The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-11-17
DENY EXPERTS ACCESS
TO BOOKS IS ALLEGED
Figures on Earnings Wanted
for Injunction Hearing
al 81. Louis

Following the alleged efforts OF the
railroads operating In Oklahoma to
avoid giving the corporation commits
sion positive information ana correct
statements based upon actual facts
showing Oklahomas pro rata OF in
terstate earnings, as well as lntfa
state earnings on passenger and
freight traffic. and their refusal to
give any assistance whatever to the
expelts and accountants of the com
mission who are now engaged in get.
ting information to protect the inter
ests OF the state at the general offices
OF the Katy" santa Fe and Midland
Valley roads. which have injunction
suits pending in the Federal court
here seeking relief from the two-cent
passenger late provision Of the con
stitntion and the new freight tariffs
placed into effect by the corporation
commission, hearing on which Is to
be held at st. Louis December Z, be-
fore Federal Judge w. c. Hook, the
corporation commission his morning
issued an order. effective June /, 1910
putting into Section 6, Article g. On
the constitution which requires every
railroad or other public service cor
poration. either foreign or domestic,
operating In Oklahoma to establish
and maintain a public office within the
state for the transaction OF its bust
ness. where transfers Of stock shall
be made and where the books and
records of the corporation shall be
kept, Subject TO inspection by stock
holders and the corporation commits
sion The section also requires such
corporations 10 give any specific IN
formation, accurate statements, etc,
required by the commission.
Representatives of the three rail-
roads that filed the Injunction suits at
the preliminary hearing before Fed
eral Judge Hook declared they would
have the information the Oklahoma
commission had requested some sew
efal months ago, knowing that the
railroads contemplated making an az
tack upon the constitution and the
commission. by December |, now noti-
fy the commission that they can not
possibly send the information 10 the
commission earlier than December 10,
three days after date sci for the hear
ing. The other roads operating within
the state, although moi parties to the
suits. have also avoided giving the
commission the Information which
they viii be forced to do when the
order issued by the commission today
becomes effective.
According to Chairman Love the
work OF the commissions experts IN
securing the information desired Is
like hunting q needle In 7haystaek
He states that the commission has not
only all of It's rate experts aud ac-
countants into the field securing in.
formation, but that traffic men from
the leading Oklahoma cities are also
assisting IN the finding of the needle
Commission experts are also travels.
Ing the principal freight and passeng-
er divisions OF the big railroad sys-
TENS in Oklahoma seeking accurate
information concerning the pro rata
Of Interstate and intraslaie traffic
The commission speaks as follows
upon The necessity Of the placing the
order into effect
III is necessary that the commits.
sion have IN its possession all facts
pertaining 10 the cost of public prop
erty. such operations and earnings
properly segregated as to Oklahoma,
showing Okahomas pro rata Of inter
state earnings as we'll as local and
state earnings. and that Information
has been requested and demanded OF
the railroads and other public service
eornnrafions on various occasions at
many different times, Some oil the
companies have avoided in every way
posslble giving the information call
ed for and to secure direct and posi-
tive information and correct state
ments can only be done after much
wrangling aud writing Of many letters.
The time has come when the commits
sion must have. and will have, The in
formation necessary to protect the m
ferests of the state Of Oklahoma
1T is apparent from maneuYers q
The railroads and other public sefF-
leo companies OF this state that at
some future time they expect to get
into the Federal courts, and BY their
own compilation Of approximate zig
nres and accounts. based upon arbf
tary formulas. deceive the Federal
courts and secure an unjust decision
bv virtue of these false premises. a.
.sar nossfhlv done in the states ol
Arkansas and missouri There is tit
lie doubt that the Federal courts nl
Arkarsas and Missouri were grossly
deceived by what WAS possibly ffctI