The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-01-26

lines. is as follows:
Neither shall any railroad compa .
ny. transportation company or trans F.
mission company organized under
the laws Of this state. consolidate F.
by private or judicial sale. or 9th
crvise, with any railroad compan,
or transmission company organized
under the laws of any other state
Of the United states"
This provision Of the constitution
it is declared by Mr. McKcand. has
paaalyzo railroad construction in
the state. In the great majority of.
cases short lines of railroad are
built with the idea that they will
be- sold when they are completed and
become a part of some great railroad
system This is prevented by the ok
lahoma constitution, and the natural
result it is claimed has been the
abandonment of most of the projects
which were ON foot before the adop.
tiou Of the constitution
The new constitution provided for
a 2-ccnt passenger rate on an rail-
roa is n the state and prescribed
many other regulations for the rail.
roads. but none of these provisions
are regarded as having had anything
like the effect on railroad building
that the section prohibiting the sale
Of railroads chartered In this state
has had. The section putting
cent rate in effect included provi.
sion that the corporation commission
should have the authority to exempt
any railroad from the operation OF
that section upon satisfactory proof
that It could not earn a just compcn-
sation for the services rendered by
It TO the public under the cent
rate. Acting under this provision. the
corporation commission has exempt
ed several railroads. including the
Fort Smith and Western and Other
lines of considerable length and
those roads are charging 3 cents a
mile
The railroads are required to file
monthly report with the corpo-
ration commission showing their re-.
ceipts and expenditures on interstate
business charged to that part Of the
lines lying within the state of OK
lahoma II Is claimed that these re-.
ports having shown considerable
gain in the receipts both from the In.
| terstatc and intrastatc business since
the 2-cent rate was nut into effect
The railroads have made no com
| plant against the cent rate IN this
state and have given no Indication
that they will attempt to fitht it.
This may be asc"ined Il tn fact
that the new rate, being prescribed
by the constitution. is much less sus
ceptible TO attack than would be IN,
case II 1t were simply a statutory
provision.
The list of railroads which wer,
projected two years ago and fol
| which charters were issued include,
many lines which never would hav,
been built under any circumstances
for many of the projects were, with
out doubt, impracticablc If all IN,
proposed roads had been built OK
lahoma would now be a networ ko
railway lines. However. Sccrctar!
McKeand of the Oklahoma Cit,
Chamber of Commerce believes tha
of the 13,l2S miles of new railroa,
represented by the fifty.six projecte,
lines which have never been built
at least 5000 miles are practicabl
and should have been built unde
) favorable conditions. The publcit
bureau OF the state Federation q
Commercial Clubs, I'm its circular r,
. Gently issued, goes still further an
declares that at least 5000 miles {
these proposed lines Is not only fea'
{ ible, but is badly needed to assli
. in the development of the state.
} This circular points out that, fii
, uring on the same basis OF valuatio
{ applied TO existing lines, this 5OC
' miles of new railroad and the 81
miles Of branches and extension
D which have been projected but NJ
j. built would add more than S200O0C
d OOO to the assessed valuation Of pro
J. erty in the state II is also declare
e that the building Of these railroad
would add another two hundred mi
/ lions to the valuation of farm lanC
J. and town property along the line
d "It requires a whole lot Of po
= ticians of the demagogue order to