The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-17
RAILROAD NEWS.
In 10 Years Rebates Aggregate
Billion, Fines $4,000.
President Stickney Sums Up Net
Result Of Interstate Law.
PAY "OVERCHARGES. .
Present Methods of Rate Making
Are Attacked.
Gossip and Matters Of Interest
in Railroad Circles.

In hnes S15. 900; in rebates billion.
This, says A 3. Stickney, president
OF the Chicago Great Western railroad.
Is the net result of fifteen years of the
interstate commerce law. The state
ment is made in an open letter in
which Mr.. Stickney urges the impor-
tance of enforcing the provisions OF the
law in respect to making and publish
ing schedules Of rates
Mr.. Stickney contends that the ar
gument advanced by the railroads,
generally to the effect that It is i'm
practicable to comply with this feature
of the law, is fnsincere. Mr.. Stickney
charges that the present system is
cumbersome and unnecessary, that it IS
used to encourage and conceal the dis
examinations allowed by the railroads
to favored shippers. He cites examples
of how these schedules are manfpu-
lated to the advantage OF the favored
shipper and against the interests of the
small shipper. He says:
The provisions of the interstate
commerce law which relate to the con-
Etruction and the contents of the
schedule Of rates must be regarded be-
fore the law become effective in pre-
venting DETERMINATIONS
Mr.. Stickney says that in every de-
partment of railway operation except
the rate making department. order.
method and system prevail but that
there is no method. order or system in
the making OF freight schedules. The
time cards and rules for running trains
are exact and specific and printed so
that everyone can understand them
When nav time card is printed the
whole card is reprinted and the whole
card taken up He says:
Puzzle to Public and Railway Agents.
mo such order and system pertains
70 the schedule Of rates. No railroad
company has ever published all its
rates in one schedule in such a manner
that railway agents, who collect the
rates. or the public, who pay the rates.
can tell with certainty the legal rates.
ION the contrary, they have been
published on detached leaves AMI
and some booklets containing a few
specific rates, many containing no spe-
cifc rates, but instead of specific rates,
they contain rules for combining rates
to produce specific rates which are in
comprehensive to both the shipper
and to the railway agents who collect
the rates. This results in a great
many mistakes in regard to rates
which must be corrected by over
charge claim
Mr.. suckney says that the changes
that arc made in the schedules make
up a record for each road Of thousands
Of separate leaves and booklets, which
name possibly one-quarter of the spe-
ctfic rates to be ascertained by com
binations and percentages. according
to rules and unwritten customs which
no layman car. possibly understand
TT is impossible to convey by gen
eral language any adequate under
standing of the utterly hopeless condi-
ton Of the present schedules he says.
MI Stickney declares that the
schedule expert employed by each rail-
road is the only one who can translate
the schedules.
Rates From Other Lines. Too.
Besides this Is not the whole
story" Mr. Stickney says. Every
daily mail brings in literally bushels of
schedules issued by other lines which
in some respects affect the traffic of
the line It Is my contention that
when the same method. order and sys-
tenn is introduced into the schedule of
rates and the rates between all points
are specifically named so that at all
times freight agents, station agents and
shippers can, by inspection of, not