Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-19
RAIL TRUCK LINES
FACE DIFFICULTIES
Competing Carriers in Kan
sas File Complaints Against
Present Arrangements.
BY GEORGE E. DOYING.

The efforts of some of the leading
railroads to coordinate rail and truck
lines are being bcset with difficulties
As the latest development, the MasSa-
chusetts Department of Public Utilities
has held that the New York, New Haven
g. Hartford and the Boston & Maine
Railroads are evading and violating the
State law.
In KanGss six important competing
railroads have filed complaints with the
Public Service Commission against an
existing arrangement between the
Union Pacific the st. Joseph & Grand
Island Railroad and the Union Pacific
Stages, Inc. The complaining carriers
are the Atchison, Topeka g. Santa Fe,
the Chicago. Rock Island & Pacific,
the Kansas City Southern. the Midland
Valley, the Missouri Kansas-Texas and
the St Louis & San Francisco. They
ask the State Commission to require
the three affiliated concerns to apply
i'll injection with the rail-truck Sery-
ice which they established last Sum-
mer the same rates that are provided
for all-rail service.
Affects Two Motor Lines.
The Massachusetts, action affects two
Of the largest motor vehicle systems III
the East, the New England TranSporta-
ton Co., subsidiary of the New Haven
Railroad, and the Boston e. Maine
Transportation Co. subsidiary of the
Boston a. Maine Railroad. The State
Department of Public Utilities has di-
rected the attorney general to bring
action in the State Supreme Court by
mandamus or injunction, to stop the
New Ravens freight-carrying opera.
tons and to take such action as he
deems proper" with respect to the Bos-
ton & Maine.
All of the stock of the New England
Transportation Co, amounting to ST.
100000, is owned by tire New Haven.
which also has loaned it's subsidiary
more than Sl,300000 1t is engaged in
extensive bus and truck operations. but
the passenger lines are not affected by
the present proceedings. Proper ap-
plicationS were made for the operation
of BUSES and authority was duly
granted, but it appears that neither
the railroad nor its subsidiary ever APP
piled for the right to operate freight
trucks in Massachusetts,.
The Motor Truck Club Of Massachu-
sets, Inc, filed a petition asking the
public utilities department to require
all of these carriers to establish and
apply just and compensatory rates
| The department held, however, that il
could not require the filing Of rates
wien the vehicles are being operated
without authority of law.
Different Situation.
I'VE do not believe" the department
order said, that the obligations i'm
posed upon the railroad Thy State law
can be avoided by the railroad estab-
fishing a subsidiary which it absolute
" dominates and controls"
A slightly different situation was
/ found to exist in the operations of the
Boston g. Maine and its subsidiary. II
this case the handling of freight is
conducted by independent operators
VINO do the actual physical transporta-
! ton which the Boston e. Maine Trans
portation Co. undertakes to perform
! Whether this constitutes operation o.
motor vehicles, in a legal sense, by the
Boston 81 Maine Railroad, which con-
| trolls its subsidiary as fully as in the
! New Haven case, was not definitely
decided by the department but tho
matter was referred to the attorney
general for action.
ICopvright 1927