Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-29
TO UNIvERSALIZE
SWITCHING RATES
VICTORY FOR ROADS WOULD
AFFECT ENTIRE COUNTRY
HEARING WILL BE DECIDED IN
LESS THAN 9 MONTHS
II RAILWAYS Secure Verdict, 1t lie Prob
able That Objectionable Charges
VIII Be Imposed in
Every City

That SO important case as tnat IN
volvinR the switching charges IN LOS
Angeles will be decided in less IMAM
nine months from the time the nearing
Is instituted, which seems to De tne
present outlook, is welcome news 10 tiie
large business interests. Ii decloeu ~
favor Of the Associated Jobbers, the ran
roads will take the mater my 'ns
courts. as they have a right 10 40 as
defendants. If, however, the case goes
against the complainant and 1t is &C.
cided that the switching charges are
prouer. the decision Is final, as the com
rlainants. having had the right or
selection between the commission OF the
courts, have no recourse by appeal
The Associated Jobbers or Los An
reles have at he present time more
tban s250O00 a year at stake, to say
nothing of the additional sums whlch
may be imposed as the city's business
grows This Is comparatively small
amount when the effect on the Whole
country is considered. If the railroads
win their contention that the rate is
reasonable, there is every reason TO De-
iieve that they will impose 1t In every
city in the country where spur track
service is called for.
Discrimination Denied
This intention was foreshadowed
when the railroads were considering
possible sources of increased revenue at
the time of the last panic. The I'M
position of switching charges was mem
toned by the rate making authorities
as one plan for accomplishing this. The
idea of spreading the charge all over
the country, If the Los Angeles case
allows the railroads TO do so, was
brought out by the testimony of II. A.
Jones, freight traffic manager of the
Southern Pacific, in the hearing before
Commissioner Franklin X. Lane of the
interstate commerce commission at Los
Angeles last January.
assuming now that this is a right
charge and that your theory of the
making of this rate Is correct" Mr.
Jones was asked by the commissioner,
land that the charge is not made at
other points, neither at the Pacific
coast terminals nor interior points,
would you or would you not regard 1T
as a discrimination against Los An
geles to have such charge imposed?"
II would not consider it a discrimina-
ton, any more than the difference in
rate is a discrimination" said Mr.
Jones. Here Is a town twenty miles
from Los Angeles which pays a good
deal more on freight than Los Angeles,
but at the same time think they ought
to pay switching charge"
Railroads Claim Right
You think that Los Angeles ought to
pay a switching charger"
"Yes," asserted Mr.. Jones, land every
other town."
"And before the other towns pay it?"
mo, 1 don't say that, but l think
they always ought to pay it."
"And this switching charge ought to
be put in universally"
yes, SIR
I'VE have not the power to impose it
everywhere" said Commissioner Lane
but the railroads have" said the
Southern Pacific authority.
Traffic men will await the decision
of the Interstate commerce commission
with as much interest as will be mani
tested by local business men, for vic
tory for the railroads means not only
a permanent fixing of the charge in
Los Angeles, but 1t likewise opens the
way to its establishment throughout
the country.