The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1908-10-19
SAVING
To TIE PEOPLE
DEMOCRATIC CORPORATION con-.
MISSION LOVERS FREIGHT
rNTES ON AL COdMoo
lTtES.
ADEQUATE RAIL
ROAJ REGULATION

Sense Permits CNahom1's Commits
sion to Accomplish Mere Than Any |
Other state Beard in the United
States.
(EY AUSTIN D. HuMBARGAR)
OF an the wise and helpful proyis-
siCus Incorporated by the democratic
Iarty In the organic law of the state,
there probably is none which will re.
suit in a greater actual and material
benefit TO all the people than that
establishing a corporation commits.
sion.
Ia the nine months since the organ.
izot.on Of the corporation commission
1t has worked steadily and faithfully
tc control the overcharges and abuses
which seventeen years of unmolested
license had caused the public service
corporations of the two territories to
regard as their vested rights from
charging "all the tariff the traffic
would stand and turning an absolute
ly deaf ear to the supplications of the
Shipping and travelling public for
adequate depot accommodations the
railroads Of Oklahoma are in a fair
way to have their freight rates ad
justed on a basis of equality and fair
ness, yielding justice alike to the rail
roads and the shipper, and at the
same time the officials Of Oklahoma
railroads have been taught to enter
tain wholesome respect for the COM
fort and convenience of their patrons.
Prior to the adoption of our state
government, w. o. Cromwell repub.
lican attorney general for the Terri
tory of Oklahoma filed a report with
Governor Frank Frantz in which he
stated that at conservative estimate
| the railroads operating in Oklahoma
Territory had in the seventeen years
of its existence defrauded the people
OF fifty-four million dollars in unjust
| freight rates. An equal mileage and
| an equally eXorbitant rate in Indian
| Territory during the same period
| makes 1t fair to assume that for the
present state of Oklahoma, the over
charges on freight rates under repub-
lican territorial rule, approximated
over one hundSd million dollars. This
| is an average of more than five mil.
Hon dollars per year, and the prompt
| action OF the democratic corporation
commission in compelling the rail
roads to cease robbing the people, will
alone save more than ten times the
entire expense OF conducting the
state government in all OF its depart.
ments each year
In putting into effect new rates the
commission has chosen first such com
modities as would encourage the de
velopment of the new state and in
vite manufacturing competition. A
comparison of old rates of one line OF
| railroad between local stations and
the new rates. gives an idea of what
the corporation commission has real
ly done for the people of Oklahoma:
Lumber, rate per car load:
Twenty miles, old rate. $3.50; new
rate, 80 30
One hundred miles. old rate, $99.
h0M idle, Slo .5U.
Two hundred miles, old rate. $57:
new rate. $27.90.
Fence posts, car load rate.
Twenty miles, old rate, SIG: new
rate. 80 80.
One hundred miles, odd rate. s52;
new rate, $20.16.
Two hundred miles, old rate, $ss;
new rate, s99.76.
Hay, per car load:
Twenty miles, old rate. s14. new
rate, 50 20.
One hundred miles. cid rate, $2s:
new rate. SIG 90.
Two hundred miles. old rate. s44.
new rate, s22 60
Brick and dressed stone, per car
load
Twenty miles, old rate, s2l; new
rate s12 20.
One hundred miles. old rate, 1880:
new rate. s2S 20.
Two hundred miles. old rate. s52 20.
new rate, $34 20.
Fuel, or crude oil. per car load:
AS this commodity Is used by stock
growers throughout the state TO dip
cattle the freight charges are OF pc
culiar interest to every rural con-.
munity.
Twenty miles. old rate, s4S; new
rate. $50. 40.
One hundred miles, old rate, 500;
new rate, $52.
Two hundred miles, old rate, sl4s;
new rate, $GS.
Coal Rates.
In no single commodity have the
people been so consistently and per.
sistently robbed as they have been in
the rates on coal. With an inexhaus.
tisble field within the borders of the
Indian Territory, the people OF Okla
homa for seventeen years have been
forced TO pay higher prices for coal