Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1913-06-16
A NUMBER OF
RATE CASES
GIVEN
SUPREME COURT or THE UNITED
STATES HANDS DOWN OPINION
IN MISSOURI, ARKANSAS, WEST
VIRGINIA AND OREGON RATE
CASES.
REvERSES LOWER
COURT MANY TIMES

Washington. ID. G., June 16.--Vali
dity of the two cent passenger law
and maximum freight rates in Mis-
souri, West Virginia, and Arkansas
we're upheld by the supreme court to
day in another series of decisions il
the noted state rate cases. No deci
sion was announced in the Kentucky
case. In the Missouri case the grea
! majority OF rates contested by TIL
railroads as confiscatory were hel6
valid. State freight rates established
in Oregon also were approved.
All claims that the state laws at
tackled or interfered with interstate
commerce were swept aside, following
tie precedent set in the Minnesota
rate decision q week ago.
In the Iissourl case and in ,he T.
kansas case, the court held the lail
roads had presented too general data
on which to base claim that their
property was being taken without
compensation through the operation
OF the new state rates.
The Oregon rate cases consisted of
two suits brought by the Oregon Rail-
way and Navigation Company and the
Southern Pacific company. That of
the Oregon X. r. and Navigation com
pany was brought to restrain me en-
forcement of an order of the railroad
commission of Oregon and made Aprl
%, 1908, prescribing freight rates. The
principal ground of attack was tha,
the order and rates named would be
an unconstitutional interference with
interstate commerce.
In the case of the Southern Pacific
lin which the Oregon and California
railroad company was joined as com
plainantl the suit was brought to re.
strain the enforcement Of an order of
the railroad commission made Sep
tember =, 1910. prescribing freight
rates.
Washington, d. c., June 1G.-ln the
Missouri rate cases today the supreme
court held thA rates confisca .ory on
the st Louis and Hannibal, Kansas
City Clinton and Springfield, AMI . hi
cago Great Western railroads.
The court held the rates valid as to
the st. Louis, Southwestern, lie Mis-
souri, Pacific, the st. Louis, Iron Noun
tain and Southern, the Wabash. the
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul, a1d
the Chicago and Alton.
The decision holding the rates con
fiscatory as to the Chicago. Great
Western. was made to apply by virtue
Of stipulation between the State and
the railroads, to the Quincy, Omaha
and Kansas City railroad and the st. |
Joseph and Grand Island Railway. |
The decision was based on the two
cent passenger law and the maximum.
'reight law.
Justice Hughes, who announced the |
decision, held that. the point sough to
)e made by the railroads, to the effect /
hat the Missouri rates were in inter
ence with the interstate commerce
must be decided against them for the
same reasons given by the court in
Ee Minnesota rate cases.
The court also sustained the rates
If the Missouri law as to the Chicago,
burlington and Quincy, the Atchison,
topeka and Santa Fe, the Kansas
'ity Southern, the Missouri Kansas
nd Texas, the Chicago, Rock Island
nd Pacific (includiEg the ST. Louis
<ansas City and Colorado) and the
81 Louis and San Francisco.
In each of these cases the DEGREES
[ the lower court in favor of the rail
cads were reversed.
The Arkansas maximum freight
ate law and the two cent passenger
are law were today upheld as valid
J the supreme court. The West Vir-
lnia two cent law was also upheld
S valid.
Justice Hughes said the question
{ interference with interstate com.
lerce was decided in favor of the
tate for the reasons assigned in the
Minnesota rate decision. No uues-
on of confiscation was presented in
le West Virginia case /,
The supreme court also unhed as
aid the rates imposed by the Ore
en- railroad commission out of PORT. ;
md, thus affirming the federal court /
that state