El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-24
THE ANTI-REBATELAW.

THE ANTI-REBhTEL LAW.
A Meeting of General Managers of
Texas Roads Will Be Held
Shortly To Try and Reach an
Agreement.
A wide difference of opinion appears
to exist in railway circles over the
This disagreement has reached such q
stage that q meeting of general man
ayers of the Texas roads has been
suggested to be called at Dallas to-
morrow to try and reach an agreement.
1t may not be possible to get q suffi-
cient mum Der of the managing officials
together, for some are out of the state
~onld preclude their attendance on the
meeting at such short notice.
The call for the meeting is stated to
have come from Mr.. Polk of the Santa
Fe, and the place of meeting at the
Oriental hotel In Dallas
On receipt of the information that
such q meeting was in contemplation q
call was made on the general officers of
the Rock Island and of the Denver to
see if the statement could be verified.
Both Mr.. Hovey of the Rock Island
and Mr.. Keller of the Denver were out
of town, and no confederation of the
report could be had. 1t was learned
else where, however, that such a sug-
gestion had come from Mr.. Polk.
The causes that have led up to this
apparent reopening of a subject that
was supposed to have been settled are
the discrepancies existing between the
advice rendered by the railway attor-
neys to the managers on the manner of
applying the lew and the subsequent
action taken by the managers at the
Galveston meeting, coupled with the
refusal of the Texas and Pacific to join
the other roads in promulgating cir
cular covering the action of the man.
ayers.
It seems that misunderstanding has
arisen among the managers themselves
in the manner of applying the law,
and the roads have consequently is
sued circulars varying one from an
other in terms The Internatiopa al
and Great Northern issued the follow
ing:
Palestine, Tex, Aug. 17.--Dear Sir:
Twenty-sixth legislature of the law
commonly known as the anti-discrim-
ination felony law. and the possible
danger of the courts holding that the
passenger transportation heretofore ie-
sued by this companyto'youc om es with
In the prohi bitiOn of the law, prudence
suggests that we call in the transport
tation issued to you. You are &C
cor iingly requested to return the'same
sane are respectfully advised that it
will not be honored by this company
after August 25, 1899. We are en-
deavoring to reach a decision as to
what transportation we can issue with
out being prosecuted for violating the
law. If we find that transportation to
you is not forbidden we will immediat-
ely with pleasure reissue transporter
ton in your favor"
State officials, members of the leg
islsture aud even the railw com mis-
sioners received copies Of the above
circular, although the anti-rebate bill
specially exempts the latter from it's
opera tions.
The roads having general offices 10
Fort Wortb have also issued cir
GUAR calling in passes. 1t is under-j
stood that the forms used by the Den
YER, the Rock Island and the Rio Gran
de, are identical. The following is
the form used by them:
Fort Worth, August. Dear
Sir. In view of the passage by the
Twenty-sixth legislature of the act
commonly known as the 'anLl-dis- |
elimination felony law. we consider it
necessary to call in the transportation !
here ofore issued to you, ana you are
hereby requested to return the same, |
and respectfully advised that it will
not be honored for transportation after |
the 18th day of August $780,"
The exemptions under the law are
given as follows:
''Nothing herein shall prevent the |
carriage, storage or handling by rail-
road companies in this state, or by |
their agents, officers, clerks, servants |
and employees of freight free or at re- |
duced rates for the state. or for any
city or county or town government, or
for charitable purposes, or to and from |
fairs and expositions for exhibition |
thereof, or the free carriage of desti-
tute and INDECENT persons. or the issu- |
ance of mileage or passenger excur- |
sion tickets, nor to prevent railroads |
from giving free transportation to |
ministers of religion, or free transpor-
tation to the inmates of hospitals, |
eleemosynary and charitable institu- |
tions, and to the employees of the ag
rjcultural and geological departments
of the state, or to the peace officers OF
this state, and nothing herein shall be !
to prevent railroads. their
agents free transportation to any rail-
road officers, agents, employees, attor- !