The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-04-19
Letter Addressed to the Board BY
the Traffic Association.
THE OLD WRESTLB WITH THE TRAF
FIG MANAGER
Footpads Make Their Appearance at
Santa Rosa, Two Men Being Held
Up In One Night-George Dawson
Defeats Billy Gallagher In Forty
two Rounds at San Francisco.
Special to the REconp-Ux1oN.

'7pSSitl W bne ISECORD-ONIoN.
SAN FRANCISCO, April l8.-At a meet
ing of the Railroad Commissioners to-
day there were present Messrs. Rea and
Litchfeld.
The Executive Committee of the San
Francisco Traffic Association filed an ex-
tended letter, the substance of which Isl
Ihat the Traffic Association Endorses and
approves all the communications to the
commission made by j. S. Leeds, the
Traffic Manager of the association; that
there are but two points at issue-that
local rates between San Francisco and in
terror points are too low, or they are toe
high; that the Traffic Association dis
claims any intention to break down the
privileges Of interior terminals, and that
1T is organized for the development of the
resources and for the promotion of the
best interests of the whole State; that the
interior press is endeayoring to lead the
people into the belief that the Traffic AS
ISOLATION is antagonistic to the interior,
and that this is not the truth; that the
Railroad Commission ought to make a
new and lower schedule of local rates all
around for the railroads in the State.
Then discussion opened between Mr..
Leeds and the commission that went over
the old ground. The commission declared
that it could not and would not act unless
complaints were filed by Mr.. Leeds al
leging inequality and unjust discrimina-
ton and too high rates.
This Mr.. Leeds declined to do. Being
pushed tor reasons for such refusal, he
said IL was the duty Of the board of lis
own motion to make a new and lower
schedule Of rates, and put the burden of
PROOF OF injustice upon the roads. Being
asked DnOn what basis that should hea
done, he said earnings should be based
upon the cost Of the railroads. In reponSe
to a question whether the cost of operat-
ing the roads was not a factor of inn
portance, he evaSively replied that the
basis should be the cost of the reproduce
ton of the roads, and that the right to
make earnings where a road cost nothing
would depend upon how the operators OF
the roads came into possession Of them.
Being repeatedly pressed for a reply to
the question why he would not file a
complaint, Leeds answered that he
thought the board did not wish him to
tell all his reasons. This was gone over
and over, Mr.. Leeds insisting that he
would file no complaint, and the COM
mission declaring that the law required q
complaint to be filed. Finally the Com
missioners told Mr.. Leeds that he had
lots of nerve to come in and ask the COM
mission to do that which he could easily
fix up by filing a little complaint. Mr..
Leeds retorted in kind.
one of the Commissioners charged Mr..
Leeds with lnsincerity, and that he was
playing to avoid filing complaint, and
thus secure employment by railroad,
10 which Leeds replied that be never
abandoned his post until he made his
point or was licked After some desul-
tory talk about steamship and through
rates the matter was dropped. Through
out the discussion the commission de-
clared that it was ready to and would act
whenever complaints were filed, and
that the Traffic Manager dealing in gen
eralities and in refusing to file complaint
or give his reasons for not doing so, and
in demanding horizontal reduction Of all
local rates, was not dealing fairly with
the commission.