The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-10
WILL ACT DELIBERATELY
Says He Will Deal Justly With
the Railroads and the
People.
RATES MAY BE LOW ENOUGH.
If He Finds They Are He VIII Vote
Against the Proposed
Reduction.

STOCKTON, CAL, Aug. 9.-Railroad
Commissioner Clark was seen tonight re-
garding the published statements that
Commissioner H. M. La Rue proposes to
introduce resolution at the next meeting
of the Railroad Commission reducing the
freight rates on all cereal products from 10
to Is per cent.
II cannot say just what will do" said
Mr.. Clark. II am not tied up by any
pledges. and propose to do what is right
by the people and by the railroad, too.
did not promise on the stump that 1 would
advocate reduction of rates.
81 said that / did not know what was
right and necessary in this regard. did
not know whether rates should be re-
duced l or 30 per cent, but promised that
if l thought it was right and equitable
would vote as quickly for a reduction of so
as for a deduction of 1 per cent. This is a
matter of grave consideration, and / do
not propose to act without careful investi-
cation. Mr.. La Rue is Just man, think.
and if after looking thoroughly into the
matter I think he is right shall certainly
vote with him. If don't shall vote the
other way. If the investigation shows
that there should be further reduction
than he proposes shall not hesitate to
amend his resolution and ask for less rates
even than he proposes.
1.-THE idea of the public is to cinch the
railroad. do not believe in cinching any
body. do not think we were elected for
that purpose. 1 do not believe in doing
what is unjust, either to the people or to
the railroad. If there Is any question
after due investigation of the facts l shall
give the public the benefit of the doubt. l
do not intend to vote for any reduction
that will be unjust to the railroad, and
that the courts will not sustain.
when l started into the fight and after
nv election as Railroad Commissioner,
felt that some of the grain rates were ex-
cessive but since then there have been a
shippers know.
II am not prepared to say whether the
present rates are excessive or not. GER
tainly shall not vote to reduce them until
l am satisfied that they are. This is a
grave problem, and has been bothering the
people for some time. Nobody has any
strings on me-neither the people nor the
railroad-and shall do what / think is
equitable, and will be sustained by the
courts.
"Some time ago La Rue suggested some
thing to mel forget whether it was on
the street or in the office-about a reduction
in grain freights. We have been having
the matter under plation for some
time. We understood that Manager Leeds
of the Traffic Association was to come
before us and present what information
he had cleaned while in that capacity, but
he never did what we expected Of him, and
we never profited by the information he
was supposed to have. There may be
some lines along certain sections that are
charging high rates while on the main
lines of the road the freight rates are
fairly low. We may find that they are
not too high. We will have to figure the
cost of the road, the cost of maintenance
and then the profit. If this is excessive it
should be cut down."