St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-08
STILL PUMPING.
The Senate Committee Investi ga
ting Canadian Control,

STILL PUMPING.
The Senate Committee Investi ga
ting Canadian Control.
NEW YORK, May THE senate COM
mittee which is investigating the work.
ing of the interstate commerce law re-
sumed its labors at the Fifth avenue
hotel promptly at 10 O'clock this morn
ing. Senator Plat has been added to
the senators present yesterday, and the
committee to-day is composed of
Chairman Cullom. and Senators Plat,
Hiscock, Blair. Harris, German and
Reagan. Chauncey NJ. Depew, of the
New York Central, and General Man.
ager Joseph HixOn, OF the Grand Trunk
railroad, were in attendance to submit
to the committees probing, and dozen
or two interested spectators helped to
ill the large parlOrs. Chauncey M.
Depew was the first witness called to
the chair. Many of his statements
showed that he agreed on several points
with the opinions of the two previous
witnesses, Commissioner Fink and Pres
ident John King, of the Erie road. Mr..
Depew gave his opinions on the work.
ingS of the interstate law and to ques-
ton as to what amendment he could
suggest to the present interstate law, in
order to protect the American roads,
Mr.. Depew said that the roads doing
business in this country, whether Mex
lean or Canadian, should be made
of the law, as the American roads
must do. At present, be said, it was
very easy for the Canadian roads to get
large quantities of freight by means OF
rebates. Pooling he considered good
thing, and should have been permitted.
The tendency of all roads is to lower
freight rates and no amount OF pooling
could affect this tendency. The
interstate commerce bill by max
ing the. roads publish their rates
had given the stronger roads
more business and taken it
away from the weaker roads proper
tiOnately. ''The interstate law will
never be effective nor operative until
lied pool" said he. Chairman CulIom
questioned Mr.. Depew closely as to the
practice OF using Canadian ears on
American roads and vice versa. From
MIR. Depew's answers it appears that
American and Canadian cars are used
Unfortunately on both sides of the
line, without regard to the imposition
of customs duties upon them, although
the Grand Trunk line uses ten Ameri-
can cars OH its line where the Central
uses one of the Grand Trunks cars,
making the proportion therefore about
ten to one.
Senator Platt-Don't you think it
would have been better If goods des-
tined to points within the United States
borders had never been allowed to go
through Canada?
Mr.. Depew-lf you go back to that.
yes. But the thing is now an existing
fact.
During the discussion On the merits
of pooling, Senator Harris asked
whether the $500, 900. testified by Presi-
dent King as the annual share of the
Erie road, was not wrung from the
pockets of the shippers. Il do not un-
derstand it that way" replied Mr.. De-
pew. 'sThe Erie could not get the rates
that our road could, for instance, and
therefore it was question whether we
should pay it or satisfactory
amount to maintain rates, or be
plunged into ,T ruinous war"
Lawrence canals, where it is charged
American roads are Disseminated
against, Mr.. Depew knew nothing. In
concluding Mr.. Depew's testimony.
Senator Blair wished to know what
would be the result of war between
Canada and the United States. ''Well,
it would last just two days." said the
CentralS president.
Mr.. Depew was followed by General
Manager Joseph Hixon, of the Grand
Trunk railway. Mr.. Hixon described
his road and it's terminals, and after
some questioning finally acknowledged
that the Grand Trunk road practically
controlled the rates between Chicago
and Portland. Their business in the
United States. the witness said, was
the spirit of the interstate
law, and they make no in
crease in local rates in order
to recoup on possible losses on longer
hauls. AT O'Clock the committee adj
journed one hour for lunch. After
recess the examination of Mr.. HixOn
was resumed, the line of inquiry de-
vOlving into the reason for the alleged
increase of freight shipments over the
Grand Trunk road. In response to a
question by the chair as to the
fare from Chicago to Liverpool, Mr..
HixOn said it was the regular published
railroad rate with the steamer
fare added. He also described the gov
CiAunOuG SuDSloleS RIdulcu Tue Cdllduldn
Pacific road, and said that the sum of
100000 per annum had been voted for
steamship line from some port not yet
named. Mr.. Hixon also answered a
large number of questions put by the
members of the committee with view
to finding out how much of the tonnage
carried by the Grand Trunk road orig
mated in the United States, but without
much result.
Chairman Cullom-Suppose we made
it obligatory for the Canadian roads to
obey the interstate law? l think that
would be an international question.
The last witness of the day was First
Vice President S. NJ. FELTON,, of the
Erie road. His discourse was largely
explanatory of the Erie's methods and
its losses since the adjustment of the
pool. President Charles Francis
Adams. of the Union Pacific railroad,
will be the first witness examined to-
morrow.
Slightly Singed.