Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-03-19
SCORED BY COOLEY.
Railreaa hen Who Have Violated
the Law Sharply Rebuked.
TIE Law MUST BE ENFORCED

The Commission Adjonrns Two Weeks.
WASHINGTON. March i9.-The hearing
before the interstate commission in the
matter Of through export rates was con-
tinued. Bfr. Murray, general traffic
manager of the Chesapeake and Ohio,
admitted export rates were made at Chi
cage and other western points to meet
competition from other lines, not by add
ing the inland TO the ocean rates, or
ocean rates which his road could secure
al Newport News. When asked by
Judge Cooley if this was legal, Mr.. Muir
ray said he was not present to discuss
the legality Of cutting rates, but he
would say that receiving orders of the
commission directing that inland proper
tons must be added to ocean rates in
making export rates, his company had
notified the commission that it would be
unable Ia comply. The ocean rates. he
said, were practically arbitrary and the
inland rates very elastic. Speaking of
manipulation of rates west of the Missis-
sippi river. he thought they were under
billing and false billing on domestic bus
mess. bat SO far as he knew, not on ton
exports.
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, said
that company added the inland rate to
the ocean rate. and he knew of no ma
nlpulation west to secure traffic for par
ticular lines. Ocean rates changed fire.
quently, while inland huctuated but
little.
Mr.. Hayc8, general manager of the Wa
bach and Western company, said tho re-
quirement of ten days notice of re-
duction in export rates would democrat
ize the business of roads doing an export
trade lie admitted that his company
had i'm some instances cut rates and made
their rate without adding the ocean rate
10 the inland rate. His excuse for doing
this was that they did not understand
that the commission order for ten days
notice of reduction of rates was still in
force. Several other witnesses main
tanned that strict compliance with the
commissioners order would drive nearly
all the roads out of the export business.
When the commission had finished the
examination of witnesses Judge Cooley
read all present a pretty sharp lecture
and continued the case two weeks in
order to give representatives of some
southern roads who were not invited to
this hearing an opportunity to be heard
ON this export rate questions. He said:
II made the statement awhile ago that
we propose at the request of gentlemen
here representing the southern roads to
TO give them hearing and they have
named for that purpose two weeks from
tomorrow We should be glad to name
an earlier date If practicable but we do
not find that il Is. / do not known that
there is any reason why it should be
earlier, excepting the one that this sort of
thing which has been going on at the
north--of which | think the evidence is
abundant-may perhaps continue unless
the commission makes some deliverance
ON thesubjcct now.
1--WE do not want to be compelled to am
nonnce an opinion on so important mat
ter without careful deliberation nor I'M
til the southern gentleman have been
heard. But is very manifest that there
have been things going on here that
should stop at once. They never ought
TO have been done and il they should
cease forthwith there would be no reason
why we should not make two months,
or even a longer time, for final express
sion of opinions. As to what has been
going on we must compliment Mr..
Hayes FOR coming forward and stating
frankly just what the facts We're as re-
CARDS his own road. We should have
been better satisfied if like course had
all satisfied now that what they have
been doing has not been justified by the
law and there should be no more of it.
They ought all now to do what no doubt
Dir. Hayes will do. namely, in a manly
manner endeavor to comply with the
law. Our purpose is not to hurt any
body but to be of service to the COM
munity in see that the laws are OBJ
served, and while we have fixed two
weeks from tomorrow for the hearing
Of these southern gentlemen. in the
meantime we expect the parties to take
up the law and study it and see that SO
FAR as their own roads are concerned it
Is lived up to. Here is the law and it is
not for you hereafter to say to us that
there are practicable obstacles in the
way Of complying with it: that YOU
would lose business by 50 doing. and all
that sort OF thing. We are not con-
cerned in that. We do not wish to do
anything e. make You lose business; at
the same time we cannot accept it as q
valid excuse that ii YOU obey the law
you viii thereby lose business.
The time ought to he considered as
gone hy when a manager can come to
Ia and say: i named this rate. and did
il regardless Of law, because my COMPETE
tor had done the same thing. There Is
10 excuse i or That practice. If wrong
is done by one road 10 the injury of
another the proper method of redress is
not to duplicate the wrong. but to so be-
fore the common authority, whether it
lie TIE Confaissi.e n or the voluntary asso-
ticn. with eo1apssint OF the wrong. One
crime IN railroad circles IS no more 20 be
excused bv another than one theft Is to
be justified by another, and it ought to
he Just as discredifable to violate a crimi-
nal law which affects railroad managers
in order to make money for their reads
Is it i to violate criminal law in the APP
preparation of private property.
Il sax these things in view of the fact
that we tlaink in justice to these southern
gentlemen We ought to give continu-
ance OF this Investigation for couple of
weeks in order to let them show what