The herald., 1898-04-28
IMPORTANT DECISION MADE BY
JUDGE MORROW
Rapid Work Being Done on the Desert
Route-valley Railway Celebra-
ton Discussion-Notes


The decision relates to the making o1
grain rates and completely overturns the
claims of the Southern Pacific company
The Southern Pacific in its attempts tc
prevent the state board Of railway commits
sioners from adopting freight schedule
arranged by them, which would consider
ably reduce the tariff of the company. had
secured an injunction and thus for the
| time tied the hands of the commission.
The company in its answer had made fifty
one executions which had served as basis
for the temporary injunction, and which
were all directed against the report OF
Master in Chancery A c. Freeman The
holdings of the master are all sustained by
the decision of Judge Morrow and the
opinion goes into details.
All of the facts to which the railway
company excepted are held by the judge to
be relevant and material, this being COM
pletely in contravention of the views held
by the supposedly brilliant attorneys Tor
the corporation.
| The facts possess considerable public In
terest. as they include many allegations
as to the different ways in which the money
of the company have been expended. They
include the assertion that large sums had
been paid to influence state and federal Of
fcials. and that these sums were charged
TO the operating expenses and so of course
affecting the cost of traffic which the ship
nor is called upon to bear. The court held
this to be a proper subject for the commits
sion to consider, and to give due weight to
the fixing of the rates by that body.
Under the same head came the amounts
used for the purpose of preventing compe-
.tsI1, frov, othpr roadS as we'll as the
amounts paid to English stockholders as
commission. It was understood that
this last amount was arbitrarily made as
a matter Of policy and did not represent
earnings such as would have been natur-
ally employed for the purpose.
The decision in question clears the way
for the taking of evidence and the case will
now go on when the judge refers the mat
ter for the consideration of master IN
chancery, for that purpose.
The Coast Road
II Is evident that Uncle Coils is doing
all in his power to carry out his promises
about the early completion OF the coast
route from Elwood to Surf. connecting
Santa Barbara with the north by way of
San Luis Obispo. A resident of Lompoc
recently went to the front to find out ex-
actly how the situation stands and re-
ported as follows
"Within the past few weeks the number
of teams has been increased from twelve
to fifty, and these are now at work on
large fill which must be completed before
any other work can be done. When this
is completed it will be easy work of grad
ing until Honda creek Is reached, where
very long and expensive viaduct is to be
built which will take number of months
| to construct. The work of getting every
| thing in readiness to complete the line in
the next twelve months can be understood
when it is stated that there will be twelve
great steel bridges and viaducts to build,
some of them an eighth of a mile In length,
besides innumerable culverts and stone
work.
1.-THE contractors state they will put on
day and night force as soon as the pre-
liminary work is done so that a large
force of men can be worked to advantage
The people of Bakersfield seem disposed
to follow the example set by Los Angeles
in the Fiesta, for there is strong disposi-
ton to use the fund raised for the cele-
bration Of the completion of the Valley
railway for a war fund or for the relief of
farmers who may be found in need in con-
sequence of the dry year. number of
the residents who gave to the found say
they will increase their subscriptions If
the disposition is changed for the purpose
mentioned.
The road is virtually completed to Ba-
kersfield now, with the exception of the
steel bridge which is now being placed In
position. This will require about fourteen
days time to finish.
The Ojai Road Absorbed
The Southern Pacific company yesterday
absorbed the little Oiai railway, whic!,
runs from Ventura to Ojai. The line was
built by Captain John Cross of this city.
Gnd promises to be very profitable bit
Of road The formal transfer will take
riace on the 1st of May, and all of the
present officials will give way to new ones
appointed by the Southern Pacific.
Soldiers Transportation
General Passenger Agent J. ]. Byrne of
the Santa Fe-Pacific, who has been in San
Francisco for some days. reported to the
company yesterday that preparations
should be made to offer bids to the gov
ernment for the transportation of the
Seventh regiment to the east. This would
indicate that Mr.. Byrne has learned that
the greater part of the regiment is to be
sent to the front.
Notes and Personals
The Santa Fe Pacific is doing an un-
paralleled freight and passenger business
for this time of the year. There are from
thirteen to twenty freight and passenger
trains a day over the main line to the
east, and the engines have more than they
can do to keep the yards free of accumu-
lating cars.
The Southern Pacific has completely
abandoned its Morgan steamship line from
New Orleans to New York and Is now
sending all of its freight by rail to through
points. Most of the steamers have been
purchased by the government.
The Southern Pacific branch from South
Pomona to Chino was completed yester.
day by Grant brothers, the contractors
The line will be sooner or later extended
| to Riverside, making a through line to the
east by that way. This will save severa
expensive grades which use up much coal
Three cars Of ammunition from sar
| Francisco to Chickamauga passed through
the city yesterday.
| Oranges are being shipped to the east a
| the rate Of one hundred cars day. Their,
are about four thousand cars left to sent
| If the warm weather will permit.
Commodore Dunn
Mr.. Williamson Dunn Of the Southern
| Pacific freight department in this CITY, b,