Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-19
FARES AND FREIGH'TS.
WHAT Mr.. BEERsTEcHBR HAS TO SAY
OF THE BOARDS OPERATIONS.
A Bogus Protest which was Published
Gen. stoneman's Course in Respect to
Southern Rates Commented Upon.

Southern Rates Commented Upon.
ISan Francisco Call April lSth.l
The statement contained in the report pub.
lished in Sundays Chronicle of the proceed.
ings of the Railroad Commission prompted
the Call to detail reporter to interview
either Mr.. Cone or Mr.. Beerstecher, with
the object of getting their views of the mat.
tiers mentioned in the report referred to above.
On reaching the office of the Railroad Com.
mission yesterday afternoon, the reporter
found Mr.. Beerstecher, and the following
conversation took place:
Reporter-The report published in last
Sundays Chronicle of the proceedings Of the
Railroad Commission represents what pur
ports to be most extraordinary condition eI
affairs in the Board. l have been detailed &c
ascertain the true facts of the matter. Tive
members of the Board having been assaileG
in that report, it is due to them that they
should state thsir side of the case. Would
you have any objection to make a statement
in reference to the matter for the information
of the public?
MIR. Beerstecher-I have no objection to
making statement, as the matter stands.
| have always been reluctant to speak in rela
ton to matters that occur in this office in the
way of consults.io between the individual
| Commissioners, and have always though.
that the result of our deliberations was pub
| lie property, and the results had always been
promptly given to the public. / have read
the report of Saturdays proceedings, as the
same appears in the Chronicle, and would say
| in relation to
THE PROTEST,
Which it is claimed was introduced by Com.
missioner Stoneman, and which, in the lam
guage of the Chronicle, acted as nitro.
glyceriue bomb on Commissioner Cone and
myself, that nothing of the kind occurred
find the further statement that | passed such
protest, in connection with other papers,
unintentionally into the hauds of the report
ers of the several newspapers, who were
waiting to get information concerning the
proceedings of the Commission. l would say
in relation TO this, that | did not pass any
paper of this kind into the hands Of the re.
porters that gave them three papers, the
first being resolution introduced by me, ia
which new schedule of freight rates is pro.
posed, to go into effect on the 1st day OF
June, 1881. on the several railroads
within this State named in said
of the Central Pacific Railroad, its branches
and leased lines within this State and the
Southern Pacific Railroad, as now in force
are adopted. subject, however, to the modi6-
cation proposed in the schedule secondly,
the order of the Board. by which the resolu-
tions and schedule of tariff rates for the
transportation of passengers and the printed
summons to appear and answer within fifteen
days, and all matters concerning such hear.
ing, are postponed until the next meeting Of
the Board ; third, the resolution or request
by General Stoneman-here it is" The Ac.
to organize and define the powers of the Board
.f oil N1oI 20.
that the opinions of the Board shall be giver
in writing, and as a member of the Board
ask that the consideration of the resolution
| adopting the schedule fixed by the railroad
mentioned in the resolution be laid over until
the next session, that | may have an oppor
tunity TO state my reasons in writing for my
vote and action [ may think proper to take
in the matter" which was ordered by the
Board.
THE RESOLUTIONS.
Rep.-What is the nature of your resolu-
tions, mentioned above, and what would be
the scope of the reduction in the freight rates
proposed, and in what manner did these reso-
lutions come before the Boardz
Mfr. Beerstecher-The resolutions referred
to were drafted by me in the Office of the
Board, on Saturday afternoon. After had
finished them | passed them to General
StonemaD, who, after reading them, returned
them to me. [ then passed them to Commits
sioner Gone, who read them and returned
them, whereupon l inquired of my fellow
Commissioners what action should be taken
in reference to the resolutions, and General
Stoueman stated that he desired to have the
confederation of the resolutions postponed
until the next meeting of the Board, at the
the came time introducing a resolution, on
his own behalf, which is the resolution No. 3,
vol r.x1 ha,,, la1., a. l.
me to the reporters. There could not have
been any occasion for surprise in my offering
these resolutions, as the contemplated reduc-
tions in freight rates, which appear in the
schedule referred to, had been under con.
sideration in this office for nearly three
months. About three months ago the
MATTER OF REDUCTION OF FREIGHT RATES
For the transportation of the farm products
Of this State was taken under consideration
and about the middle of March tables of re-
ductions, as proposed by the Commissioners,
were sent to the State Printer at Sacramento
to be printed and returned to this otics.
find, by reference to the letter on file, that J
d. Young, Superintendent of State Print
ing, sent three hundred copies of the printed
tables by Wells, Fargo l. Co. to this office
on the Slst day of March last. The tables
arrived within day or two, and were at
mission, and they have been in the office and
accessible ever since the first week Of this
month. After the receipt of these printed
tables they were submitted to the railroad au-
thorities for their inspection and considera-
ton. General Stoneman and I have fire.
quently spoken together concerning the cor-
templated reduction, and have never heard
him make any suggestions as to an increased
reduction or any change concerning the rates
contemplated by the tables.
On Saturday morning, the 18th instant,
Mr.. Towne, General Superintendent of the
Central Pacific Railroad, appeared before
this Board in open session, and submitted a
schedule of freight reductions, in which the
freight rates acqpiesced in by the railroad
companies were substantially the rates pro-
posed in the printed tables. This schedule
was examined by the Commissioners, and re-
manned in the office subject to inspection up
to the time of the introduction of my resolu.
tions about o'clock in the afternoon. Gen.
eral Stoneman was
PRESENT DURING THE WHOLE TIME,
From the time that the schedule was brought
into the Office until the time OF the offering of
my resolutions, and had full and ample ep-
po,tunity to examine them. At the time of
the introduction of my resolutions l said to
General Stoneman that the reductions made
in the proposed schedule extended no further
south than Tehachepi; that it might be de.
sirable to have reductions south of that point
and beyond Los Angeles; that the Commits
sion were in no way bound to abstain from
further action in the reduction of rates by the
adoption of the proposed tariff, which merely
included the articles named therein and trans
po1tation to and from the points mentioned.
Rep.-What articles are covered by the
schedule of reductions?
Mr.. Beerstecher-Wheat,c corn, barley and
oats and rye, -four and mill stuffs, cattle,
horses, sheep and hogs, wool and wood.
Rep.-Over what lines of road do these
resolutions take effect.
Mr.. Beerstecher-Over the Central Pacific
and its branches, and all leased lines; over
the Southern Pacific. the California Pacific,
the California Pacific and Northern Railway,
the Napa Branch, the San Pablo and Tulare,
the Oregon Division, the Amador Branch,
the Knights Landing Branch and the Stock
ton and Copperopolis Road.
THE PROPOSED REDUCTIONS.
Rep.-What is the percentage of reductions
from the rates now in force:
Mr.. Beerstecher-The present rate for the
carriage of grain in carloads from Sumner to