Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-07
CHARGED WITH DEGRADING RAIL
ROADS BY UNDERTAKING.
A FORMAL COMPLAINT MADE.
MUST APPEAR BEFORE THE INTER-
STATE COMMERCE COMMISSION.
The Allegation Said to BE Accompa-
MED by Documentary Evidence
That Will Prove Their
Guilt-Their Arrest to
BE Ordered.


Kansas City are in trouble with the West
ern Railway Weighing and Inspection bu-
reau and Chairman George L. Carman. of
that association at Chicago. has FLED form
al complaint against them before the in
terstate commerce commission, charging
them with having defrauded the railroad
companies by underbilling in classification
and weight. The charges were accom-
panied by the documentary proof of the
association in a number of cases and is
now in the hands of the commission. They
have referred the matter to the attorney
general, who will instruct District Attorney
Walker to cause their arrest on the charge
and have the matter investigated by the
federal grand jury. That action will be
taken during the next week and the facts
In the charges made will then be made pub
lie.
1t is claimed by those who are in a posi-
ton to know what is in the possession of
the weighing association, that there is in
disputable evidence of the charges and per-
feet evidence to support the cases when
tried in the federal court. 1t is said the
customary plans have been followed in Sc
curing the information and documentary
proof and that the case is one of the plain
est ever caught by the association. Under
the orders of the chairman, who had se-
cured information that suspicious loads
were being shipped out by the packers
here. cars from every house in Kansas
City were stopped in remote places and the
entire contents of the car transferred to
another car and checked by the special in
spectors Of the association. Several cars
from each of the packing houses were SO
tested, and in several cases those from
two certain houses were found to be under
billed according to the classification and
in violation of the strict agreement under
which the roads are operated, and the cars
weighed and checked by the association.
With the evidence SO plainly in his possess
sion there was nothing to be done but re-
port the fraud to the interstate commerce
commission for its action This Chairman
Cerman is required under. oath to do in
every case where fraud is reported and the
evidence obtained after Investigation.
The Western Railway Weighing and In
spection bureau has its principal offices in
Chicago, with its branch offices in all of
the principal freight centers OF the West.
1t is an association that attends to the
weighing OF cars. simply attesting the
weight of each car sent out, which Is re-
ported under oath to them by the shipper.
and their certificate is accepted as to class
ification and weight on all trunk lines in
the country. by tnlS uusiheSo ID
expedited and no stops are necessary for
weights to be made as the car Is trans
ferred from one line to another. The re-
ports of cars. both as to contents ana
classification and weight, are made to the
association under oath, and in view of
that fact the lines agree to accept the
certificate and pass the car along.
Inspectors, who are unknown to the Ship
pers. are located in many places. and
whenever there is any suspicion as to any
shipments, some car is reported to the
inspector through whose territory 1t Is to
pass, and when it arrives he simply trans
fers the load and checks its contents, and
then, without knowing what Is suspected
or what the classification or weight of the
car has been reported, he makes the formal
report of his inspection to the association.
Oftmes the report agrees with the bill
ing. but when it does not other inspec-
tions are made quietly, and If fraud is
being practiced, the formal complaint is
made against the erring company.
The first arrest ever caused at this point
by the association was that of John B..
watkins. of the Indian Rice Milling Com
pany, who was indicted by the federal
grand jury last spring, and is now out on
bonds. The president of the company. A.
II. Judd, was also indicted and pleaded
guilty to two charges. and paid the
fines assessed by Judge Philips. Watkins
swore he would never pay a fine. for he
was not guilty, and threatened to expose
others who were. He was furnished with
bond. and since has been employed out of
the city. His statements at the time Of
the arrest indicated that 1t was common
for some heavy shippers in the city to
cheat the railroad companies with false
weights reported. but it was not supposed
that the packers were guilty of the Of
fense.
Last spring when the rumors Of trouble
81 1v11 St,rx
were rife. there was widespread Rublicity
given to the fact that the dressed beef
combine expected trouble with the federal
authorities, owing to the fact that spe-
cial prosecutor had been appointed at Chi
cago to investigate the alleged combine.
and the examination would involve certain
Kansas City shippers of that product. 1t
was stated that the traffic managers of
certain packing houses were absent from
the country for several months and only
came back after they were certain there
had teen nothing of that kind done. 1t is
known that many subpoenas for traffic
managers and freight clerks connected
with the dressed beef shippers could not
be served. owing to the fact that the Off
GERS We're unable to locate the parties.
Mosi of the men who took vacations are
now back at their desks and the scare has
passed away.
Two months since. an officer OF the in
terstate commerce commission worked here
in the city for ten days, inspecting copd'-
tions relating to some phases of that busi-
ness. but left the city without making pub
lie his plans or causing any change in
business.
The railroad companies are very slow to
make any fight on packing houses that
load too heavy or classify wrong, for the
reason that to make a complaint of any ir-
regularity of that sort means to lose the
entire freight of packers. and that no COM
pany wants to do. Railroadmen have oft
en- protested quietly over certain practices
viii, shippers. but ii is only in extreme
cases where they are willing to come out
into the daylight and fight back. They
much prefer to make a quiet. confidential
report to the Weighing Association and
have the shipments examined and some-
thing fixed up in that manner.