The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-14
Violations of Law Are Not All
ON One Side.
Railway Paper Cites Fact That
Shippers Practice Fraud.
BILL GOODS FALSELY.
Attempts Made to Beat Western
Roads Out of 81, 100000.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
in Railway Circles.

! Disregard of the law and continuous
violations thereof by the railways have
been so frequently asserted and so Sc
verely denounced in the public press
| that it is time something was said
! about la-wbreakers on the other side,
says the Railway Age. Those who pro-
fess indignation over the attitude of
the railways in this regard seem to for
get two important facts: First, that
! railway managers do not give away the
revenue of their roads unless they are
obliged to do so; and. second. that
where shippers succeed in securing re-
bates they are as guilty of infraction
of the law as the givers, with this diff
ference. that the advantage and profit
are mainly on the side of the shipper.
Notwithstanding all the outcry-some
of it just and some OF it insincere-it is
the painful fact that, with few excep-
tons, those who denounce the railways
for favoring other customers would be
glad to get transportation at less than
the lawful rate If they could. If the
railways will not give rate reductions
very many shippers proceed to steal
them. The extent to which efforts are
made to beat the roads, by men 9TH
erwise reputable, as well as by dis
reputables, would astonish the country
if the facts were known. We propose
to state few of these facts, which can
be substantiated fully by the records.
The interstate commerce law provides
that any person who, knowingly and
wilfully, by false billing, false classiE-
cation, false weighing, false representa-
ton of the contents of the package, or
false report of weight, with or without
the consent or connivance of the car
rier, shall obtain transportation FOR
such property at less than the regularly
established rate, shall be deemed guilty
of fraud and shall be subject for each
Offense to a fine not exceeding $4,000.
1t would be supposed that, in law
abiding community, attempts to violate
heavy penalties would be few aAd far
between. Yet during a. single month,
within the territory covered by the
western lines, upward of SO, 900 such at
tempts, involving fraud to the amount
of more than 800, 900, have been detect
ed by the railways. The aggregate IN
volved in such frauds on the part OF
shippers detected during the year 1914
in this same territory was nearly ST.
SEQ 600; and it is certain that by no
means all of the attempts were discoV-
cred.
only recently the board of railroad COM
missioners in Kansas were petitioned 10
forbid the railways to open and examine
packages, for the detection of false bill
ing ETC. the petitioners admitting that
they were disappearing their goods ana
did not want to pay the lawful rate. In
a hearing before the Texas commission
last month the representative OF manu-
facturers of high class breakfast foods,
ton on the goods, admitted that he was
at that time shipping them under a false
designation for the purpose of obtaining
less than the authorized rate. In fact, SO
universal is the desire, and so common IS
the attempt to beat the railroads" by
this means, that it has come to be looked
upon as matter of course.
1t is to be said in this connection that
the railways themselves are largely re-
sponsible for these numerous violations
of the law. Although knowing the facts.
and having in their hands the evidence of
the fraud, not of them has sufficient
ba ckbone to enter a complaint. They
maintain extensive bureaus at large cost
for the purpose of detecting and correct
ting these Misrepresentation and SEEM
ingly are content to let it go at that,
whereas they should furnish evidence to
the proper authorities for the prosecution
of the offenders. The reason for this
neglect of a plain duty is the knowledge
that the road which takes the initiative
will be made to suffer in loss of business.
The Railway Age, knowing the facts, APP
pealS to the interstate commerce commits
sion to institute an inquiry into the prac-
tees revealed by the records of the West
ern Weighing and Inspection bureau and
the Central Freight association, to the