The San Francisco call., 1896-08-09
Objects of the Efforts TO Compel
the Great Western to Dis
gorge Business.
EFFORTS TO MAKE A MARKET
Interstate Commerce Commissioners
Trying in Vain to Trace Ir.
regu ar Charges.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, Aug. S.-The Interstate
Commerce Commission yesterday re-
sumed its investigation of the charges
against Western roads. Mr.. Stickney,
president of the Chicago and Great West
ern road, was recalled.
The Commissioners insisted on having
the name of the road or roads which had
made any demand. Stickney win furnish
them later.
At the opening of the morning session
the witness, speaking of the high rate
west OF Missouri and the low rate on grain
east of the river, said:
you charge the Kansas and Nebraska
farmer 13 cents to haul his grain 200 miles
and you charge the grain dealer cents to
haul that same grain twice as far to
Chicago. l tell you it is that kind of busi-
ness that is making anarchists"
Mr.. Stickney said he had organized the
Iowa Development Company to engage in
the grain business, because it was the only
way his road could get any business haul
ing grain at fair price.
On final cross-examinatIon Mr.. Stick
ney admitted that he went into the grain
business to make the market, and relied
on other lines cutting the rate to get his
profits. Departing from the line of in.
qniry, he said:
Here is the trouble. I have known
this Northwestern country for thirty five
years. There has never been year in
that time that the corn crop was moved
until after the corn was in the hands of
the dealers who had the rate.
"Once the farmer is com PEELED to sell his
grain, then you fellows cut the rate for the
dealer. Not over 25, 600, 600 bushels of the
240, 900, 600 of corn in Kansas this year has
been moved before the farmer and small
dealer has not got the rate. At IL cents
the corn will move promptly.
"We are moving it, but that is because
we have to go out and buy it. We expect
to carry on our business and enlarge It if
1t is not declared to be unlawful
At the afternoon session the methods of
the Burlington and st. Paul were investi-
gated, but nothing important developed.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
finished its work here this afternoon.
President Stlckney of the Great Western
road was strongly scored by Paul Morton
of the Santa Fe railroad, who said that
Mr.. Stickney's admissions showed that
the Great Western had acted dishonesty.
Chairman Morrison of the Interstate
Commerce Commission also condemned
the methods of the Great Western. He
said: 1--WE do not know that their In
Yestigation is completed. 1t is proba BILE
that we shall take up the further inves-
tigation in the future. There is no inten-
ton to use this evidence for the purpose
of criminal prosecution. In fact, we could
not. Some of the acts are not the mis-
demeanors contemplated by law. Other
acts have been committed by the men
who testified to their own conduct. The
amendment upheld by the Supreme Court
practically whitewashes those who testify
to their own infractions of the law, so we
have no criminal prosecutions to make.
$50 far as the investigation has pro-
gressed we feel justified in calling atten-
tion to one or two things. One is this
method of shipping from Missouri-rlver
points. It is a method under which rates
are given that are not available to the in
telligence of the ordinary shipper. They
are only available to skilled shippers
whose business has to do with rates. An
other matter which we feel like condemn
ing is the particular method of conduct
ing transportation where a railroad
employs another corporation created
by itself and by which the railroad COM
pany is enabled to and does buy grain,
sell grain through its own instrumentality
and, after paying the charges and ex-
penses, takes what is left of the earnings
for its transportation charges. This is
said by the newspapers to be shrewd pusi-
ness. 1t Is shrewd, but it is a clear eva
sion and violation of every provision of
the interstate commerce law. We do not
propose to decide this matter until after
full and impartial hearing, but we think
that this practice will not be sustained by
the commission, and having said this
much We will adjourn the present hearing
until such time as we may name in the
near future"