The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1916-02-10

WOTk peing uOHe Nv tue COmHdSSiOH.
These cases are what are known as
the PASSENGER fare case. and the case
OF the Mountain States Telephone C
telegraph COMPANY. All three of
these cases we're initiated by the Com
mission On its own motion. Decisions
have leen made in the first two and
4 the latter is still pending.
| The coal case was Initiated by the
Commission as a result OF many in
gormal complaints by citizens in east
| ern Colorado complaining of excessive
rates on coal, whereupon an inyesti,
cation was prosecuted by the Commis<
sion to determine IL the complaints
we're justified The Investigation de-
ve.ored the fact that practically all
coal rates from the coal producing sec
] ticns OF the state. to eastern Colo
rado points were TO high. and. In ad-
iition to this. they were entirely out
of line with each other. which result
ed in discrimination between locali-
les. which is especially prohibited by
law. 7 he result OF the Commissions
order in this case was a reduction in
all coal rates to all eastern Colorado
/ points ranging from 10 to 30 per cent.
md the elimination of discrimination
between the different towns. The
1 dtftliNtu anu OAksfu AiiAa VI
ler without appeal, except that part
wherein the Commission gave the
mines at South Canon and Palisade the
same basis of rates to the Denver
market and points east thereof as ap-
ly from the Walsenhurg and Trini-
dad districts. This Fart OF the order
is row before the Supreme Court on
appeal and is the only case where an
appeal has ever been taken from tire
commissions orders.
The PASSENGER fare case WIS initiat-
ed by the Commission about the first
of the present year and the order OF
lie Commission became effective on
Jrly list This investigation was In
/ 5 ituted because OF the fact that for
many years the reople OF this state
have felt that passenger fares were
too high. condition which 1t seemed
| lmrossible TO remedy prior to the en-.
actment OF the Public Utility Act lng
this case the Commission ordered
every carrier in the state TO appear
5e.ore II and show cause Why Its PAS
seneer fares should not lie reduced.
The investigation developed the fact
that tLere was no system or basis OF
king passenger fares. This Was par
Iticularly true in the mountain dis
tiicts: each railroad seemed to have
adopted the practice OF charging all
hat the traffic would bear. which in
some cases WAS prohibitive- Fares
/ tanged from three cents to twenty
cents per mile; also mileage detach-
ments were made in such an arbitrary
manner that In many cases IL was
impossible to compute the cost per
mile. After giving due consideration
TO the varying conditions under which,
each OF the railroads were operating.
| he Commission came to the conciu-
sion that the carriers were justified In
making rate higher In the mountain
districts than they were charging on
1 The prairie lines: the three cents per
mile for local tickets was a reasonable
charge on the prairie lines. four cents
il-r mile on standard guaEe mountain
lines. with some exceptions. and nveN,
cents per mile on certain narrow guAgc
lines: all of which resulted In material
reductions on all lines operating west
OF Denver and Colorado Springs. and
vest and south of Pueblo, and an or
der was entered In accordance with
this conclusion. The order pro-
yldes that curriers' shall sell
round trip tickets. good for noe
less than rftcen days. mt 10
per cent reduction from regular two
way fare; the orfer also provides that
carriers shall sell mileage books con-
tanning one thousand coupons, good
Tor use by every member OF family.
at a price not to exceed $50 90. aud
good for use one year from date of
purchase. detachments OF whic arc to
be made on the basis OF two and one
half cents Ter mile. In four. and four
and one.half cent territory except on
the Aloffat road, delachments are To
be made on a bases OF not TO exceed
three cents per mile. Owing 10 the
peculiar and heavy cost OF operation.
/ the Moffat road was allowed four and
one-haif cents per mile on local tickets,
and to make mileage detachmcnts at
the rate OF four cents per mile As
mileage books were never used on thisA
road before. n flat rate OF ave cents
pcr mile being charped. the result is a
/ reduction of one-half cent per mile on
local tickets. and one cent per mile On
MILEAGE books. The local fare te.
tween Pueblo and Trinidad Is reduced
/ from four 10 three cents per mile: be-
tween Pueblo ard Canon City from
Hve to three cents rer mile. on that
'art OF the Rio Grande system west
OF C7non City and walsenhnrK and on
the Colorado Midland. the rates were
reduced TO four cents per mile. except
hetp cen Arkansas Junction and Glen.
wood Springs on the Colombo Mid
land and between Salida and Glen
wood Springs and between Salida and
Gunnison On the Denver & ..lo Giande 4
tho local fare Was hxed at four and :
one-haif cents per mile. on tho Rio
Grnnde Southern the local fare was
from six to FIVE cents, rer mile and
mileage detaohments reduced to n
;asis OF four cents per miie. The
fares on the South Park branch OF thos4
! COInrndn e Snnfhern Wern mt chann