Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-09
CLEAR, CRISP AND CLEAN
PAYING THE SHAMEFUL
PRICE

N appearing in our evening contem-
IA porary, the Express, assures us
that the attorney general is preparing
to argue the Southern Pacific rebate
cases before the state board of railroad
commissioners. In view Of this declar-
alton on the part of the attorney gem
eral it may not be out Of the way to
again call the attention of our readers
TO the strenuous efforts which he and
the state board of railroad commits
sioners have made during the last nine
months which have elapsed since Inter-
state Commerce Commissioner Lane
unearthed evidences of the Southern
Pacifc's crimes against the law of the
state to serve their MASTER the South
arn Pacific company, and to pay the
oitiful wages which they owe that
company for its influence in placing
them in the official positions in the
state of California which they so con-
stantIy and continually dishonor.
1t will be remembered that just nine
months ago on the 4th day Of this
month the papers of the state pub
lished an Associated Press dispatch
from San Francisco to the effect that
on the preceding day, at a hearing be-
fore Commissioner Lane, it had been
shown that the Southern Pacific COM
pany had been guilty Of granting re-
bates in the state of California in sew
era1 hundred instances. Each one of
these instances constituted a separate
crime.
On October 10, less than two weeks
after this, The Herald published an
editorial in which 1t took some care to
show there existed in the constitution
of the state a complete law, with a
penalty attached, making the granting
of rebates by railroads a crime and
providing q severe punishment for that
crime.
Later, on November 1, The Herald in
an editorial pointed out to Attorney
General Webb the fact that under the
law the granting Of rebates by rail-
roads in this state was misdemeanor,
and that within twelve months after
the discovery Of these violations of the
law by the Southern Pacific prosecu-
tions for every one of them would be
barred OY the 6ldlulO VI AllhAlcllOAAos
At that time we quoted statement
made by Attorney General Webb to a
reporter for The Herald to this effect:
II doTnot intend to take immediate
action. 1 am not sure of the course I
shall pursue, but when 1 reach a de-
cision we will go straight ahead. While
/ have no information on the subject
xrrfII ht-fr a
matter TO the attention Of this depart
ment in due time" etc.
II took the board of railroad commits
sioners several months to prepare for
a hearing of these crimes of the South
ern Pacific against the law of the state.
There were several excuses urged,
among others the statement being cred
board was waiting to secure copy Of
the stenographic report of the proceed
ings before Commissioner Lane. The
Herald secured a copy of these pro-
ceedings a very short time after they
took place merely by writing a request
for the same to the interstate COM
merce commission. The request was
honored by copy of the proceedings
being forwarded by return mall, so it
would appear that this excuse was no
excuse at all.
Then other matters were permitted
TO intervene, so that several months
had elapsed. and the statute of limita-
tions had been permitted to run against
at least half of the violations of the
law for which the Southern Pacific
might have been prosecuted before the
board was ready for action. Then there
was a hearing. and now more than two
months have elapsed since that hear