Gilpin observer., 1909-04-29
COAL RATE LOWERED

! The firm Of Jenkins Mckay of this
city, received very important ruling
from the State Railroad Commission
last week. They had appeared before
the commission against the Colorado
& Southern Railway company in a
matter where the 9. & S. had charg-
ed excessive freight rates on smith
ing coal from Denver to Central City.
In their petition filed with the
commission on January 25th, 1909
the petitioners stated that on De-
cember 11th, 1908, they had shipped
from Denver to Central City one
car of smithing coal, 10000 pounds,
for which the railway company charg-
ed them rate of 1920 per ton, the
distance being 3S miles. The rate, the
petitioners claimed was unjust and
discriminatory, and alleged that the
railway company had no published
schedule of rates on said commodity
prior to January 1st, 1909. They
asked that they be refunded the diff
ference between the rate charged
and what would be a fair and Just
rate, and that the commission estab-
lish proper and equitable rate be-
tween the said points on the said
commodity.
After notifying the Colorado G
Southern Railway company, the COM
mission fixed the 9th of February as
the date on which the defendant COM
pany should answer. The railway
company filed their answer, stating
that at the time of the movement of
the coal shipment the only rate they
had applying on said commodity be-
tween Denver and Central was 16
cents per hundred pounds; admitting
that the said rate was unjust, alleg-
ing that after said shipment they
published and filed a rate of $2.25
per ton on said commodity, and ask
ed permission to pay the petitioners
the difference between the rate of
1925 per ton and the charge of
1920.
On March 1st, hearing was had
before all the members of the COM
mission. There were present at the
hearing John c. Jenkins, one of, the
petitioners. and James, NJ. seright, At.
torney; E. E. Whitted, general coun-
sci of the c. & s., represented that
company.
| One of the witnesses was H. A.
Johnson, general freight agent of the
c. & S. His testimony was:
| That their charge on ccal from
Louisville, Colorado. to Central City.
by way of Denver, was $1.75 per ton,
that they had to transfer the same
at Denver for Central City. that the
distance from Denver to Louisville
points from where the said coal was
shipped was as far as "a miles, max
ing a distance of 81 miles through
Denver to Central City.
That the rate on coal from Trini-
dad district to Central City through
Denver is $3.50 per ton.
"That in shipping from Trinidad
and other points the defendant COM
pany charged the same rate on black
smith coal as on other kinds of coal.
THAT the rate on blacksmith coal
from the Louisville district to Gen.
trail City is s1.75 per ton, the same
as from Denver to Central Ci:y, and
was classed the same"
After hearing the testimony the
commission made the following Or
der which will mean a big saving in
money to the purchasers of black
smith coal. There is a great deal of
this variety of coal used in Gilpin
county:
Upon these facts the commission
finds that the rate so charged the
petitioner of $500 is unjustly dis
,riminatory and unduly preferential,
and that fair and Just rate for
said commodity between the said
points should be no higher than
sl.75 per ton, the same as charged
for the same commodity from Louis
Vile. Colorado, to Central City, Colo
RADIO. That the said respondent is
! ordered to charge no more than the
!, said S1I5 rate in the future, and
that on the said shipment complain
ID OF the defendant company refund
! 20 petitioner the said difference be-
tween S3.2o per ton and the said rate
)f $1.75 per ton.
| "This order shall take effect May
22d. 1909"