The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-04
Rate Injunction Case Doesn't
Mean Anything, They Say.
Claim Decision Was in Keeping
With 1. C. C. Orders
NO RELIEF FOR SHIPPERS
Provisions Agreed To by Rail-
roads Some Time Ago.
General Solicitor for Santa Fe
Issues Statement.

| Announcements that the federal
court had enjoined operation of
increased intrastate freight rates
brought smiles today among railroad
officials. The injunction seemingly
doesn't mean anything. 1t was in
keeping with orders by the interstate
commerce commission and agreements
by railroad officials at the time the
original rate increase was allowed
Among railroad officials today the
wide publicity given an order by Judge
Cotteral in Guthrie, Okla, was joking
1y referred to as a neat bit of press
agenting by or for the state public
utilities commission. The stories read
we'll but seemingly hold no relief for
tho shippers. Nothing in the order of
Judge CotteraI apparently disturbs the
new intrastate tariffs being prepared
by the railroads.
When the interstate commerce com
mission made its order increasing pas
senger rates it specified that discrlm1-
nations in intrastate rates which would
work to discrimination of this class of
shippers should be removed. 1t was
asserted today that this provision was
agreed to by the railroads and clearly
understood by them. This week the
public utilities commission asked the
federal court for a restraining order
against any determinations in intra-
state rates where it should be found
that the basic state rate had been
higher than the interstate rate. In
other cases there was no protest
against the general 35 per cent in
crease.
According to railroad officials,
their rate experts had taken the dis
elimination features into account in
makink new tariffs. Having followed
this course, the order issued by Judge
Cotteral, in the absence of Judge POI
lock, does not alter or change the
;aI, hanr7 offoPfiVn
in the state without the court writ
There are a few cases where commod-
ity rates for distance hauls in Kansas
had been less than interstate rates on
the same commodity for the same dis
tance. In these instances the in
creased rates in the state will be ap-
piled only to bring them to the stan
dard of the interstate increase of 30
per cent.
at is possible that some of the new
schedules would have been higher
than the interstate rates, but it is our
intention to make them on a. level
thruout with the interstate rates,
said Judge w. r. Smith, general So
licitor for the Santa Fe system. I'VE
understood the order of the interstate
commerce commission in this particu-
lar and the new schedule is subject to
junction to arrive at that conclusion.
The Injunction doesn't amount to any
thing"
Clyde NJ Reed, chairman of the
public utilities commission, sent A. E.
Helm, counsel for the commission, to
Oklahoma to apply for the writ. Fol-
lowing it's issuance announcement
was made that the state had won
victory in the rate case.
1t now appears that the injunction
will not save the shippers a dime or
change an item in the tariffs which
were being drafted by the railroads.
Neither will it delay operation of the
new rates.
But it was a fine story.