The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-16
SHIVELY SHOWS UP
What He Knows and Don't
Know.
AN OUTBURsT OF oRATORY.
riartin Asks Leeds Questions, and
the Little Farce Goes
Merrily On.

A ed-whiskered man, who walked on
crutches and had only one leg. formed one
of the audience during the hearing of the
Shively case by the Railroad Commits sionerS
yesterday.
He seemed to be very much interested
and highly amused spectator, but no would
not tell who he was.
The Commissioners tried to find out why
this man with the auburn beard was there,
but he skillfully lodged all questions Bailiff
Stafford put to him and his identity re-
manned unknown.
Some one suggested to Commissioner
Litchfield that the stranger might be one of
the newly elected State Senators. and Litch-
field Immediately put on his most winning
smile and made desperate efforts to catch
the mysterious visitors eye.
When everybody wanted, Traffic Manager
Leeds not excepted, had arrived. and the
board was ready for business, r. o. Shively.
the San Jose complainant, arose and aston
lshed all present by his evolutionary power.
The speech he made had no particular
merit from a news point of view, however,
because be confined himself to repeating
the frequently made assertions to the effect
that be was neither acting in the interests
of the Southern Pacific Company, nor of
Jim Rea. or of The Railroad Commission
WHEN lie uleu MS COMP idlUt.
II am nobody's stoolpigeon." said he, ''and
simply represent the interests of the mer-
chants in the interior in general and those
of the community OF the Santa Clara Val
ley in particular"
He then told how he came to employ
Richards, whom he knew to be Rea's attor-
ney, because he wanted to be repre- sented
by some one who stood close TO the chairman
OF the commission. SO as to be best served.
II would gladly have the services of the
commissions attorney or the Que employed
by the Traffic Association, were they avail
able" he put it, because L want every pos
sible assistance In this investigation that
can obtain"
CompIimenting the Commissioners on
their honesty, Shiveiy said Beckman as
banker must certainly be an honest man,
Lltchfeld being tailor, belonged TO class
proverbislly honest. and as to Farmer Rea.
everybody IN the State considered him hon.
est
the speaker closed his remarks by asking
the Traffic Association, the press, the mer-
chants and the public to assist him in his
endeavor 10 have the Southern Pacific rates
lowered, which he declared to be an honest
and sincere desire on his part
Shiveiy's fluent and straightforward man.
ner Of speaking made good impression and
when he resumed his seat he had every rea.
son to be proud of the way he acquitted
himself of the part assigned him.
After this Grafton came the cross-exami-
nation Of Traffic Manager Leeds by Martin,
the attorney for the Southern Pacific Com
pany, which consumed the rest of the day
and threatens to take considerable more
time.
Right at the beginning Martin tried to
assail the ability of the witness as n traffic
manager by attempting 10 prove that Leeds
experience in the railroad business had not
given him much opportunity TO learn any,
thing about freight rates.
y6a1 harx he
had Tor nearly twelve years occupied the
positions of assistant aud general freight
agent as we'll as that of chairman Of the
Transcontinental Association and freight
trsiflc manager, In various positions of the
United States, Martin dropped that line of
investigation and commenced to ask ques-
tons about the policy, purposes and OBJ
jecls OF the Traffic Association of Cali
fornia.
Leeds remained perfectly cool undor the
cross-tire of Martins battery and every one
OF his answers was given slowly and with
much elaboration.
lie was not TO be caught In any traps the
attorney OF the railroad might have pre-
pared and frequently when Martin tried to
make him tell things he did not care 30 re-
veal. he declined TO answer altogether.
As to the objects of the Traffic Associ-
alton, Leeds referred his inquisitor to the
constitution of that organization, only adj
mtting that he considered the rates of the
railroads in California too high, and that
the lowering of them was one of the princi-
pal purposes of the association he repre-
scented.
Education OF the people or political moves
are only some OF the means by which they
intended to obtain their main object. he
sta ted.
Not being able to get much satisfaction
out OF these replies, Martin ran Off the side
track and touched the main question. He
wanted to know whether Leeds would posi-
lively state that the profits OF the Southern
Pacific Company are excessively high.
The witness replied that general eompar-
sons ne had made between the rates OF
California roads and those of Kansas or
Nebraska had convinced him that this
State was paying too high tariff, but as to
the profits Of the Southern Pacific Com-
pauy, he had no means OF knowing just
how much they were in California.
When the cost of construction was touched
upon by Martin, Leeds told him that to the
California customer of the road the original
cost OF 1t was matter of no concern, and
tnat only the amount that would be needed
10 build corresponding lines with those of
into consid Grafton.
Martin, prompted by j. C. Stubs, tried
hard TO have the witness moderate this
statement, but Leeds remained firm and the
attorney dropped the cost of construction
questions to take up operating expenses.
that seemed 10 worry Martin, because Leeds
in his direct examination had stated the
price OF coal was of little consequence, and
that ton of fuel in California performed
more work than it did in the East.
As far as the latter statement was con-
cerned, Martin wanted to GO into detail, and
wanted 1t explained just how much a ton Of
coal could do here or elsewhere, or what
the climatic differences were between the
various localities mentioned.
Leeds did not want to make any explana-
tons. because, as he stated, he had no data
on hand bearing on these questions. and
therefore he sarcastically referred the al
torney TO the Southern Pacific's master me-
clianic for information on the amount Of
power ton Of coal can produce.
As 10 the climatic influences, the witness
thought the weather clerk would perhaps
be good authority.
Producing lot of annual reports from a
number of railroad companies, which he in
tended to use as references, Martin first
wanted to know whether Lseds considered
these reports honest and reliable oocu-
ments.
Leeds raised quite laugh when he an
sWered that, as a railroad man, he was
obliged TO uphold the profession and con-
slider the people who made these reports
honest, but ne certainly had frequently
heard II asserted that some statements con-
tanned in annual railroad reports were
highly colored.
A great deal of time was consumed by an
endeavor on Martins part to make Leeds
say that segregation of the freight earn
lngs from those OF the passenger service of
road was unfair, when the latter rates are
under consideration.
The witness would not admit anything of
the kind in spite of all the adroit question:
ing oil the cross-examiner. who finally got
angry and declared that Leeds did not seem
to know anything about passenger service.
II don't" admitted Leeds, 'and never
claimed did," And that settled it,
The balance of the day was consumed by
Martin quoting comparative figures of coal
expenditures from the annual reports men
toned and from that of the interstate conf
mission and by trying In this manner to
convince Leeds and the commission that