The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-13
LEEDS WAS FIRM.
Martin Makes an Attempt
to Help Huntington.
sHIvELY'S LAWYER PLEASED.
The Sympathies of the Railroad COM
nissionerS Are Entirely With
the Southern Pacific.

this kind OF testimony they are helping my
client. and am greatly pleased to have so
much unexpected assistance" said r. o.
ShiYely's attorney. soto voce, yesterday
during the crOss-examinaton of Traffic
Manager Leeds by Attorney Martin before
the Railroad Commission.
Martin had just made fatal faut pas
when Richards made that remark.
Mr. Huntngton's lawyers mistake was
to resume the questioning of Leeds on the
tables complied by the latter showing dis
eliminating freight rates.
Early during Leeds cross-examination
the fact had been brought out that the
Southern Pacific Company carried grain
and other ireights from Vallejo Junction.
which is only twelve miles distant from
Port Costa. by the way of Suisun, making
the haul one Of thirty miles.
This was intended to show that the rates,
while high, were not excessive on account
OF the many miles the freight had TO be car
ried.
Had Lawyer Martin been wise he would
have been satisfied with having made that
point and let that matter rest, but impfu-
IDENTIFY he gave Leeds chance yesterday to
explode the Southern Pacfc's flimsy excuse.
III the company chooses for its own con-
venienee TO carry the freight from South
Vallejo TO Port Costa by a circuitous
route, instead of bringing IL across the
water like they do from Benicia to Port
Costa, the people who are the shippers GER
tanly should not be made to pay excessive
rates" explained Mr.. Leeds. Then be
tersely added that Mr.. Huntington may find
it convenient TO carry South Vallejo freight
to Port Costa by the way OF New ork, so
that he may have an excuse for charging
higher rates.
Traffic Manager Gray, General Freight
Agent Sumner and Controller Lansing of
the Hungtington Brigade wept tears of con-
dolence when they saw that their friend
Martin had walked into hole dug by him
self, but the little lawyer pulled himself to-
gether pluekiiy and he started in to coun-
teTact the effect of the body blow dealt him
by Leeds by trying 10 gel tie latter tangled
up with nun Der OF assumptions and sup
pose this-WaS-the case" questions.
LeedSschuckied. and eomplacenty leaning
back in his chair he just quiety refused to
get mixed up.
He wouldn't assume anything and as far
as supDositiuns we're concerned he proved
himself To have none at all.
Martins usual self-cOntrol was rapidly
vanishing. and he was beginning to lose his
dignity. by becoming trivial and personal,
when Chairman Rea, whose Datien e evil
IDENTIFY was about to become exhausted, could
not stand that kIBu of nOrseplay any longer,
and he interfered by warning Martin that
he had TO stop trifiing and proceed i'll a
proper manner.
OF course being rebuked by his friend
Rea. from whom be had no reason to eX-
pect such a thing, ratified huntington
lawyer even more, and his temper was not
improved duriEg the subsequent proceed
ings.
he tried to have Leeds tell what he knew
about the railroad bill now before the Leg
islature, and wanted to know all the why's
and whercfores Of its provisions, but Leeds
told him to go and read the bill himself and
form his own conclusions.
Often during the examination Martin
made unWaTranted insinuations and rude
remai KS about Leeds and his competency as
a railroad expert
These slurs were entirely uncalled for
and could only have one object. and that
evidently was 10 anger Leeds so as TO get
him excited and trap him into saying " hat
lie would not say when cool and composed.
The scheme, however, sdld pot work, for
the traffic manager only smiled at the mean
little darts thrown at him and lie didn't
seem TO mind Them at all.
A great deal Of time was consumed in
this useless manner and as usual nothing
was accomplished.
A noteworthy fact in the long examiua-
ton of Leeds as a witness is that the three
Railroad Commissioners throw aside all
pTeteuse OF impartiality when he is on the
stand.
Every time Martin asks an embarrassing
question or whenever any testimony is
elected which ia the faintest degree seems
favorable - the railroad. Rea, Litchfield
and Beckman have joyful spasms, and
their pleased gribs tell louder than words
that their sympathies are with Fourth and
Townsend street and that they do not care
who knows it.
The afternoon session of the board was
consumed in Martin endeayoriug to get
Leeds opinion on the sentiments expressed
lately by the TTaffi, Associations special
committee on legislation. as printed in the
Evening Bulletin January g.
He also would have liked TO place Leeds
on record on the question OK legitimate
profits of railroad company.
On the first topic Leeds refused to COM
nit himself, claiming justly that his opinion
in the matter 0as or no relevance to the
Shiyely case.
AS far as legitimate profits are concerned,
he thought simply that railroad was en-
titled to interest on the capital that would
be needed 20 construct the road TO the cost
of operation and TO a small profit.
''If a road cost 100000 twenty-five
years ago and bonds to that amount have
been set afioat. the holders Of these shares
have made a poor financial investment if
today the same road could be built for half
the money, because the value Of their stock
ought to depreciate in proportion to the de-
probation Of the value of the amount orig
inally Invested said Mir. Leeds.
Discounted, diSgustcd and not at all
proud Of himself, Martin closed his days
work at that time.
The commission adjoured until Tuesday
at 10 a. n. after adopting Rea's resolution
filed last week asking for legislative inves-
tigatiUn of its work.