The Mena weekly star., 1913-06-19
OLD RATES NOT
 EFFECTIVE YET
Probable Railroads Will Secure Some Months Grace Through Mo- tions for Rehearing of Case
 in Supreme Court.

Little Rock, June 17.-"Haye you saved your railroad refund cou- pons?' has succeeded the silly question, Is it hot enough for you?" as the most popular saluta- ton of the day.
 IL has become a very interesting question at this time, now that the 2-cent passenger rate act of 1907 has been sustained by the Supreme Court of the United States. Many have saved them and some have made quite extensive collections of coupons that others have thrown away, but for the most part pas sengers have thrown them away, believing that nothing would ever come of them. Now thrifty Pull man porters, station agents and travelling men are announcing that they have accumulated more or less in the way of a fortune they expect to collect from the railroads in the 1-cent per mile rebate.
 The Rock Island has been giving the rebate coupons all the time, but it was abandoned by the Missouri Pacific, and an interesting question has arisen as to the manner in which that company will make re- stitution for the excess passenger rates charged during the last four years. The Missouri Pacific aban- doned the issuance of the refund coupons following the last order of the United States Circuit court about a year ago.
 Freight Rebates Heavy.
 But the refund on passenger rates will be negligible as compared with the refunds that must be made on freight. It is impossible to make even a rough approximation of the amounts involved but if enforced the freight refund will be tremen- dOus.
 The establishment of the old leg islatiVe passenger rate and commits sion freight rate means a reduc- tfon of 33 i-3 per cent in each from the rates that have prevailed dur ing the pendency of the litigation. The rates which have been sus- tained cannot become effective i'm mediately, as some have supposed. The mandate must be received, which will require two or three weeks, and it is probable that the railroad companies will file motion for rehearing. which may give them additional grace of several months.
 Ii is not possible to approximate the reduction in the passenger and freight receipts of Arkansas roads without a tedious compilation of statistics from the annual reports of the railroad commission, but it must necessarily be very large. when if is considered that it means The refund of one-third of the amounts paid in since the court tariff became effective June 1. 1909, must be refunded through a due course of law as may he provided by inc courts.
 Expenses and Receipts
 The brief filed in the case with the Supreme Court of the United States shows that for the six months ending December 3l. 1907, the total intrastate business of the Iron Mountain system was Sl96,6H.- 29 freight and sl92, ,499.5l passenger receipts, a total of S389,ll0.S3. The total interstate business for the same period was Sl,0i7,356.4O in freight receipts and S52,Sl9lS in freight receipts, a total of Sl,100,- 205.SS, and SlO,l2S.64 in mail and express business. The brief on be- half of counsel for the state was one of the largest ever prepared here, containing {0S printed pages. The whole question of rate and valuations was very eXhaustively analysed.