taken under Amusement and a plan of
action for continuing the work in hand
adopted. Commissioner Stanton was busy
yesterday in mass of papers, tariffs and
figures working toward this end. His Of
flee was almost deserted, for he has prac-
tically given up his practice to deal with
freight problems.
eve are preparing amendments to the
grain tariff" said he, speaking in the
plural, which fact indicated that he was
not alone in the work. 'Our plan for
present work is to adjust all discrimina-
tons and regulate the rates, so that they
shall be equitable throughout California.
This is what wanted at first, but dropped
cut. l think it will be com pleted in eight
or ten days. and then be published in the
form of amendments to the grain tariff
'Where do you expect to find the worst
cases of discrimination ?''
1--WE have several complaints on file
which claim that various sections have
been discriminate against. The Salinas,
Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys will
all come under our consideration in this
direction, and then we must set special
day for hearing the complaints. One seri-
Gus trouble we have met is that most peo-
pie have seemed afraid to make complaints.
Yet it is apparent that there have been
numerous causes for complaining. Now,
for instance. farmer wants rate on some
of his products. The railway company
will ask him what it sells for and then fix
an arbitrary rate-all the traffic will bear
and permit it to move. This is simply
claiming partnership with the farmer.
1t would be all right If the farmer were
allowed to claim partnership with the
company, tor then 1t would not hurt, no
matter how high the tariff might be.
cit is not possible to make changes in
rates at open meetings. That requires
great deal of calculation and quiet work
where we are not disturbed. So instead
of holding meetings day after day, we will
work quietly in our offices and then come
together to adopt our findings. We don't
expect to be finished before next January.
There are over 1000 stations to be consid-
cred in connection with the exceedingly
full western classification, which makes
our task much more comprehensive and
laborious one than most people imagine"
How about the refusal of the railroad
to give further data or papers to the
board ?"
cit may be legal point which we must
by the way. 1 see that Mr.. Clark does
not come in for any credit in connection
with this tariff on grain which we have
issued. That is an injustice to him, for
Mr.. Clark is as fully entitled to credit in
connection with this 8-per-cent reduction
as Mr.. La Rue or myself. Only he was
shut out on ruling of the chair, which
believe was an injustice to him, while it
might be technically correct. He asked
for time to consider the question, and next
morning offered to stand by it, but was not
pivpD a chapca m do q n % uiSh -