The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-10
AN END OF THEM.
Railroad Commissioners
COrnered.
jim REA MAKES A SPEECH
Hut Nobody Was Convinced ard the
Committee Is Sure to Bring in
an Adverse Report.
Special to The MORNING CALL.

lea and LJtchdeld at the investigation last
evening il looks as if the majority report
Of the committee would be that the Com
missioners had been deTelict and should be
removed from Office. Rea made even
poorer showing than Litchtield, and failed
70 advance one sound argument IN favor OF
his remaining longer 10 Office.
When the report goes in, which will be
- within a few days, there Is strong hkell-
hood Of there being twenty-Seyen votes to
throw the Commissioners out OF Office.
Tie hearing of Commissioner Rea was
continued this evening before the special
committee Of the Senate. The Commits
sIoner apologized for the very unsatisfac-
tory nature Of his explanations Wednesday
evening ii consequence Of the johnson al
fair. When he stated to the Governor that
the commission was a judicial body be
meant that their action must be based on
evidence.
Senator Seymour then asked Rea a num-
her Of questions which he seemed unable 10
answer satisfactorily. lie always got off
on to the Traffic Association and Leeds.
Senator OsiTom asked him if he went on
tie assumption that the railroad and the
Traffic Association were opposed to the
people.
Reareplied: THE people Of my district
were more afraid Of the Traffic Association
than the railroad, aud as Railroad Commits
sioneg l considered l had no right TO
espouse the cause Of either"
In reply to Senator Seymour he said 1t
was impossible to fix general tariff that
would be permanent. What IS just to-day
would be unjust tomorrow. Ne general
tariff will stand that can be made without
obtaining the cost Of building and operat-
ing the railroads. They needed the Legisla-
ture to strengthen them in giving them
power TO order depots and sidetraCks and to
give them appropriation for expenses for
experts and some law that viii enable them
to enforce their DEGREES.
"As matter Of fact, has the commission
ever attempted 10 discover the facts neces-
sary to make a tarIff?" asked Seymour.
Yes, sir. That IS the object of the
Sbively complaint. and l Will say here that
nobody owns MI Shively. Instead Of
assisting him the Trafhc Association tried
TO throw him into bankruptcy"
In response to question of Senator Earl
he said that Leeds said he was not IN
friendly 10 the Southern Pacific; all be
wanted was agitation.
Senator Mahoney asked if Shively or his
attorney, Richards, were connected with
the railroad.
NO, SIT: not that know Of" answered
Rea.
AS to Leeds object in all this business.
Rsa said lie believed Leeds object has been
to make the railroad employ him or to pull
him down. 1t was mere guess, however.
Senator Seawell asked if it were possible
for them 10 get the facts necessary 20 base
q general revision Of the tariffs of the Cen
trail and Southern Pacific. His answer was
that if they had experts to overhaul their
books they could bring out these facts.
I'VE cannot make the railroad set its
clerks at work for Us and we can under
stand nothing as TO their peculiar manner
of bookkeeping ourselves"
McGowan--NOw you say that until the
Shively complaint was fled you were never
in a position to fight the railroad?
Real am not fighting the railroad. /
am a sworn officer; am trying to do my
duty.
McGowan-Don't you think you have
wasted a long time in arranging the pre-
Hminaries for regulating fares and freights?
After eyading the question for some time.
Rea admitted that It 10 ght be a long time
for him, but not for his colleagues who have
been in Office but two years. He said that
until Leeds came upon tie scene the issue
had rot been forced. and the commission
had occupied its time in adjusting specific
complaints.
MCGOWAN then wanted to know why the
Commissioners had not made the company
produce lis books.
Rea said they could not be understood
when they did get them.
McGowan-Then why didn't you make
them keep the books so that you could IN
derstand them?
Rea-We did.
McGowan-The why can't you under
stand them?
Rea-Because they do not produce the re-
suits we want.
MCGOWAN = Then why didn't you fix
them so that they would?
This was too much for Rea, aud he
stumbled about, cropping for some kind Of
an answer. Finally he wen. back to his
theory that experts were necessary to recast
the books and figure out the facts required
as a basis for fixing rates. He declared that
the railroad kept its books in a manner
eminently satisfactory 10 him, and vet the
system OF bookkeeping was not fixed so
that lie could find out what it cost, for ex-
ample, to run the coast division of the road.
Rea was badly cornered by McGowan,
and, sQuiTm as he would, he was unable TO
disentangle himself from the web that lad
been woven about him. Rea concluded by
Grating on the honesty Of the Shively CON-
plant and the iniQuity Of the movement in
augurated by the Traffic Association. In
one Of his most impassioned flights, how
ever. he was stopped by the committeeman.
who instructed him that they were not
ready for arguments.
"When you are." said Rea, 'Tet me
know" With that remark be left the
room.
William Beckman, Commissioner for the
First District was next sworn, and in
answer to questions gave substantially the
same evidence as Litchfeld Competent
lawyers had advised him that the powers
OF the commission were mainly judicial.
The only way to regulate was after COM
plant had been made and hearing given
He admitted that no general revision Of
freighis and fares had ever been attempted
by the board. After going into Office he
satisfied himself that the passenger rates
were as low as elsewhere in the country
As 10 freight rates on livestock, wheat,
wood and wool. they were unjust, and as
fast as their attention bad been called they
adjusted them. He had travelled over the
State extensively and asked for complaints,
and had obtained much information.
He said he travelled around among the
people and ascertsined their complaints,
and when necessary acted upon them. In
about twenty or thirty cases that had been
brought TO his attention he had gone to the
railroad company and secured the reduc-
tions desired. In others investigations had
been held by the commission. The usual
proceeding was to refer complaints to Mr..
Smurr, and If be did not adjust the difficulty
to then hold an inquiry and then issue an
order.
Have you ever Issued an order that the
railroad refused to obey?" asked MCGOWAN.
Beekman replied that he could not recall
orn instanca Of that charaetar lie said