The San Francisco call., 1909-05-05
RAILROAD TARIFFS
MUST BE FILED
May Is Fixed as Date in First
Circular of Rules From
Commission
Wright Law Governs Order and
Ruling Is Made Favoring
State Fair Exhibits

California railroad commission cir
rules governing commerce in the state
of California and the manner in which
railroad tariffs must be filed, was
adopted and ordered printed by the
railroad commissioners at a special
meeting yesterday afternoon. The
rules are taken, in most places, direct
Iy from the rules of the interstate
commerce commission. changes being
made in oder not to interfere with
interstate rates.
One of the provisions of the new
Wright railroad law provides for the
making OF such rules by the commits
sion and ever since the passage of the
bill at the recent session of the Iegis-
lature the members have been in al
most daily session, forming the rules.
They cover more than 25 pages of
legal paper.
FILING TIME FIXED
Provisions are made for the fling of
all tariffs with the commission by
May Is, 1909. The tariffs must be
indexed for the benefit of the shippers
and all commodities classified. All
cases
be made. The tariffs fled with the
commission must contain all rates
concerning particular routes and such
rates must be explicitly stated. Special
rates will be allowed only through
special permission from the commits
sion, and such special rates will only
be allowed in cases OF dire necessity.
When shipments are carried from
one part of the state to another on
two different railroad lines, the car
riers must agree between themselves
as to division of the rates. The
shipper will no longer be forced TO pay
more costly charges for the reason
that his shipment goes on a more
costly route.
THIRTY DAYS NOTICE
Hereafter when a railroad corpora
tion desires to change any of its
rates 1T must file that change with the
commission 80 days previous to the
time it would have that rate go into
effect Only in case of necessity.
which necessity must be proven, will
a change be allowed in less than so
days.
The second portion of the circular
consists of instructions to the rail-
roads as to how their passenger fare
schedules should be made out The
Only important decision anect1ng pas
senger rates is the ruling that allows
railroad company to make special
excursion rates, for a space OF time
not exceeding three days, without
notice to the commission
Property transported from various
points within this state to a state fair
for exhibition purposes only, not being
for the time commercial commodity.
not in competition with similar COM
modities at the point OF destination.
may be transported upon a published
and filed tariff at less than the rates
applied to identical commodities
transported under the published and
fled tariffs for market purposes"
EXHIBITS RATE DECISION
The above decision was handed
down by the state railroad commits
sion yesterday afternoon upon receipt
of an opinion from the attorney gen
erals Office. and for all time settles
the controversy of the various com
mercial organizations OF the state
relative to the rate to be paid for the
hauling of exhibits to county and state
fairs.
In its decision, however. the com
mission holds that such transportation
should be under strict control as to
the return of such property to point
of origin, or restrictions of similar
character that will safeguard the
market at point of destination from
competition with the commodities
thus transported for exhibition pur-
poses.