The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1907-02-26
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opinion of members ~ tho Interstate
enmftserc. commission the railroads
NJ the country arc engaged Ia = sss-
,rnafle effort ~ render the nos las
obnoxious Iva the eyes Of the people
Mans of the roads ayo imposing ne@
and harsh conditions on their pas
tfons and are doing away sish con.
yeniences and privileges that hay.
existed For years. claiming as th.
reason for the changed condition
that IL is made mandatory by the
rate law.
Protests as. pouring Into Wash
lngton against the unjust and alb
surd rules and regulations which va
rious roads are putting into effect.
Some OF these rulings are sweeping
I in their provisions, and have suhiee-
| ted shippers and passengers TO no
/ end of annoyance. In many instan-
ces they have seriously iuterfered
with business When objection Is
made 10 the railroads by angry
shippers and others who have beet
I
| the same I'VE are very sorry. but
| this is made necessary by the new
rate law"
Il think that while the railroads
whole" I" said member of the inter-
state commerce commission today,
in speaking of the numerous COM
! plants that are coming in, "a great
many of them are trying to make 1t
odious. We are constantly receiving
letters from persons asking II GER
tain new rules established by roads
are required by the rate law. We
have replied in a great many instan-
ces by saying there is nothing in
! that law which would by any stretch
of imagination be construed as re-
| quiring the new regulations. The
roads are undoubtedly cutting off
| a great many accommodations that
have existed for a long time for the
| purpose of exciting popular feeling
against the rate law
I'VE have been getting letters
from many persons in the west, say
ling that railroads are declining tt
make the usual merchants excursion
irates. for the reason that orders o
the interstate commerce com mission
prevent. This, of course, is not true
The custom of making special rates
into the big cities for the benefit OF
merchants has long been in effect.
1t is an important reduction to a
great many persons, and means big
business for the cities. This year
most of the western roads have de-
cined to make these special rates.
| There is nothing in the rate law
which prevents reductions. On the
contrary, we have made rules and
regulations for the filing of excur-
sion tariffs and have given the roads
| the greatest possible latitude in max
| ing them The roads are putting on
the rate law the responsibility for
other hardships, which they are I'M
posing upon shippers. For instance
/ they have declined TO permit ship
pers to reconsign their cars. They
| have also declined to issue through
/ bills of ladng where they had pre-
viously issued them.
! THE refusal OF the roads to per
nit shippers 10 reconsign their
| freight is a hardship to the business
| man. because this is a privilege OF
considerable value. There Is abso-
| lutely nothing in the law tn warrant
such action by the roads. On the
contrary. the law invests the com
mission with the authority to order
| through rate and through bills OF Ia
ding II the shipper can prove mat
either of these is uuiustly denied To
him"