The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-28
Status of the Grain
Rate Case.
RAILROAD MUST NOW ACT
EXPLANATION OF AN AMBIGU-
Gus RESOLUTION.
Commissioner Laumeister Gives His
Understanding of the Peculiar
Proceeding He Officially
Approved.

In the matter of the S per cent grain
rate reduction question. 1t is now sup to-
the Southern Pacific Company. That cor
poration must make the next move if the
farmers are to receive any benefit from
the action of the Railroad Commission
ers at their last meeting. GGtil the rail-
road company dismisSes the pending suit
and the injunction against the commits
sion is thereby dissolved, the hands of
the Commissioners are tied so far as
making reductions in rates are concerned.
At the last session of the commission 1t
passed the following resolution:
@ Now. therefore. it is by the Board of g
@ Railroad Commissioners Of the State of g
g California ordered and resolved that said g
8 resolution above referred TO and set 9
o forth be and the same is hereby re- o
g scinded, annulled. vacated, set aside and @
o Provided. however, that the board shall 9
g at the regular meeting in April, 1879, TO g
@ wit, on the 10th day of said month, pass 9:
g and adopt a resolution fixing and pro g
g mitigating a schedule Of grain rates at g
g least equal TO an average reduction OF g
g per cent Of date, September Il, 1888. g
When this action was taken by the COM
mission il was generally construed 10
mean that the commission intended 10
abandon the defense of the pending ac-
ton brought by the Southern PACING
Company: that the latter would thereby
get judgment, would allow the temporary
Injunction to be dissolved and Would per
nit the commission TO put into effect an
S per cent reduction in grain rates, based
On the rates as they existed on September
i. 1895.
as explained by Commissioner Laumeister
Yesterday. The resolution which II IS pro
posed to rescind was adopted by the
former commission, and referred TO d %
per cent horizontal reduction, as Wei as
TO the reduction of per cent on grain
rates. According to Commissioner Lau-
meister there has been no rescisslon or
the resolution of the old board. Its aoro-
CATION was made conditional on the power
Of the Board of Railroad Commissioners
TO put into effect on April To ScheduIe
Of rates on grain that would be per cent
less than those that were enecuVe sep
tember a. 1895. If the Southern Pacific
does not have its suit against the com
mission dismissed and the injunction in
connection Herewith dissolved, the com
mission will be in contempt or court II Il
should order any reduction IN rates IN inc
simply stated the commission by its &C
ZION has made an offer to the southern
Pacific Company 10 aoandon It's dcIoIl
under the % per cent reduction reSoIu-
ZION provided the corporation Will bring
about the dismissal of the pending htl-
cation including the injunction, ana pro-
Tided also that the railroad will agree to
an rer cent reduction on grain rates as
they were in force on September II, 1873.
The Railroad Commission Is now making
the railroad company the same of1er that
was made TO the former Railroad Com
mission by the railroad company through
" H Mills and the members or the COM
mission say there is no understanding pc
tween the commission and the Southern
Pacific.
of the pending suit it would have been la
BILE for costs, the injunction would nave
continued in force and its hands would
have been tied. If the programme as now
outlined is carried out by the railroad
that corporation Will have TO foot the eX-
penses of the suit, the 1nJunctlon VIII
be dissolved the commission will be free
to act and all the issues raised will re-
main undecided