The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-19
TOO MUCH Time.
Railroads Don't Want to Wait
on Commissioners.
Would Put Their New Tariffs in
at Once.
AN ORDER Is MADE.
The Board Makes a Compromise
Ruling.
viii Allow Rates Put in Subject
to Change.

General freight agents of several of
the Kansas roads have appealed to the
state board of railroad commissioners
for permission to issue their new tariff
sheets without waiting for the board
to put its o. K. upon the charges, as
the new railroad law requires. The pro
position was put point blank to the
board by J. c. Lincoln, general freight
agent OF the Missouri Pacific, and the
board refused to grant the request.
As a compromise, however, the board
has decided to allow the railroads to
issue and distribute their tariff sheets
subject TO the approval of the board.
If the board makes any objection, the
railroad company will have to reissue
the ratings
The law on the subject is as fol-
lows:
Section 10. 1t shall be unlawful, and
a violation of this act, for any railroad
company to change the classification of
its freights, or to raise the charges
therefor, without first having obtained
an order from said commissioners per
hitting such: provided, that nothing in
this act shall be construed to prevent
she railroads, with the consent of the
said commissioners, from declaring and
making emergency rate or rates for a
limited time.
1t seems that this provision Of the
law is very Objectionable TO the rail-
ROADS because 1t tends to delay the IS
suance OF their tariff sheets. They must
first submit to the board the changes
which they want to make, get the
boards approval and then. proceed with
the publication of the sheets The
freight agents said that this method
delayed their business very materially.
They proposed that the board approve
anything the railroads wanted to issue
before they knew what the changes
were to be, and then, if there seemed
Ha frT7 raj IA Ia IN
the railroads.
The board held that it had no right
under the law to approve any changes
until the matter had been submitted to
them. They agreed. however, to allow
the railroads to take the risk of issuing
their amended tariff sheets without APP
DroYal. subject to recall in case the
board should act adversely upon the
proposed change.
This concession to the railroads will
doubtless have the effect of doing
away with the frequent requests for
permission to change rates which have
been coming in. The railroad com
panies will go ahead and make the
changes and issue the new sheets, and
the board will then see if the changes
are satisfactory.
Another important change in the
rule of procedure has also been agreed
to by the board. The express com.
panfes proposed that they designate
one company to act as their represen-
tative before the board, and presen
to the board any matters which thu
express companies desired to hav,
acted upon. This includes the matte.
Of express rates. The express com
panies viii designate some compan.
to act for them. and that compan,
viii probably assign some clerk to at
tend to all express matters which ar
to come before the board.
1t was thought by the board tina
this system would simplify the nego
tiations with the board, and tn
change was agreed to-
It has been decided by the boar
to ask the boards attorney, Car
Taylor, in connection with Attorne.
General Coleman, to prepare al
opinion on the constitutionalIty of tn
so-calIed ssNeosho county law whlcl
was passed by the last legislature
This law is as follows
section l. That all trains carryin.
passengers, except as hereinafter pro
Vided. shall stop so as TO receive an
let OF passengers at the regular sta