The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-10-28
CHARGES DISCRIMINATION
IN CAR DISTRIBUTION
Railroad Commissioners Order Look
ing Toward Regulations of Matter,
First To Be Issued in This Con-
nection-Railroad VIII Fight to
Last Ditch.


indianapolis. Ind. Oct 2S.-The
shippers law, the pride or the anti
railroad crowd of the last general as
sembly, is threatened. This law, 1t
Will be recalled. was enacted only at
ter determined fight participated in
on the one hand by the combined
commercial bodies of the state. and |
on the other hand by the railroads
having lines traversing Indiana. 1t
was designed to eliminate evils long |
complained of by shippers everywhere. |
Its enactment was the cause OF much |
rejoicing on the part of the shipping |
interests of the state.
The life of the law is now threatened |
inasmuch the Southern Infiana
railroad has decided TO test its consti
tutionality. This decision has been
reached as an outcome of the petition
filed against the Southern Indiana by
the Colora Coal company. which
charged that the railroad had discrim-
mated against it and other independ-
ent coal companies in the matter Of
car distribution. After holding an ex-
/ tended hearing IN the case, the rail-
road commission ruled in favor of the
petitioner by issuing an order regulat
ing car distribution in the coal dis
trict-this order being based on the
average daily requirements of the mine
operators modified by the capacity and
daily output of their mines.
First Order of Its Kind Ever Issued.
This order, which was promulgated
to take effect at 6 o'clock D. m. on the
evening of Oct. 81, was issued by the
| commission through power given 1t
by the shippers law. 1t is the first
order of it's kind ever placed on rec
ord. If it stands 1t will be proof suf-
ficient that the railroad commission can
really do what it was brought into eX-
istence to do, namely. regulate the
railroads of the state by its own rules
But the Southern Indiana, which has
shown by past actions to be one Of the
most arrogant of railroads. does not
propose to let it stand If there is any
relief to be obtained from the courts
lit has already declared-and the com
missions order is now only two days
old. that it will fight the commission
regulatioa in the matter of car distri-
button, even if it has to attempt to
upset the whole, law on which the com
mission has based, its action.
The shipping interests Of the state
will rally to the defense or their pc
statute The law now f2reatened i
regarded by them as a chiIn~ or theii
own and they will see to it }1Sat ne
harm that they can prevent comeE t'
it. When the Colora company appeafS1
to the commission for relief the ship
ping interests, represented by the In
diana Manufacturers and Shippers as
ISOLATION, offered aid. Officers of this
association appeared at the Terre
Haute hearing and put It up strong
to the commission that it had power
under the law to promulgate rules and
| orders regulating car distribution This
was denied by the attorneys of the
Southern Indiana. who declared thai
the coal carried by the Southern Indi-
ana went directly to Chicago and
/ thereby became a part Of interstate
: traffic over which the Indiana commits
sion or any other state body had nc
control.
This point Will be emphasized by the
Southern Indiana in resisting the com
MISSIONS order announced Saturday
But more than this the railroad will
attack the law under which the com
: mission acted from other points. The
: controversy will be watched with in
: terst by the railroad and shipping in-
2 terests Of Indiana and other states.