The Topeka state journal., 1904-12-31
Paso & Southwestern at Demfng."
OBLIGATIONS of COMPANY

/ Obligations of Company.
Did you not issue a circular to your
| agents inStructing them to accept the
rates rendered by the Colorado Fuel &
| Iron company and not to make any
changes in rates without consultation
with that company" asked Attorney
| Marchand.
| I'VE instructed our agents to collect
the rates named in a price list on coal
issued by the Colorado Fuel & Iron
company said Mr.. Biddle. I'VE did
not change our rates, but the Colorado
Fuel & Iron company had a right to
charge any prices it pleased, and we
were bound to collect the price it fixed
for COAL
mission commenced. its invest cation
of this case the Santa Fe company has
filed a. tariff making the rate coal
from Trinidad to Deming $3.45 per
ton, when destined to points on the FL
Paso & Southwestern road but Mr.
Biddle- admitted that the Colorado Fuel
& Iron company pays only $3.50 per
ton, or 55 cents less than the publish
ed rate.
other facts make more clear the
advantages afforded the Colorado
Fuel & Iron company over its co-npet-
itors in the coal business The mines
at Gallup are 14O miles nearer Dem
ing than is the Trinidad district yet
the rates of freight charged by the
Santa Fe are practically the same
from Gallup and Trinidad, despite the
greater mileage from Trinidad.
History of Case.
Alexander Bowie, president of the
Caledonian Coal company, was for
merly superintendent of mines of the
Santa Fe system. When the COM
pany was reorganized and its mines
were sold to the Colorado Fuel & Iron
company officials of the Santa Fel
urged Bowie to open the coal mines
in the Gallup district and contracted
to purchase from him at least one
fo1 of Santa
Fe Pacific road at $1.3S per ton.
This contract expired in 1899 and
the Santa Fe refused to renew 1t,
making instead a contract with the
Colorado Fuel & Iron company. I'm
til 1902 the Santa Fe purchased from
the Caledonian Coal company all the
coal used by the Santa Fe, Prescott &
Phoenix road, but since that date It'll
has been supplied by the Colorado
Fuel & Iron company.
Mr., Biddle yesterday assumed the re-
sponsibility for the traffic and rate re
Iations of the Santa Fe railroad with
the Colorado Fuel & Iron company and
the Ell Paso & Southwestern railroad
President Ripley said, after the hearing
before the interstate commerce commits
sion that he knew nothing about the
case.
Take Up Wichita Rate.
The interstate commerce commission |
also commenced an investigation of the |
relative rates to Kansas City and Wich- !
1Ia on sugar from In6 gun ports. Inc
western railroads have agreed to ad- /
vance rates January 1 on sugar from |
the gulf ports to Missouri river points |
from 20 cents to 80 cents per 100 pounds. |
and to make the rates to Wichita 10 |
cents per 100 pounds higher than to |
Kansas City, Omaha, and Sioux City.
A. f. Helm. representing the whole |
sale dealers in sugar at Wichita, told |
the commission that If the railroads (
were permitted to put into effect the |
proposed rates the result would be to /
drive the Wichita jobbers out of busi- )
ness, giving the Kansas City jobbers
a monopoly
He showed that the Santa Fe and
Rock Island roads, bringing sugar from /
the gulf ports, carry it through Wich-
ita to deliver it at Kansas City, 225 |
miles longer haul; yet those railroads
propose to charge Is cents more for |
carrying sugar to Wichita than the rate
to Kansas City. or even to Omaha, 500
miles beyond Wichita.
In 1896 the interstate commerce COM
mission ruled that rates on merchan-
disc from gulf ports. through the
gulf ports, should not be higher to
Wichita than to Kansas City, but the |
railroads paid little heed to the order.
The commission today will give the
Kansas City jobbers a chance to ex-
or lower rates than Wichita, and will /
also ask traffic officials of the railways
to show why they are justified in MAX
ing an advance of nearly 100 per cent
in rates on sugar.
Issues Warming to Shippers.
The American Shippers association.
representing the commercial organfza-
tions of all the large business centers
has issued a warning to shippers ali |
over the country that prompt and con-
certed action is necessary to secure leg
islation by congress for the regulation |
of railway rates.
THE country is thoroughly aroused |
to the importance of dealing with the
railroad question" say the officers of |
the association to the shippers, but |
unless the manufacturers and mer-