The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-01-20


Injunction, the construction of this
statute in all it's features was gone
into.
Matters Pending in the State Courts
: There are now pending in the SUI
preme court of this state a manda-
mus proceedings brought by this
Commission against the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul Railway Com
pany to compel the railway company
to construct permanent steel
bridge with concrete piers across
the Missouri River at Chamberlain
in lieu of the pontoon bridge now
located at that point. The railroad
company appeared upon the hearing
and filed a petition for removal of
the case to the United States Su-
preme court. Briefs have been filed
by the counsel for this Commission
and the determination as to wheth.
err this proceeding is properly re-
movable t the federal court is now
pending for determination before the
Supreme Court of this state.
Short Line Governs Rate.
Some complaints have been re-
ceived by this commission that the
rate of fare from Sioux Falls to
Chamberlain is disproportionately
higher than the rate from Sioux
Falls to Mitchell. The distance
from Sioux Falls to Mitchell via the
line of railway of the Chicago. 81.
Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Rail-
way Company is 70 miles, whereas
the distance between the two points
over the line of railway of the Chi
cago, Milwaukee & st. Paul Rail-
way company is 100 miles, making
difference in mileage of the two
lines of railway of 90 miles. The
Chicago. Milwaukee & st. Paul Rail-
way Company names rate from
Sioux Falls to Mitchell on the basis
OF the short line rate for 70 miles
over the Chicago, st. Paul Mime
apolis & Omaha railway company's
line, so that a ticket over either line
from Sioux Falls to Mitchell can be
purchased for $2.16. Under the de-
cision of the Interstate Commerce
Commission and under the statutes
OF this state it is permissible for the
longer line between competing points
to meet the rate given by the short
line for upon it's failure to do so
1t would lose the business. This
rate situation applies not only to the
passenger traffic but to the freight
traffic as well. Persons going from
Sioux Falls to Chamberlain who buy
through ticket are required to nay
the full mileage as there is no shor,
line governing the rate to Chamber
lain. This is in accordance with
frequent decisions by the Interstate
Commerce Commission under a stat
ute identical with our own.
Excessive Rates-Fifteen Com.
plants.
During the time of construction
and Immediately after the lines of
railway of the White River Valley
Railway Company from Chamberlain
to Rapid City and the Pierre & TT.
Pierre Bridge railway from Pierre to
Fort Pierre and the Pierre, Rapid
City & Northwestern Railway from
Fort Pierre to Rapid City and the
Chicago Milwaukee G Puget Sound
Railway from Mobridge to points
west, many complaints arose because
OF alleged excessive rates charged to
points on those lines and these oc-
Cured particularly with reference to
emlgrants moving into this state
from other states. Up to that time
the tariffs of rates only quoted the
rates from other states to Pierre.
Chamberlain and Mobridge and Mis-
souri, river points so that the agents
or these respective lines of railway
In the states from which the emf
grants moved were not conversan,
with the rates on the new lines OF
railway then under construction and
recently thrown open to traffic. The
agents in these respective states in
stead of quoting to these emigrants
moving into our state the rates
from point of shipment to point of
destination merely quoted the rates
to the Missouri river points and
then endorsed the amount paid on
the bill of lading ito apply" so that
when the shipper arrived at destin-
alton they were compelled to pay
the local rates from the Missouri
river points on and this caused much
irritation and aggrayation to the
shippers and caused them to believe
they were being held up to the ex.
tent of the local rates from the Mis-.
souri, river points to their destina-
ton. In every case that has come
before this commission full and com
plete investigation has been made