The Marshall republican., 1908-09-25


more than I would have thought It right
to license the gambler or the burglar to
levy tribute upon the people by plying
their avocations. II / am not badly mis-
taken, l am in this particular, at least,
In entire accord with the great majority
Of the people OF the State. At all events,
IN will continue so long as / am In public
Office to act upon the theory that what the
people want, and what my oath OF Office
requires is fighting against and not COM
promising with lawlessness.
This ant trust litigation, to which an
undue prominence has been given, has In
reality constituted but a small part OF
the work OF my office. In the conduct OF
and in the securing OF testimony to sus-
tain these cases. ] have had no assistance
except that which was furnished by my
regular assistants,
1.-THE RAILROAD RATE LITIGATION.
The litigation over the Maxim Freight
Rate Laws OF 1906 and 1907, and the two
cent passenger rate law OF 1907, with the
eighteen railroads OF the State. has been
a much greater and more laborious under
taking. and, In fact, has been the largest
and most difficult piece OF legislation In
the history Of the State. 1t has been nee
essary for the attorneys for the State to
fully %6cquaint themselves with the meth
DDS and system OF railroad construction
and operation, the method in which the
railroad rates are fixed and established,
the methods and details Of railroad ac-
counting; in short, with every phase of
the railroad business from the standpoint
OF operation, as well as from the stand
point OF litigation. The expense of expert
accountants who have spent months in the
examination OF the books and accounts OF
the railroad companies, has been consid-
cradle. but / believe 1t has been money
well spent. This work has enabled the
people of Missouri as well as the people
OF other States, for the first time. to
| LIE Nas ~ -..NL . N q H. 80 80 I1A-na
OF railroad freight and passenger rates.
II has disclosed to the people OF this State
the enormous tribute that they have by
inact'on permitted the railroads to levy
upon them for years.
It has shown, for Instance, that the Bur-
lington Railroad Company makes a net
profit of IS 900 each year for every mile
OF road that 1t has in the State OF Mis-
souri,. while 1t makes an average OF 81. 1900
a year for each mile on its entire system;
that though 1t has but II per cent Of its
mileage in the State OF Missouri, that IL
per cent produces over % per cent OF Its
income. While this condition may not ex-
list in the case Of all the roads OF the
State. II is probable that every road In
the State receives n much larger revenue
for every ton Of freight that 1t hauls one
mile in the State than II receives for
every ton OF freight that II hauls one mile
In interstate traffic. This evidence has
also shown that the people Of Missouri
pay the railroad companies freight rates
AAOil 50 w % DtI VIII EIt lIdu w
their %neighbors OF Iowa and Illinois. For
! instance. the Missouri farmer has to pay
$50 to have a carload Of wheat hauled 100
miles to market, while in Iowa and I'LL
nois II costs the farmers OF those States
but $40 for the same car the same dis
lance; while the stock raisers in Missouri
have to pay the railroads s24 a car &c
have their cattle shauled 100 miles to tn,
, s~tockyards at Kansas City, st. Louis and
! -. Joseph, In Illinois the farmers Of thai
/ State can have their stock carried to the
} Chicago stockyards, the same distance
for $50 a car; that In Missouri the rail-
! roads charge the farmer and implement
dealer 1874 to have a carload OF agricul-
l tural implements hauled 100 miles, Will,
3 In Iowa 1t would cost for the same car
the same distance. SIS; that while 1
would cost the Missouri householder, ac'
Y cording to the rates established IN thi'
State $32 to get a car OF lumber hauled
distance OF 100 miles, II would cost tn
n Iowa home build SIS for the same ca
8 exists in the freight rates in Missouri an,
Z the freight rates in Illinois and Iowa upoi
9 other commodities and for other distances
: These facts and many others important I
4 the people OF Missouri, nave been devel
d oped in the course OF his litigation. TIL
t testimony in these cases has finally bee
s completed and is nov ready to be submit
s ted to the decision OF the United State
Circuit Court. i cannot but view will
5 confidence the final result OF this litigation
Y But in this litigation, as in the anti
t trust litigation already referred to, sub
9 %stantial results have already been secured
i I'm facts developed as to the value o
s railroad properties enabled the Stat,
Y Board of Equalization to increase thei
e assessments last year over $40, 000. 900
thus adding s175, 900 to the States reve
nues each year.
n THE TWo-cENT FARE FIGHT.
Further, Governor Folk in his st. JOSEPH
. speech in his present campaign for tn
= United States Senatorship said, in speak
a ing Of this litigation:
"A great deal OF testimony was take,
to determine the fairness OF these rates
and as a result OF these Investigations int
r the cost OF freight and passenger service
the conclusion was arrived at, both b,
c myself and the General Assembly. tina
I passenger rates could be materially re
= duced without doing any injustice to tn
= corporations, Believing that the 'passenge
[ business OF the railroads justified II. I rec
n commended the reduction OF the passenge
: rate from three cents to two cents a mile.
[ With the enactment OF the two-cen
: passenger rate law in 1907. the railroad
announced that they proposed to enjoin II
S enforcement in the Federal Court. as the.
: had two years before enjoined the en-
o forcement OF the freight rate law 80 1905
: They also announced that they l. Jposet
= to make Missouri the battle ground II
n their contest against the two-cent fare.
@ ndu icd|Heu suHletnlnB III tne TWO years o
i litigation / had had with the railroad com
y panies as to their methods OF legal war
n fare, and I decided to use the same meth
: DDS in fighting them that they had use,
/; In fighting the people OF Missouri. I de
r cided not to let them select both the form
s and the forum of litigation, and on tn,
q day that they announced that they woul,
: ask for an injunction in the United State
Z Court TO restrain me from enforcing IN,
: two-cent fare law against them, / wen
0 into the State courts and asked for an In
n Junction enJoining the railroad companie
( from disobeying this law and / went int,
the state courts a few hours earlier thar
Z the railroads went into the Federal court
Judge Matt w. Reynolds OF st. Louis, anC
Judge John g. Park Of Kansas City. issueS
' the intunctions l asked for against tn,
railroad companies, and the railroads thei
prepared their papers for an application
! to have me adjudged guilty Of contemp
! Of the United States Circuit Court. Thl
! question was argued on the 9th day o
June, 1907. before Judge Mcpherson Of tn,
United States Circuit Court at Kansa,
I City, but before the decision was rend
cred the railroads weakened in their fight
A abandoned their ulan In haya ma adftdOa.