The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-20
A Claim That Judge Hook Was a
Friend of Santa Fe.
His Enemies Say He Has Fa-
YOred RaiImen.
CLOSE TO SANTA FE
A. Charge That Hooks Relative
Was a CRATER.
Other Items of General Interest
in Traffic World.

Oklahoma City, Okla, Jan. 2O.=E.
+. Mackay of the Oklahoma corpora
ton commission has made a statemen
in behalf of the protest made against
the appointment of Judge Hook of
Leavenworth, Kansas, to the United
States supreme bench. He said:
IF Judge Hook does not land the
supreme court appointment, it will be
because the Santa Fe has been too
good a friend to him and that he has
been too good a friend of railroads in
general, and of the Santa Fe in par
ticu1ar.
Every lawer, every member of cor
poration or railroad commission, every
attorney general, every governor and
every member of state supreme court
has an ear toward Washington to see
whether Taft will respect the wishes
of the people or again proclaim infal~
libility and Sanctity of a federal judge.
The Oklahoma corporation com
mission is responsible for the storm
that has arisen over the proposed
Hook appointment.
Rate cases are pending in the Su-
preme court at Washington at the
present time from eight states, and in
all of them the issues Of the Oklahoma
case are involved to the extent that
the judge who sustained the Okla
homa case in the lower court is OBJ
jectionable.
Judge Hook has committed himself
on issues which, until the rate cases
are disposed of by the federal su
preme court, are supposed to be un-
decided
Decided for the Railroads.
Judge Hook sustained the appeal of
the railroads in the Oklahoma 2-cent
passenger fare case without first sug-
costing that they seek relief from
the state corporation commission or
state supreme court, as provided by
the state constitution.
In assuming jurisdiction of Okla
hOma freight rate cases Judge Hook
arbitrarily refused to be guided by de-
cision of the United States supreme
court in the Virginia rate case and vio-
lated a rule which the late Chief JUS
tice Fuller said should be regarded as
an obligation
Judge Hook accepted the opinion
ated evidence of individuals, nearly all
Of whom were in the employ of the rail-
roads, in the Oklahoma rate case and
dealt the blow that has cost the people
Of Oklahoma from 100000 to $500, 600 a
month ever since.
I'm the Oklahoma rate case Judge
Hook was requested by the corporation
to order the preparation of
from the records Of the rail- |
'oads (Which could not be obtained
slsewhera), which he refused imposing |
Upon the commission the impossible |
ask of compiling the evidence itself |
l.. L
thirty days time, but issued iniunc- |
ions in total disregard of what this |
evidence might show long before any
material Roadway had been made |
coward securing it.
Secret Session With Santa Fe Man
Before deciding Oklahoma rate |
case. Judge Hook reviewed the case
thoroughly behind closed doors for
.wO days with James Peabody, chief
'tatistician of the Santa Fe, no mem |
Der or representative of the Oklahoma |
commission being present.
Judge Hook had committed him |
self as a matter of record as being in |
lavOr of the notorious Sanborn theory, |
hat no state rate should be lower |
han the Interstate rate, regardless of |
whether the interstate rate is reason |
lble within itself.
Judge Hooks son has represented |
LII of the roads that have secured in |
The only road applying |
or this rate and being denied it, the /
ron Mountain, is the only road that |
allied to hire the firm to which Judge |
Hooks son belongs.
1.-The Oklahoma corporation COM |
mission declares it can produce, with |
n an hours time, afhdavits that q /
'elative of Judge Hook a few years ago |
vas accused by the Santa Fe of de- |
rauding the company out of large |
ums by padding the payroll while in /
IN official capacity, and that officials |
If the Santa Fe since have stated that !
he relative was not prosecuted, at the
-equest of Judge Hook; that he has /
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