St. Paul daily globe., 1889-05-04
FREE WITH FAvORS.
The Interstate Commission
Looks Into the Pass
Question.
Managers and Counsel for
Several Eastern Roads
Testify.
The Florida Supreme Court
Hands Down an
Opinion
Affecting the Power Of Com
missioners to Fix
Low Rates.

WASHINGTON, May 3.-On the 18th
sion issued a circular letter to about
twenty-seyen railroad companies, order
ing them to appear before the commits
sion to-day to answer and set forth the
persons and classes of persons, if any,
| to whom each of them have issued free
| passes or free transportation to persons
| other than its own officers or employees
| and the officers and employees of other
companies. The companies were also
expected to present all the conditions
| and limitations connected there
with in each instance, and the
manner of doing this branch of business.
| In response to this order there were
| present at the meeting to-day officers
and counsel representing mostly East
| ern roads, to the number of thirty-five.
| Each road was called up separately and
representatives of nearly all the roads
| interested presented the information
called for by the order of the commits
| sion. Among the railroads represented
were the Pennsylvania railroad COM
pany, the Baltimore & Ohio railroad
company, the Delaware, Lackawanna &
Western railroad company, the New
| York Central Il Hudson river railroad
pany. of New jersey. Hugh L. Bond,
Jr., appeared for the Baltimore & Ohio
| road and submitted list of the annual
| interstate passes given by the road, with
accompanying information. He also
| presented, as far as it was practicable,
| list of the trip passes issued since the
| 1st of November. 1t applied, however,
only to the lines east of the Ohio river:
others promised to supply later. He
| also filed with the commission an argu-
ment regarding the transportation of
| parties. He also could furnish infor-
nation, through witness, that no
passes were issued to influence traffic,
but said he would file an affidavit to
agent of the Baltimore & Ohio. said
| that no blank passes were issued with
! authority to persons receiving them to
| fill them up. S. NJ. Williams, comp
| trOller of the Central Railroad Company
| of New jersey, submitted in detgil a
| full and complete statement of the
classes of persons, railroad companies,
| telegraph and other organizations to
| which passes have been issued. includ-
ing those issued to the state officials of
New Jersey. including the members of
the legislature. which are, however,
limited to travel within the state itself.
Edmund w. Ragge. local manager
of the Grand Trunk Railway company,
furnished list of the annual passes
issued since the last of January OF the
| pass eS issued since the 1St of november,
1883, with certain descriptive informa
ton in relation thereto. Replying to
Mr.. Cooley, he said it was the custom of
| the company to keep record of passes,
| and what he furnished was a complete
record of those issued for use in the
| United States. In submitting the reply
| of the Maine Central Railroad
company 20 the order of the
commission. W. L. Putnam presented
an argument taking exceptions to the
| jurisdiction of the commission in call
ing for specific classes OF passes issued
! appeared for the New York Central d
| Hudson River Railroad company. He
did not present the list of the passes
issued by the company, but in its stead
presented an argument which set forth
that the railroad company he repre-
sented exists solely and does business
alone in the state of New York; that it
has issued many free passes to persons
in the state of New York with the
usual conditions freeing the company
from liability; that it does not issue
any passes for transportation outside of
the state of New York; that it has not
issued any tree passes for the purpose
of securing business, and submits that
the interstate commerce commission may
not require any further answer than
| that hereinbefore set forth. Mr.. Loom
is said that the company desired to be
heard concerning the sufficiency of this
| answer. Chairman Cooley assured
counsel that it would certainly hear the
| company further in the matter. The
argument was postponed. l.. 2.
Farmer, general passenger agent OF the
New York. Lake Erie u Western Rail-
road company, and W. E. Barnett, of
the New York, New Haven & Hartford
Railroad company, j. G. Anderson. gen.
| eral passenger agent of the New York,
Ontario & Western Railroad company,
all presented the replies of the respect
i've companies. |. G. Logan ap-
peared as counsel for the Pennsylvania
Railroad company. He explained at
length the lists of persons to whom
passes had been issued by the
company, and also presented several
circulars issued by the railroad
company regulating the issuance of
passes In conformity with their under
standing of the act to regulate COM
merce. He did not furnish list of the
| persons 10 WnOm passes nau Deen Is
| sued. He said the company submitted
| this list of classes of persons who re-
| ceive passes, and the company would
| be glad to have an authoritative declara-
| ton of the commission regarding the
| lie gality of the issuance of passes to the
| classes of persons now receiving them.
| Ashbel Green, counsel for the West
Shore Railroad company said twas leased
| to another company, but had an indie
! pendent organization. He gave a list
| OF persons to whom passes had been
| issued, amongst them being newspapers
and hotels for advertisements, to min
listers of religion, certain officers
of the Locomotive Brotherhood and to
certain contractors. He submit tied
however. that there be no specific COM
plant regarding the issuance of passes;
the commission had no authority to
enter on wholesale investigation, and
that commerce between points in the
same state. although in its shipment it
passes through another state. is not in
terstate commerce, and he desired to be
heard. Lists of persons receiving
passes were also filed from feveral other
roads. This closed the presentation of
lists and the days session closed. The
commission, however, will at some
future time hear arguments from those
persons who raised the questions noted
above. or will give them opportunity to
submit printed briefs.
"A ABLE PRECEDENT.
ElOrid a,S Sunreme Count passoS