Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-04-15
ExTRAoRDINARY OCCASION NOTES

The only person heard by the Senate Judiciary
Committee yesterday afternoon in regard to the
provisions ofthe Barry bill was Assembly yman Ste
phcn>, from san Joaquin county. This gentleman
was in favor of the bill The grounds StAted for
his position were. that few years ago a party
shipped Il piano here from the East by railroad.
1t was marked to stockton, but, being before
tnat place was made Il terminal point by the
railroad company il was taken to San Francisco.
rs was done with all overland freight in those
days. From there another transportation COM
pany brought the piNno 20 stockton by boat. 1t
was inNred somewhere on the route, and the
railroad company refused to pay the damages
MIR stephens admitted however, when qucS-
toned, that there was no proof or knowledge
that the piano was injured before il left the
hands of the railroad company at san FruncscO
Another point of grievance stated was that
the witness Son-in-law ut one time shipping
quantity of lumber furniture, and family
been loaded upon flat-car. the sOn-in-law de
sired to place the furniture on top of the lun-
ber. to save paying separate transportation for
II i'll Il car but the agent refused 10 permit II, rs
it was against the rules of the company IN ship
furniture on Hat cars, inaSmuch as the company
would be liable for any damages from rain or
other cause or Suth exposure. \ still further
grievance was that the agent not only refused TO
allow the furniture 10 be loaded upon the lIun-
Der, but also refused 10 let the sOn-inlaws fam
lily ride on top of the lumber
These are the kind of grievances which the wit
ness thought could be reached and Tectifcd by
the Barry bin. and he was therefore in favor OF it
A representative of the liza interviewed W.
T. Coleman, of san Francisco. in relation 70 the
subject covered by the Barry bill and in relation
to the special contract SYSTEM when Mr.. Cole
man admitted that he shipped a few goods by
rail could not say how much; guessed his
freight bill exceeded $4,000 IA year lie knew
something about special contracts He had a
contract himself and proposed to make another
one, if he pleased, and the railroad was willing
He made the contract because il suited him. and
supposed that other merchants did the same for
the same reason. That is, il suited him. under
the circumstances. The kind of contract he
would prefer, if he could have his own wax. was
one that bound the railroad To carry his freight
cheaper than any one elSeS. That would solve
the question of competition so far as he was con
cerned. Suppose that everyone else would like
IL contract of the same kind but Stubbs would
not have II, and that settled the question. II
was very kind of the Legislature to sit for hours
struggling with the problem of how to relieve
the merchants of san Francisco from the iron
yoke of Stubbs. II is very kind of gentlemen
TO 50 to Sacramento and bravely do battle for
the poor oppressed merchants who. poor fell
lows, dare not 81 much say a word IN their
own defense, for fear that Stubbs would punish
them. 1t was Il little rough ON the five or six
hundred signerS of special contracts 10 learn
that they dare not tell the truth about the mat