The Forrest City times., 1902-09-05
ARKANSAS S1ATE NEVIS.
Wife of a Little Rock Machinist Cuts Throat of Her Two Chil-
 dren and Suicides.
EVENTS OF 4 WEEK BRIEFLY CHRONlClED
1psPintendent Hoeins Says State Will Not Raise BalI Bale of Cotton to ,ho Acre. -CounW Treasurer Alleged to Be Short.-Miner Shot at Spadrn.
Railroad Commission Report.

The Arkansas railroad commission has completed its second annual report. The preface to the statistical report is as follows:
 Railroad Building-During the time covered by this report, encouraging progress has been made in the con- struction and extension of railroads running into practically new and un- developed sections of the state. The White River railroad, branch of the Missouri Pacific system, is being built from point north of Batesville up White river in the direction of the zinc fields of northeast Arkansas.
 The St. Louis and North Arkansas reka Springs to Harrison, a distance of some forty-five miles, and the con- struetion is being pushed, with Mar shall as the present objective point.
 The Ozark and Cherokee Central railway, the Fort Smith Western rail road, the Arkansas and Choctaw, and the South Missouri and Arkansas, have
 
 construction.
 Upon the whole, the conditions seem to have been reasonably favora- ble to railroad building, and great and costly improvements are constant ly being made in the tracks and equip ments of the long lines
 Rates-Prior to the publication of tho frct annual raport tho rd freight distance tariff had been adopted and put in force on the long line roads. While this tariff may, in some respects, be imperfect and inadequate to meet all possible exigencies, time has proven it a vast improvement on the irreg nlar and unstable rates charged by the it a vast improvement on the the roads prior to it's adoption. Hence. it has been deemed best to allow it to remain undisturbed in it's essential features. Tariffs have also been pro- mulgated and put in force upon num- Der of short-line roads of the state.
 Litigation-In the suits instituted against the commission, the same are now pending and are being diligently
 
 Recommendations have seen no good reason to recede from the posi- tion taken in the first annual report with reference to additional legisla tion needed to make the commission a more efficient agent in producing the beneficent results for which it was created With this end in view, ap I,-af tnA anA in troduced in both houses of the last legislature, but failed of passage. We feel that no useful purpose would be subserved by bringing these bills upon the record at this time This, however, will be done in a subsequent report
 Complaints-Many complaints of in- adequate transportation facilities have been filed by shippers, reciting their inability to procure cars for the prompt transportation of freight The causes of some of these complaints have been removed with reasonable promptness upon application to the proper railroad officials. Others have required more decisive action upon the part of the commission and sev. tIdl ClldtlOUS nave Dteu lSSueu, ucdl- ings had, orders and opinions rendered. In one instance. suit has been ordered in state court with view to final settlement of very important point in issue. Orders and opinions in these cases are in the proper appendix to this report.
 Overcharges-Ou attention has besS called to many instances of alleged overcharges in freight rates, demur- rage, etc Each case has been given a thorough investigation, and when just cause of complaint was found. the matter was brought to the notice of the proper railroad officials.
 In a large majority of instances thesec laims were amicably settled. the amount of overcharge refunded to the shipper, or the demurrage remitted. Others have, however, required hear ings
 Correspondence-T correspondence oi the office has been voluminous, but ohiy such letters as are deemed of public interest, because relating to the construction of the law, or explana. uons or the tariff. are brought upon the record in the appendix.
 Reedy Vance Sentenced.
 A notable case was concluded at