The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1911-05-06

$1,000 50 ~ ~ ~ 1,AAhNAtNA
tor the transportation of similar
quantities Of the same class Of
goods, merchandise or property
over a greater distance upon the
same road, nor shall such corpora
ton charge different rates for re-
celvlng, handling or delivering
freight at different points on its
road or roads connected Herewith,
which it has a right to use, nor
shall any such railroad corpora
ton charge or collect, for the
transportation of goods, merchan-
disc or property over any portion
OF Its road, a greater amount as
toll or compensation than shall be
charged or collected by it, for the
transportation of similar guam
titles of the same class of goods
merchandise or property over any
other portion of its road for equal
distance and all such rules, regu-
lations or bylaws of any railroad
corporation, or fix, prescribe or
establish any greater toll or COM
pensation than is hereinbefore
prescribed, are hereby declared to
be void"
The Supreme Court in the case
Of McGrew VS.. The Missouri Paci-
ic, 1872 S, W. 1916, decided that
railroad companies were prohibit
ed by this statute from charging a
greater rate for carrying coal be-
tween certain stations on its road,
than it charged between other
stations, precisely like the law
which Governor Hadley has vetoed
prohibits u railroad company from
charging passengers a greater rate
per mile between any two stations,
than it charges between all other
stations on its line in this state.
House Bill No. 40 was more
favorable to the railroads than
Governor Hadley's bill, in this {;
That under that bill no railroad
company could be required to
carry passengers for less than two
cents q mile"
Ibid you have reason to believe
that Governor Hadley would veto
your bill?'
Governor Hadley told me re-
peatedly during the session, that
unless the roads which were now
charging three cents a mile put on
a rate of two and one.half cents, be
would approve the bill. He told
me this again on the 1ith of April,
the railroad representatives APP
peared before him in opposition
to the bill. On the 18th or 18th
of April, Mr.. Gray of the Frisco,
was IN Carthage and | had a con-
versation with him, and was salts
fed after the interview that the
bill would he vetoed"
Mr.. Yoakum, the chairman Of
the Frisco Board, stated to the
railroad owners in New York, and
his statement was sent out as a
news item, that there had been
but one bill passed by the Mis-
souri, legislature to which the rail
road companies objected. The
public probably understands the
bill to which Mr., Ycakum refer
red.
An inspired editorial in the
organ of the governor commend
ing the veto of House Bill 40,
reads as follows:
1T provided that it should be
unlawful to charge any passenger
and greater or larger rate per mile
between any two stations than is
charged between all
stations in this state on said road.
At first glance this reads like q
well-meant attempt to bring down
to the "a cent level the tariffs of
the roads now charging 3 cents /;
but closer scrutiny reveals much
more. The distance between St.
Louisiana Kansas City lie 276 miles
by the Wabash and 299 by the
Rock Island, the fare, of course,
is the same by either route re-
CARELESS of the difference in miles.
This mean that the road With the
299 mile line makes a rate of 2.3
cents between St. Louis and Kan
sas City in meeting the 81 cent
rate of the shorter line. Had the
Phelps bill passed, a passenger
who had paid the regular rate on
the Rock Island elsewhere in the
state could go into court and swear
that he had paid o greater rate