Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1913-07-05
SPECIAL men To
COLLECT REFUND
RAILROAD COMMISSION WILL AP.
POINT CLERICAL FORCE TO
HANDLE CLAIMS.
Two Million Dollars Is TO Be Col.
lected on Freight Claims
Alone.

Little Rock, July 4.-The final cur
tain having been rung down upon the
legal fight between the railroads and
the railroad commission for a lower
rate, both for passengers and mar
chandise, over the lines of the Ark
ansas companies, with the commits
sion successful, thousands of letters
have reached the office of the rail-
road commission relative to the re-
fund which they are to receive.
1t is the purpose of the railroad
commission to collect every cent o,
the refund on bills which are sent in
to that office for collection. The RAJ
roads must refund to the state about
$4,000 paid by the state in court
costs. which will be returned to the
treasury of the railroad commission
With this sum it is the purpose of the
commissioners to employ a clerica
force. to care for the bills which ar,
sent into that office for collection.
is possible. however, that by present
in gthe bill of lading or the expense
bill at the local office of the appli-
cants they will be able to collect
their own refund. This is in case
they desire to handle their own
claim
The matter of master, whose duty
it will be to care for the claims of
the people, has been discussed, but
this has been dropped. 1t is possible
the court may take some action in
the appointment of a master.
The amount to be collected or eli
gible for collection is given at about
$4,000 900 on the freight claims alone
how is the question which is before
the commission. 1t is stated by Com
missioner Mcknight that it is more
than probable that limit of one year
or eighteen months will be placed on
filing claims After that date all
claims will be void These claims, to-
gether with the bills of lading, or ex-
pense Hills. must be sent to the COM
mission or collected at the local Of
flee before that date.
This fight covers a period of about
four years, or since the early part of
1910. 1t is stated that the rates will
be uniform, for collection on ship
ments made since 1910, when the
"cat-back' tariff was in effect, after
that the refund will be much greater
The refund on the current rates and
the rates that have been in effect
will be about SO per cent. The refund
on the 'cat-back" tariff will be about
) 0per cent
The fight was first begun by the
railroad commission, which made an
effort to lower the rates. The rail-
road companies then enjoined the
commission and created what is call
ed the cat back tariff which was
as much higher than the old tariff
than the one gotten out by the COM
mission was lower The matter swung
into the courts again. The court tar
iff' was arbitrary in it's nature, and
made the rates practically half way
between the rates asked by the com
mission and the rates made by the
railroads in their cat back" tariff
The court tariff has been in effect
since that date. The court tariff
is SO per cent higher than the com
mission tariff which is to go into eff
feet.
The success of the railroad commits
sion in its fight against the alleged
confiscatory rates of the railroads has
brought this body into much promi-
nence. and its efforts to handle tn
claims against the company will be
much anpreciated.