Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-06

| by any railroad or other transportation COM
| pany between places or persons or in the
| facilities for the transportation Of the same
classes of freight or passengers within this
! state, or coming from or going into any
other state"
That this provision Of the constitution
| might be properly enforced the trainers of
| 1t, by section % of the same article, created
board of railroad commissioners and vested
| it with certain powers. This section pro-
vides that said commissioners shall have
the power, and it shall be their duty to
establish rates Of charges for the transpor-
| tation Of passengers and freight by railroad
or other transportation companies, and pub
lsh the same fom time to time with such
changes as they may make Any
railroad corporation transportation COM
pany which shall fail refuse to conform
to such rates as shall be established by
| such commissioners or shall charge rates in
! excess thereof, shall be fined" etc.
Provisions Are Broad
The foregoing provisions of the constitu-
ton very broad, and if properly enforced
would settle most Of the complaints now eX-
listing and being made against railroads and
transportation companies doing business in
this state If our present laws do not meet
the conditions existing, that is, If they are
not broad and far-reaching enough to pre-
vent rebates and Determinations. then under
the constitution the legislature has the
power to enact laws that will.
Section "a, article XII, provides that 1.-The
! Legislature shall pass all laws necessary for
the enforcement of the provisions of this
article" Notwithstanding this mandate of
the constitution, no act of the legislature
has been passed since the adoption Of the
constitution, except approved April Is,
1880, entitled AN act to organize and define
the powers of the board of railroad commits
sioners"
This act is entirely insufficient 1t does
but little more than to organize the board,
fix the salaries of the members, and of the
secretary, bailiff and stenographer, locating
/ its office in San Francisco. and providing
for it's meetings. The other provisions of
the act have proven to be inadequate to
afford Sufficient relief or grant adequate
remedy against rebating and determinations
in the past which is claimed to have been
carried on by common carriers in this state.
The act should therefore be amended, or
entirely repealed, and a new law passed to
take its place. which will contain the neces-
sary provisions to meet the requirements of
the constitution, and put an effectual stop
to rebating and determinations that might
hereafter occur.
The acts constituting discrimination and
rebates should be clearly defined and pro-
hibited and a penalty attached sufficient to
prevent the same such penalty to be ap
piled alike to the company and to the ship
per, for one who knowingly receives any ad-
vantages or favors which are not equally
extended to other shippers, and which the
law prohibits, should be held equally guilty
with one who grants them.
Should Punish VioIators
The violation of the law should be pun
ished by fine or imprisonment, or by both.
The law should be so drawn that an offense
Of rebating is committed when 1t appears
that freight has been shipped at a cost less
than the published rates. This is important
because it may be impossible to secure any
other evidence to show that person has
received favors which denied to others,
but If the offense has been committed when
FRI fcrI-T has tod for lac AZ an
the published rate the proof can be easily
secured.
A schedule of rates to be charged by
transportation companies should be posted
in a conspicuous place in the office Of the
commissioners, where the public can have
free access to it.
The rates to be fixed should be fair. Just
and reasonable, affording a reasonable return
to the companies for services rendered, and
when so established should be strictly OBJ
served by the companies.
For some time there has been an agita-
ton in this state in favor of good roads,
and believe that the sentiment of the peo-
pie today strongly favors the construction
Of a system of state highways running
through the center Of the state and along
the coast, connecting all the counties and
principal centers of population.
Would Greatly Benefit
There is no state in the Union that would
derive a greater benefit from a system Of
good roads than California. We en-
4
care in transportation.
| Our fruit is easily injured, and to prevent
| bruising and great damage good smooth
roads should be constructed over which to
| transport it to the markets of the state or
| to the railroads for shipment. No state can
be more favorably situated than ours for
such a system, and no place offers greater
| advantages.
| Starting from the north road can he
/ built through the great Sacramento AID San
| Joaquin valleys, connecting with San Fran
cisco, and also crossing the mountains to
| Los Angeles.
From this city roads can be constructed
/ to the east and south touching all important
places and down the coast to San Diego.
| Another road can start from Los Angeles
and pass along the coast travereing the
Salinas and Santa Clara valleys kaasa.con-
tinuing north through the bay co ID
/ along the northern coast to the &.- +
Such a system of highways wi 2 H. Ia
most important and most popu
| the state. ~
They will develop the cou1l 4
which they pass and will offe .1
| ducement to settlers TO locat 7
| route and build homes. .
There is way of estimat
! advantages of such system,
it will play in the development
portions of our state, and
| wealth 1t will add to the sc III
which it passes The condii
structing and maintaining
are very favorable.
The climate is all that
| there is no frost andsus6
/ tend with, the soil is IL
/ for, and there is an is N
and plenty of che
/ best of roads. 81 T.
would annually ind n
| to visit state M
| MODELLING. :. =