The morning call., 1892-11-12
LlTCHFlELD AND LEEDS.
The Commissioner Hears a
Pleasant Tale.
HE HOPES 1T is TRUE.
a Story That the Traffic Associations Mana.
ger viii Not Return from the
East.
HE HOPES IT is TRUE.

The executive committee of the Traffic
Association is preparing the bill which it
intends to bring before the Leg sIature in
January.
Every prospect points toward great rail-
road struggle when the passage of this bill,
which is to abolish the Railroad Commits
sion as it stands now, will come up for
debate.
The Traffic Association folks have every
reason to suppose that three fourlhs of the
Assembly and large percentage of the
Senate will support the bill
What Is feared is the opposition to the
passage Of law antagonistic to the South
ern Pacific Company which will naturally
be made by the corporation.
Traffic Manager Leeds Is absent on a
vacation trip. and until he returns. some
three weeks hence. the exact provisions the
new law is to contain will not be known.
But that the Legislature will be asked TO
remove the present Railroad Commission
and to cancel the law which created that
useless body is certain.
The establishment OF fair system by
which the rates and fares of railroads in
California will be so regulated as to make
IL impossible for Mr.. Huntington to exer-
cise ms monopoistle powers will also be
embodied in the new law.
The merchants and shippers who COM
prise the Traflic Association are heartily in
sympathy with the earnestneSs with which
the executive COMMITTEES proposes TO act in
this matter, and they have promised their
fullest support.
This, taken together with the fact that a
great majority of the Legislators are pledged
to vote for the Traffic Associations bill,
makes 1t seem almost impossible that its
passage can be prevented.
Still. knowing the Southern Pacific's
methods and fffifV anticinatinU thaf ha
Fourth and Townsend brigade will use
every effort TO defeat the measure, the men
who have charge OF it will go to Sacramento
fully prepared to meet Doodle, triekery and
treachery wherever they find them.
sample of what may be expected In
that direction came from the lips of Litch-
hed. one OF the present S4000-a-year South
ern Pacific Railroad Commissioners, yester-
day.
81 do not propose to stand idle and let any
set OF men legislate me out of Office" said
he.
MIR. Lltchfeld was sitting in the commits
sioh's Office when he uttered that sentiment.
He was feeling blue and unhappy any
now, because the election had not gone the
way be wanted it.
Nearly everybody he wanted elected had
been defeated, and the complexion of the
next Legislature was entirely dfferent from
what he wanted it to be.
1t is not pleasant prospect for any man
w N'h'SDP iotO LID lCuuOfd1 kIUul d LUCRATIVE
office.
The gloom which was spread over Mr..
Lltchteld's face yesterday was easily under
stood. but it also told louder than any
words he could have added that he and his
two associates, Jim Rea and Banker Beck
with, backed up by Huntington, will make
a fight against the Traffic Associations bill.
Secretary Kelly of the Railroad Commits
sion, who was also present. said that on
Monday morning the hearing of the Shiyely
complaint would be commenced by the
board.
There seemed to be no doubt in Mr..
kelly's mind but that all the parties con-
cerned would be ready to proceed at that
time.
He said he had not heard of anything
tending toward any further delay.
But Mr.. Liteh6eld was not quite so sure
that the case really would be heard on Mon
day.
He thought that unexpected demands on
the part OF attorneys, the absence of impor-
tant witnesses or some other unforeseen cir
cumstance might necessitate the granting of
further time by the board.
Now there IS Mr.. Leeds, for instance"
said the Commissioner. "We need his testi-
moay. and be is in the East. Now If the
side who wants him as a witness asks for a
continuance, because he is absent, what else
car be done but to await his return"
AT suggestion that Mr. Leeds testimony
would not necessarily have to be the first
tAheH aHu that le ulisub return IN time 20
give his evidence before the case should
close. Mr.. Litchfeld interposed that prob
ably Leeds would never return.
"Of course. / don't know for certain.s
said he, but / have heard some rumors
which make me think that it is not at all
unlikely that Mr.. Leeds has had all he
wanted OF California and that he will ask
the Traffic Association to release him from
the contract which binds him for another
years service here
E. Investigation, however, proved that there
IS absolutely nothing known of any inten-
tlon OF Nh. Leeds 10 discontinue his services
as traffic manager for the association, and
that no matter how dearly Mr. Litchtieid
might like to hear such news he is not at ali
likely 10 be gratified.
The long delayed report of the Railroad
Commissions expert, Richard p. Morgan,
which from time TO time has been promised
to the newspapers, has as yet not been re-
ceiyed, and an inquiry for it yesterday
brought out the fact that il is not likely to
be made public until IL is introduced as evil
dence in the Shiveley case. which is eauIya-
lent to saying that its publication is indef