The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-03-20
RATE CUTTING.
Several violators Of the Inter-
State Commerce Law
Receive a Sharp Lecture From Judge
Cooley in Regard to Their
Conduct.

Testimony which shows That More Than
One Trunk Line should be Vigorously
Prosecuted.
WAsnlNeroN, March 19-The hearing be
fore the Interstate Commerce Commission
In the matter Of through export rates was
continued yesterday. o. q. Murray, general
trafic man ger OF the Chesapeake & Ohio
road, admi Q | that ex 'ort rates were m 'de
at Chicago and g th western points to m OF
competition from other lines, not by adding
the inland 10 the oc au rates. When asked
by Judge Cooley il this was legal, Mr. Mur-
ray said he was not present TO discuss the
legality Of cutting ties, but he would say
that since recei ! ~ the order II he COM
mission directing that inland proportions
must be lded to ocean IA 81 in making ex-
port rates, hs company hid notified the
commission that it would be unable to COM
py The ocean rates, he said were prac-
tically arbit nry and the inland rates very
elias ic. Sp.aking Of manipulation Of rates
wesJ OF the Mis- 'iSsipi river he tn ught
there WIS und r-billing aud false billing
on dome tic Is ness, but 80 far as he knew,
no 10 o IelJort IRA 10.
Mr.. Harrioti, general freight agent Of the
Baltimore & Oaio ron |, said that company
aided the inland rata 70 the oc3an rate, and
he knew OF NJ nauipu Itinn wo % TO secure
traffic for pat cul r lines Ocean rates
cnanpel frequently, whi inland rates
fluctuatei buJ little. There was no difference
In Bali nori & o ljo ratsi on gain brought
10 Baltimore for domestic use or for export
Mr.. Speers genera eight agent OF the
Wabash & w s4tnrn road, admitted that his
road had CUT rltcB . ems D buu trallG.
Mr.. Haycs. general m lIIgor OF the Wa
bash & Western clmplny said the require
ment OF ten da,s' notice OF u reduction la
exn rt rates would dsm lie the bu 'iness
| Of roads doing a export tra 10. Hn admitted
! that his comp my VI IN som Instances cut
rate, aud ma 1. their ra1D wit iOut adding
the ocean rate 10 the inlIid rate. His ex-
/ cuse for doin, this thIt thry d'i not
IL Ser,tlnd thai tho com Missions der for
| ten days tics " ret ic.ion 0f rates WIS
still in force. Several other wi mes es
maintaine that str o. c0mpli lnce with the
commissions order would dr've nearly all
the roads out Of the export business.
When the commission had finished the ex-
animation Of witnesses Ju lge Cooley read
all present pretty SHARP lecture and con-
tinued the ca Q two weeks, in order TO give
representatives OF sIme So llhern roads
who were not invited to this hearing an op
portunity to be heard on this export rate
question. He said; the tima ought TO be
considered as gone by when manager can
come TO US and siy; Ingmel thi' rate aud
did It regardless Of law because my CON-
petitor had done the same thing There is
no excuse +, hat prar,ice. II wrong Is
done by one road TO the injury Of Al other,
the proper method Of redress is not to dupli-
cate the wrong, but 10 60 before the com.
mon authority with complaint Of the wrong
One crime in railroad circles is nomos u
be excused by another than one theft is "a
be justified by another, and II ought I, be
Just as discreditable 10 violate criminal
law which affects railroad managers, Ia
order TO make money for their roads, as Il
is TO violate criminal law la the appropri
alton OF private property"