The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1905-02-11

tTelght was Wh0l y unremunerstive
At the conclusion of these
testimonies, Judge Cochran made a
speech in which he said that the
subject Of freight rates was so
immense and complex that the
Legislature could not understand it.
He said that he had tried to master
the subject and had to give 1t up.
He read from a supreme court rep1rt
in which Justice Harlan said that
more than three hundred elements
entered into the determination OF an
equitable rate He insisted that the
rates In Missouri we're as low as the
lowest In the United States where
anything like similar freight
conditions existed, and that the roads
were labOring INCREASINGLY to correct
inequalities and reduce charges. He
warne1 the legislature against
striking dowI the greatest enterprise
10 the state by Whimsical legislation
and urged that the people refer their
complaints to the state railroad and
warehouse commission. He drew
picture Of Missouri foraker. its
trans state traffic all diverted to
lines running through other states,
It's factories all moved just outside
our borders.
II was after II O'Clock when Judge
Cochran concluded. Mr.. McGrew
spoke about half an hour In criticism
OF the present freight rates. When
upon motion 0f a member, the hear.
ing was continued to Tuesday night,
Mr.. McGrew asked Judge Cochran II
he meant to make a comprehensive
denial OF the charges he (McGrew)
made before the beginning OF the
discussion Judge Cpckran said that
he did. Mr.. McGrew then read the
S ction Of the constitution forbldding
a higher charge for a shorter haul
than for longer one. He quoted
published rates in which this pro-
vision is violated. He read decisions
IN two cases in which he had recJv.
cred overcharges upon the ground Of
such violation. But ne SAID that this
was not the ouly way in which the
law is violated BY the railroads He
declared that in the statutory classi-
ticatiOn coal, brick, sand, railroad
les, stone, cOrdwoud and other heavy
articles were specifically included 10
the same class. He said that he held
in his hand freight bills for a car load
Of coal shipped from Lexington to
Marshall at 40 cents per ton
and for car load OF brick
shipped from the same starting point
aud to the same destination al
S1.20 per ton. He quoted pub.
lis he'd rates in which the charges
we're greater for hauling freight
given distance in one direction than
In the other direction on the same
road, and he read a supreme court
decision in which this was pronounced
unlawful
Mr., McGrew said that the last
statutory tariff rate enacted by the
legislature was enacted in 1872, and
that the rat in it were much higher
than the railroads now charge or had
ever charged. He said that the new
rates promulgated in March, 1904, by
tbe state railroad commissioners,
acting under authority Of a bill passed
by the legislature in 1908, were nn
lawful from the beginning. He said
that in the very title Of the tariff
sheet published by the commissioners
there was announced an arbitrary
division Of the state into two parts,
one lying north and the other south
Of the maih line of the Missouri
Pacific railroad and that the com.
missioners had established different
maximum rates in these two arbitrary
divisions He called attention to the
fact that two great freight roads the
G. & A. aud the Nj X s. 7 lie part
in one Of these divisions of Missouri
and part In the other, and that they
are thus authorized by this schedule
to charge one set Of rates along one
part OF their lines and another set
along the other. Thus, he said,
there was no legality, uniformity nor
equity either in the states maximum
rates or in the railroad commissioners
experimental rates.
Gu Tuesday night the hearing was
continued. The railroad representa-