Albuquerque Citizen

SHIPPERS WILL EXPOSE RAILROADS
GIVE DEFIANCE TO NEW POSTAL
REBATE ORDERS

Californians
Believe
They Have Proof of
Many
Crimes Against
S. P. Road.

COMMISSIONER LANE
TO RESUME INQUIRY

Claim Is Made That Small Independent
Enterprises Have Been
Ruined by Favoritism in Rates
Within the State in
Late Months.

San Francisco, Cal., Nov. 18.—The
organization of shippers who propose to bring the Southern Pacific to
book for its discriminations and violations of the law in exactions of
freight rates will be perfected early
next week and it is said that the
state may look forward to some sensational revelations.

A thorough exposé
of the company's unfairness is promised, how-
ever it is alleged to have favored the
large shippers in a manner outrival-
ing the operations of John D. Rocke-
feller, and
how small independent
enterprises have been ruined and
their owners in some cases driven to
the suicide's
grave. Franklin K.
Lane, Interstate
commerce commis-
sioner, is authority for the state-
ment that nowhere else in the United
States has there ever been such high-
handed injustice worked by a rail-
road as by the
Southern Pacific in
California.

Taking Judge Landis' $29,000,000
fine and the recent penalty of $330,-
000 imposed on the Santa Fe at Los
Angeles as extreme examples of the
attitude of the courts it may be that
the Southern Pacific company may
have millions to pay for its illegal
rate exactions in California.

Evidence is Conclusive.

This statement is made advisedly.
for the evidence taken at Commis-
sioner Lane's recent hearing here
was in the conclusive form of records
and letters, many of which were vir-
tually confessions. Lane regarded
the confessions as astounding and
when the public learns to appreciate
them in their full effect it must be
likewise convinced.

On no less than 200 commodities
have the rates between this city and
the San Joaquin valley been fixed in
defiance of the statutes.
These vio-
lations are said to have covered a
long period of years.

The shipper has taken on a new
hope at the present time because he
has the aid of the powerful arm of
the interstate commerce commission.
Furthermore, he sees the revolt in
progress throughout the state against
the railroad domination of the gov-
ernment.

Actuated by Injustices,

The promoters of the new move-
ment are actuated by the injustices
that they say they have themselves
suffered in having to compete with
rivals who enjoyed large rebates and
also in large degree by that new
spirit which is abroad among the
citizens of the land to do something
for its weal. They have had it
brought home forcibly, there must
be a halt in the ruthless disregard
of the laws by the corporations, or
all industry will fall into their soul-
less control.

The members of the new organiza-
tion are contributing liberally and
with a goodly sum to go to work,
and with Seth Mann as legal adviser,
will go ahead in business-like fash-
ion to bring about an enforcement of
the statutes. The shippers declare
point blank that there is no use to
appeal to the railroad commission
or to Attorney General Webb, for
they were elected as the represen-
tatives of the railroad machine and
not of the people.

Attorney Mann achieved his repu-
tation in railroad litigation by com-
pelling the Southern Pacific to re-
move its toll of 5 cents a ton on
freight that came into San Francisco
by the peninsula route, via San Jose.
The state exacts a 5-cent toll for the
use of its wharves on all freight fer-
ried across the bay from Oakland.

Commissioner Lane is to resume
his inquiries in this state in Febru-
ary. He will co-operate with the
organization now in process of for-
mation and some big developments
are to be looked for, apparently.