The Taney County republican., 1908-09-24

their ayocations. II | am not badly mis-
taken. | am In this particular, at least.
In entire accord with the great majority
OF the people OF the State. At all events.
will continue so long as / am in public
Office 10 act upon the theory that what the
people want, and what my oath OF once
requires is fighting against and not COM
promising with lawlessness.
This antitrust litigation. TO which an
undue prominence has been given, has IN
reality constituted but a small part OF
/ tie work Cf my office. In the conduct OF
aud in the securing Of testimony 10 sus-
tain these cases, have had no assistance
except that which was furnished by my
regular assistants.
THE RAILROAD RATE LITIGATION.
The litigation over the Maxim Freight
| Rate Laws OF 1905 and 1907, and the two
cent passenger rate law Of 1907. with the
eighteen railroads OF the State. has been
/ n 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. II has been nee
essary for the attorneys for the State 10
/ fully acquaint 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-
e~ahle, but | believe II has been money
well spent This work has enabled the
people Of Missouri as well as the people
u other States, for the first time to
know the truth as to the TeasonableneSS
Of railroad freight and passenger rates
II has disclosed to the people OF this state
the enormous tribute that they have by
inacton permitted the railroads TO levy
upon them for years,
II has shown. for instance that the Bur
lington Railroad Company makes a net
profit Of $1,000 each year for every mile
Of road that II has In the State OF Mis-
souri, while II makes an average OF $4,000
a year for each mile on its entire system I;
that though II has but IL per cent Of It's
mileage in the State Of Missouri that II
pcr cent produces over % per cent OF ita
income. While this condition may not ex-
ist In the case OF all the roads or the
State II Is probable that every road In
the state receives a much larger revenue
for every ton of freight that It hauls one
mile In the State than II receives for
every ton Of freight that 1t hauls one mile
In Interstate traffic. This evidence has
also shown that the people Of Missouri
pay the railroad companies freight rates
from % to 35 per cent higher than d0
their ncighborS Of Iowa and Illinois. For
instance, the Missouri farmer has to pay
500 to have carload of wheat hauled 100
miles TO market. while In Iowa and I'LL
, nois Il costs the farmers OF those States
hut $40 for the same car the same dis
tance; while the stock raisers In Missouri
7 have TO pay the railroads S2i a car tc
have their cattle hauled 100 miles to the
! stockyards at Kansas City. st. Louis and
- Ios-ph. In Illinois the farmers Of that
/ State can have their stock carried to the
} Chi,1gn stockyards the same distance
for $50 a car; that in Missouri the rall-
roads charge the farmer and implement
} dealer S3l 10 have carload OF agricul'
tural implements hauled 100 miles, while
In Iowa II would cost for the same car
the same distance. SIS; that while 4
p would cost the Missouri householder. ac'
, cordrg to the rates established In this
E State S32 to get n car OF lumber hauled {
l distance Of 100 miles, II would cost th'
l Iowa home builder SIS for the same ca
the same distance. A similar condition
8 exists In the freight rates in Missouri nnC
I the freight rates in Illinois and Iowa upoT
s Other commodities and for other distances
q These facts and many others important 4
( the people Of Missouri, have been devel
! opel In the course Of this litigation. Tht
testimony IN these cases has finally beei
s completed and is now ready to be submit
$ ted TO the decision Of the United State
j Circuit Court. ] cannot but view witt
. confidence the final result OF this litigation
y But In this litigation, as In the anti
L trust litigation already referred 10. sub
= stantial results have already been secured
d The facts developed as 10 the value O
y railroad properties enabled the Stat
y Board Of Equalization to Increase thei
E assessments last year over $4,000 .OOC
O. thus adding s175,OOo to the States reve
n nues each year.
n THE TWO GENT FARE FIGHT.
d Further, Governor Folk In his ST. Josep
n speech in his present campaign for tn
], United States senatorship said, in speak
n ing OF this litigation:
~ great deal Of testimony was take
to determine the fairness OF these rate!
;. and as result Of these Investigations Int
- the cost Of freight and passenger service
y the conclusion was arrived 1T, both
e myself and the General Assembly. this
It passenger rates could be materially re
!. duced without doing any Injustice to tn
:. corporations. Believing that the passengt
=, business of the railroads justified II, ] rec
n commended the reduction Of the passeng'
:, rate from three cents to two cents n mile
81 with the enactment OF the two-cer
e. passenger rate law In 1907 the railroad
\. announced that they proposed to enjoln I
js enforcement In the Federal Court, as the
- had two years before enjoined the er
"a fnrcement OF the freight rate law Of 100
w. They also announced that they propose
=. 10 make Missouri the battle-ground
N their contest against the two-cent fare.
,s had learned something in the two years
ai litigation had had with the railroad con
~ nancs as to their methods Of legal wa
~ fare and decided to use the same met
o. ods IN nghting them that they had us'
=. in nghting the people OF Missouri ] q
~ cided not TO let them select both the for
40 and the forum Of litigation. and on q
ho day that they announced that they wOu
/. ask for an injunction In the United Stat
,g Court to restrain me from enforcing q
70 two-cent fare law against them, ! we
m into the State courts and asked for an Z
bn junction enioning the railroad cnmpani
NJ from disobeying this law; and went In
e. the state courts a few hours earlier tht
n, The railroads went Into the Federal cou
., Judge Mat: w Reynolds NJ st. Louis a.
80 Judge John g Park of Kansas City. Issu
40 The iniunctions | asked for against /
"a railroad companies. ana the railroads tn
M prepared their papers for an applicati
81. IN have me adjudged guilty Of contem
%. NJ the United States Circuit Court. tt
We question was argued on the 5th day
a, June. 1907, before Judge Mcpherson or
~ United States Circuit Court at Knns
.r, City. but before the decision was ren
IN. cred the railroads weakened In their fig
". handOnp0 their plan TO have me ndiudg