The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-16

it's rates among far western states with
the purpose of killing off all COMPETE
ton against the Colorado Fuel and Iron
company.
The eastern railroads announced they
had deferred from January l, 1905, to
April 1 the time for enforcing the uni
form bill of lading. This decision fol-
lows strong showing made by Illinois
and other commercial interests before
the interstate commerce commission.
President StuyveSant Fish, in Chi
cago, announces he is going to Wash
ington to confer with Senators Cullom,
Allison and others regarding the Elxins
interstate commerce court bill.
Relating the circumstances of the
Ripley dinner in New York, the Chi
cago railway president said yesterday
that those who attended were practic-
ally unanimous against the presidents
Southern Pacific, he said, feared that
the Roosevelt plan would carry great
weight with congress and lead to the
proposed legislation unless radical
measures were taken by the railroads
to prevent it.
The western presidents, however, were
much more conservatively inclined.
While they admitted that the enact
ment of a law giving the interstate
cOmnere commission the right to fix
rates pending an appeal to the courts
might work great hardship on the rail-
roads, they feared that any radical show
of opposition might result in Fastening
antagonistic legislation and arousing
public indignation
The political situation in Wisconsin,
Iowa, Minnesota, and other western
states, they argued, was such as to re-
quire the utmost caution to prevent hos
tile railroad legislation by state legisla-
lures.
The conclusion finally reached at the
dinner was that it would be unwise to
show an unfriendly spirit towards the
president, but that efforts should be
It'd h ff1sn n
upon the recommendations to increase
the power of the commission to appoint
q committee from its own membership
to investigate the railroads and find out
just what legislation is necessary TO
eradicate the evils complained of in the
presidents message.
BY this means, it is believed, the rail-
roads expect to be able to convince con-
gress that the presidents recommended
lions are too radical.
At least one of the westerners
thought well of the suggestion for an
interstate commerce court which could
act promptly upon appeals from deci-
sions of the interstate commerce COM
mission as regards the reasonableness
of a rate. Such a court, he thought,
would benefit the railroads as much as
the shippers.
'It would enable them he argued
at the dinner, ito prosecute before the
commission any road which, for some
selfish reason, puts in effect rate
that is unreasonably low, and compel
it to establish a reasonable and more
remunerative rate. and thus avoid the
necessity by the other roads OF meet
ing the cut rate"
What bids fair to be a sensational
railroad rebate case was that opened
by Commissioner Prouty in Ell Paso-
He took up the alleged unlawful rates
and practices in the transportation OF
coal and mine supplies by the santa
Fe The order for the inquiry was
previously given by the interstate
commerce commission. 1t is aiIeged
the Santa Fe, with the COLORADO fuel
&. Iron company, has been and is guilty
of gross violation of the interstate
commerce law. in that the entire FABRIC
of rates on coal from COLORADO ana
New Mexico points to TeXaS Arizona i
and the republic of Mexico is con-
structed with the purpose of killing on
all competition with the Fuel & Iron
company.
coal COMPANIES that secret instructions
have been issued by officers of the rail-
road company to their employees that the
freight rates which are applied on coal
shipped by independent operators shall,
where the Colorado Fuel and Iron COM
coal as well, in other WORDS the selling
price of the coal is paid by the railroad
company, and that company is enabled to
deliver coal free on board at price equaI
to or about the published freight rate
The effect of this is to give the Colorado
Fuel and Iron company q rebate equal TO
the market price of the coal. instances
are cited where an independent coal COM
pany was charged $3.50 for freight alone,
and at the same time coal from and TO
the same points was delivered by the Col
orado Fuel and Iron company at So free
on board.
1t is alleged also that different con-
sumers of coal in the same district have
been charged different rates IN some IN
stances the difference being as much as SO
cents a ton. Other instances of direct
payments by the Santa Fe railroad COM
pany to the Colorado Fuel and Iron COM
pany of a portion of the freight rate are
outlined, and, it is said, will be estab-
liShed.
This investigation hal its origin in an
action for damages brought by the Gale
DOMAIN Coal company against the railroad
COMPANY and the Colorado Fuel and Iron
company for 500, COB, growing out of al
legged Determinations in freight rates
Three Expelled From Stock Exchange.
New York, Dec. 16.-Three members
of the Consolidated Stock Exchange
have been expelled for conduct alleged
to be detrimental to the interests of