The Prescott daily news., 1909-02-19
AFFIDAVITS IN
 RAILROAD RATE CASE
Dispositions Filed by Rate Clerk Swain and Others Showing Great Differ.
 enCe in Tariffs.

Little Rock, February 19.- Shippers and patrons of the five trunk lines of Arkansas are out on the increased freight and passenger rates Of the state a. bout $3,0O0,OO0 per year accord ing to an affidavit filed in the United States circuit court yes tGrday by c. W. Swain. rate clerk of the Arkansas Railroad Commission. The affidavit is on- ly one of 32 given by prominent traveling men and shippers of the state which were filed yesterday with the petition of the Commits sion to have the temporary in- junction granted to the Iron Mountain. Cotton Belt, Rock Is- land, Frisco and Kansas City Southern dissolved. The affidav- it's were given to show what the shippers and travellers know a. bout the hardships of the increas- ed rates, and all branches of trade are covered by the depOsi- tiOns
 The Swain affidavit takes the freight and passenger certificates used by the railroads in their pc tition for injunc tion against the 7 cent passenger rates, and the freight tariff Of the commission and figures on them what the patrons Of the lines pay out in one year to the railroads. more than was paid under the old tes. He figures that the Rock Island increased it's rates 71 per cent after the granting of the injunction the Cotton Belt S4 per cent. and the iron Mountain TT per cent. on all grains, cotton. lumber. sand. brick stone. and merchandise, taken on the aver age He figures that all of the railroads would show an ayer- age increase of 75 per cent in freight rates, and he figures at this rate, the Iron Mountain in one year will show an increased income of S96O, ,375.24: the Cot ton Belt, S261 ,253 IF; the Rock Island, $31S, ,669.15; Frisco. S2OS 5O434; and Kansas City South ern, S15. 5.2O1.33. This would be an aggregate of S1, 764 ,OO3.53 the railroads would rake in on freight on interstate shipments. The in- crease in passenger rates has been 33 1-3 per cent. and Rate Expert Swain figures the rail- roads to earn additional in one year on interstate travel ;-- Iron Mountain S557 ,694 so; Cot ton Belt, S146.S17.SO; Rock. Island S1S9, ,62O64 Frisco, $124.7S2.5S and Kansas City Southern. S16.- 5O7 40; making a total of S1 ,O65,- 422.96 Other affidayits show in crease in freight rates as high as 14S per cent on mattresses. Coal dealers say they have been shut out Of Eastern Arkansas with coal from the Western part of the state and have to ship it from Illinois several times the distance. Traveling men testify to seeing agents sell tickets every day and make no pratense at giv- ing the patrons a coupon showing the purchase so refund can be made should the injunction be dissolved One Little Rock ship per stated his freights amounted to S75,OOO in 1907 and the freights in 1908 in only small portion of which the increased rates were in effect amounted to SS6,0O0 and no more business was done
 The commission yesterday ask ed that the injunctions be dismis- sed on many grounds contending for the most part that the rail roads had pleaded for equity mak ing the plea the rates were con- fiscatory and when the injunc
 ton was granted to give them temporary relief did not extend equity to the shippers but put in- to effect very high rates thus ask ing for equity and not giving it violating in spirit the injunction The railroad attorneys will ap- pear in the court in a few days and indicate how much time they W ill require in getting testimony to answer that brought in by the