The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-20
Commissioner PrOuty Expects
Rate to Be Extended.
NO ACTION is NEEDED.
Have Admitted That
Fares Are Too High.
Car Shortage Hearing to Begin
I'm Kansas City.


Prouty Of Vermont, member of the in
terstate commerce commission, who ar
rived here this morning from st. Louis
to continue the car shortage hearing.
said today in interview in speaking
of the so-called rate law:
I have no doubt that eventually all
states east Of the Mississippi and north
of the Ohio will be on a two cent basis,
and by eventually 1 mean, of course,
within a reasonable time for such legis-
lation to be enacted-if legislation shall
be required, which I doubt. All these
changes are and will be due to the ag-
itation for the rate law. No man can
tell what the final effect of the rate
law may be until It has been worked out
in the courts"
Mr.. Prouty continued THE most inn
portant effect of the law has been the
reducing of passenger rates east or
Flttsburg and north of the Ohio river
and in other communities. These reduC-
tiors have been widespread-no in the
west, L admit, but east of Pfttsburs
and north Of the Ohio people are riding
for two cents a mile. The commission
has made no orders and expressed no
opta.ons TO account for this change. The
carriers have tacitly admitted that their
rates We're too high"
Mr.. Prouty said it was too early now
70 estimate the real value of the rate.
Up to this time, the railroads he said
had generally evinced a disposition not
only to obey the law but to accept any
construction the commission nut uDon
it. The commission has had no occa-
sion, he said. to issue any constraining
orders. nor orders that would cost the
railroads much to obey. TIL it does SO.
Mr. Prouty said, it would be impossi-
/ bic to say what they will do.
Il said when the bill was passed %
Mr.. Prouty said. that the first effect
would be to stop rebates. believe
4 they have been stopped" :"
Mr.. Prouty recurring to the reduc-
I ton of passenger rates said there had
been some reductions in freight rates.
too, as well as a few advances. While
this amounts to a reduction In the pub
lished tariff" he said, lit amounts also
to largely increased. revenues for the
railroads. 1t must be clear that II they
cut off all free transportation the rail-
/ reads can afford to reduce passenger
and freight rates
Mr.. Prouty continued: "The papers
did not say too much when they said
the passing of the rate law marked
the greatest triumph OF American prog
ress. the triumph Of the Roosevelt ad-
| mfnistratiOn."
He said that whatever might be the
fate of the law finally. the people
| would hereafter control the business Of
rate making, all shippers would pay
the same rates the square deal' would
apply; business would be on a cash
basis; men would pay for riding and
the railroads would pay for services in
! their interest.
'.The Standard Oil company" Mr..
| Prouty said, maintains a press bureau.
! buys space IN newspapers of a certain
class; publishes what it wants to and
the reading public. or a part of It, be-
lieves what it reads. That stuff should
be signed STANDARD Oil Company But.
Notwithstanding that press bureau. the
Standard OIL company is at bay and the
| public is getting an accounting.
J. R. Crow, president of the ]. r. Crow
Coal & Mining company of Kansas Csty.
the first witness, testified in reply 20
! question that S. T. Fulton of Chicago.
assistant to President WfnchelI Of tbs
Rock Island railroad hoI1s $4,000 stock
/ in the Crow company. He admitted that
Mr. Fulton had received this stock with
out paying for it, but said he lad OBJ
I tanned 1t before he became employed by
the Rock Island.
Murdo Mackenzie, president of the
American Live Stock association and
4 manager of the Matador Land & Cattle
| company, testified that he had received
many complaints from Colorado. N-w
Mexico and practically all the South OF
financial loss resulting from shortage OF
stock cars.
what is the reason for this short
age?" asked Commissioner Prouty.
THE railroads use the cattle cars for
other commodities replied bir. Mac
Kenzie
Mr.. Mackenzie said he had known Of
sheep being held for six or seven weeks
waiting for cars and finally they were
| driven from Albuquerque to Kansas In
! order to get them to market. The ship
! pers had experienced more or less delay
every fall. but this year the delay was
the most severe yet. In one case II took
four days to ship cattle from Kansas
City to Texas and in another instance
cattle shipped from Texas to Kansas
/ have been sidetracked in Oklahoma for
q hours.
H. S. Boise Of the Boise Cattle com
pany of Claiming. Texas. gave prac-
| tfcailv the same testimony as given by
Mr.. Mackenzie, saying that the car
shortage this year was the worst ever
! experienced by shippers.
James M. Coburn, a southwestern
ranchman, told Of several instances
/ where his cattle had been held up In
shipping to market.
John Molesworth of Clarendon, Tex.
1 a ranchman who ships his cattle to the
Kansas City market. was asked by the
! commissioner II il was not a fact that
| Emporia, Kan. yards were leased out.
/ Replying, Molesworth said that 1t was
generally understood SO. and that he
was always forced to feed his cattle at
Emporia.
S. T. Fulton, referred TO above. is
former Topeka man. and a brother of J.
c. Fulton, station agent Of the Union
Pacific
ConeyviIIe Glass Company Sued.
independence. Kan, Dec. 20.-Tne
First National bank of Marion Ind,
has begun suit in the district court