The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-26
ANGRY,
Thew Characterize the Railroad
Protest as an In
suit.
REFUSED TO CONSIDER IT.
Stanton Wanted the Railroad Off
cIals to Be Hauled Up and
Punished for Contempt.

The Railroad Commission met yesterday
afternoon and heard read to them by the
secretary the protest of the Southern Pa
cifc Railroad Company against their re-
Gently adopted resolution reducing the
freight rates of that company, which COM
munication has been published.
La Rue objected to placing the commu-
nication on the records, declaring that it
started out by making statements that are
not true, and, therefore, not entitled to
that consideration which truthful and
plain statement of the facts would be. at
says" he said, II am one of the largest
landowners and shippers in the State.
have an interest in some 1000 acres of land
and I own Individually 120 acres. Com
pared to the holdings of the really large
landowners this is a bagatelle. 1t is true
I have tried to make my lands as produc-
tive as possible, and for many. years they
have had uninterrupted benefit of what
have shipped from it.
81 am certainly as well qualified to do
justice to the people and to the railroad
company in the matter Of fixing rates as
are the high saiaried officials of the rail
road company, delegated by that company
to perform that service. / am in favor of
returning the communication to the COM
pany.
II look upon that communication as an
insult to the members of this board. They
came to us asking for fair and impartial
treatment. That we have given them.
They have had every opportunity to pre-
sent their case; we have listened to them
patiently and they have failed miserably
to sustain their right to exact their high
rates, and so we have made fair and i'm
partial reduction.
"As to the pledge which, it is claimed,
prevented us from fulfilling our oath of
office, have to say that | took the pledge
subject to the requirements of the oath of
Office. said at the time that if / found the
pledge interfered with the requirements of
that oath upon hearing the evidence l
would retire from the board. 1t did not do
so. The reduction is according to the
evidence. | consider this letter an act of
intimidation and threat. | do not see
the necessity of returning it to the COM
pany-simply ignore it. :"
1.-The order OF the board will be to deny
consideration of the letter." said Chair
man La Rue.
II think we should bring the author
and those responsible for it before US and
punish them for contempt" said Stanton.
This was not seconded.
A number of communications were
read, among them the following:
To the Honorable Board Of Railroad Commits
sioners for the State of California, San Francisco
GENTLEMEN: We the undersigned, partially
representing the cattle and livestock industries
of this portion of the State, Monterey and San
Luis Obispo counties, beg to draw your atten-
ton to the existing freight rates on livestock
on the Coast Division OF the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company, more particularly referring
to rates from stations between Soledad, San
Luis Obispo and San Francisco, in comparison
to rates charged from similarly distant points
in San Joaquin Valley. The excess on
the Coast Division is from 20 to Is per cent,
and we ask al equitable reduction on said
division.