The San Francisco call., 1896-02-25
The Southern Pacific Official
Has a Hard Task in
Chicago.
TROUBLE FOR THE RAILROAD.
Western Lines Press the Charges of
Violating the Interstate Com.
merce Act.

The summary demand which J. G.
Stubbs, third vice president and general
freight and passenger manager of the
Southern Pacific Company, has received
from the Interstate Commerce Commis-
among local railway ticket agents yes
terday.
Mr.. Stubbs had only concluded some
arduous work connected with Western and
Southwestern freights at st. Louis, and
was on his way home from the East when
the demand reached him. He was at New
Orleans at the time in his private car COM
ing westward but an officer of the Federal
Government intercepted him with sum-
mons from the Interstate Commerce Com
mission in Chicago. The Southern Pacific
manager had to change his route and go
North to make explanations. So much
was stated in a dispatch from New Or
leans published in THE CALL:
The railway men know a great deal
more, however. and say that Stubbs is
wanted by the Commissioners to show
cause why either he or some other official
of the Southern Pacific Company should
not be punished for violation OF the inter-
state commerce act in transporting sailors
CiedI ACROSS tHe country AZ late lal ueloW
the STANDARD of second class passenger
fares. This of itself is breach of the law.
But it was stated yesterday that COM
bine of the Southern Pacific with the Sea-
board Air line to carry the bluelackets at
two-third rate was also a clear case of vio-
lation of the interstate act.
The former violation is covered by Sec
ton OF the act, which says:
That if any common carrier subject to the
rarn nyr.c CT Of Ch al t1Iy nr n
directly, by any special rate, rebate, drawback
or other device, charge, demand, collect or re-
ceive from any person or persons greater or
less compe nSation for any service rendered, or
to be rendered, in the transportation OF pas
sengers or property, subject to the provisions
of this act, than 1T charges. demands, collects
or receives from any other person or persons
for doing for him or for them a like and con-
temporanous service in the transportation OF
like kind Of traffic under substantially slmi-
lar circumstances and conditions, such COM
mon carrier shall be deemed guilty OF unjust
discrimination, which is hereby prohibited
and declared to be unlawful.
Section provides that established rates
of fare shall be displayed in every depot
and station of railway companies, and
further on it is stated that if reductions OF
rates fares or changes be made notice OF
the same must be posted in these places.
The specia low rate made for Uncle Sam S
sailors was not regarded as a permanent
reduction by the railway company, SO it
was not given out in new schedules.
In every sense the Western railways re-
gard the matter as barefaced violation OF
the interstate commerce law. An agent OF
one Of these lines said that his people were
greatly worked up over the sailors rates,
| because the Southern Pacific had COM
| bined with an Eastern road and taken the
men by New Orleans, thus diverting the
| traffic from the Western lines.
| The anger of these roads could not be
| appeased by any other way than a strict
| investigation of the offenders by the Inter
state Commerce Commission. Conse-
quently they demanded hearing of the
| Southern Paciic's discrimination and, as
was generally understood by local agents
of the aggrieved companies yesterday, the
case will be vigorously prosecuted.
| "This is case of Greek meeting Greek, u
| remarked one Of the agents. The South
ern Pacific is as cunning as they make
them, but there are times, like the present
when two can play at that game. l know
that my people dont propose to see busi-
ness taken away from them in open viola.
ton of the interstate law and when the
commission gets Stubbs on the rack in
| Chicago there is certain to be some inter
! eSting DEVELOPMENTS"