Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-29
WORK OF THE INTERSTATE CON-
MERGE COMMISSION.
Mr.. Fink's Examination Proceeded
With---He is Finally Cross
Examined.
MIR. Dey Of Iowa, Sets Forth Ideas Contrary
to Those of Mr.. Fink and Fully Ex-
plains His Position.
other Committees WOrk-Rear Admiral
Clark II. Wells Dead-Indians VS..
White Men in Mexico

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2s--At the opening
of the days session of the interstate com
missioners, Albert Fink, commissioner of
the Trunk Line association, was recalled
and cross examined by Mr.. Stern. In the
course of his examination Mr.. Fink refer
red to the charge of complainants that
tariff rates on small quantities of miscel-
laneous goods had been increased since
April /, 1887, and that it is now excessive,
and stated that he had recently made a
careful computation of the cost of handling
local freights, and had found that as a
rule short hauls of certain classes Of local
miscellaneous freight was accomplished at
actual cost in view of terminal expenses of
loading and unloading
In response to an inquiry from Commits
Sioner Cooley, Mr. Fink stated that the
committee representing roads west Of Chi
cago had been for several months in com
municaton with the committee from the
Trunk Line association with the view to
an adoption of a uniform classification for
the whole territory. He also stated that
the roads south of the Ohio river had ex
pressed themselves as anxious to join u
similar movement and that i'll all probs-
blity a meeting OF representatives OF these
roads would soon be held in the interest of
this movement.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Fink's testi-
money. Mr.. Peter A. Dey, chairman Of the
Iowa state board of railroad commission
ers, and appearing at this hearing at the
request of the governor of the state of
Iowa, asked for and received per-
mission to address the commission in OPP
position to the petitions Of complainants.
He referred TO the second and third sec
tions of the interstate law, and maintained
L.,
load classification. He claimed that the
car load was the natural unit
for freight which required car
loads, and that 100 pounds was the
natural unit for less than car loads The
western classification has go articles in its
car lots schedule, and this he claimed had
always been the rule west of the Missis-
sippi river He stated that in small lots
the average of load of cars crossing the
Mississippi river was 5000 pounds, while
in car lots the average was about 81, 900
per car. For the year 1886 he said 4,216,S7S
tons crossed the Mississippi river east
bound, and 1903 22s west bound. The ton
mage crossing the Missouri river in the
same year was ,2l5, 533 east bound and
l,426,29 west bound For the year
1887 the tonnage crossing the Mississippi
river east bound was q, All ,5l4, west bound
2,60l, 5fS. The Missouri tonnage was PSI, S3l
east bound and 2015, 147 west bound. To
abolish car load rates, he said, would
place the western jobbers, so far as his
customers were concerned, at a disadvant-
age of at least 10 cents per 100 pounds, as
compared with the New York jobbers
This difference, he thought, would enable
the three complaining firms in this case to
close every jobbing house in the west. He
claimed that the western retailer is
in full sympathy with the car
load rate. He did not believe that
it is the policy of the government to
crush out the distributing centres in the
west. He commended the policy of the
great beef and pork packers in dis
tributing their establishments so as not to
concentrate too many men in the great
cities, aud thought that if the government
intended to interfere it should be guided
by the same rule
With Mr., Dey's remarks the hearing
closed. Counsel will at some future date
submit some briefs for the consideration of
the commission,