The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-09
The Railroads Give Their Side
Of the Controversy.
An Attempt Made to Show a De-
crease in Rates.
Joe Waters Cross-Examinest the Rail-
road officials, and Asks Some
Pointed Questions-The Case
Made by the Railroads Not
sostrong as Anticipated.

I as strong a case as the cattlennen e1-
peeted they would.
Their testimony in the main was to
show a decrease in freight rates.
In admitting testimony for the Santa
Fe, Mr. Hurd admitted an increase per
car for each Of the first three months
in 1896 and the same was true with
other roads
At the beginning Of the afternoon ses-
sion John G. Mccoy. a commission mer-
chant Of Kansas City was put on the
stand. The testimony Of this witness
was used to show the light shipment
under the rate and also regarding the
matter of weights. The Weighing at
all shipping points is done under the
new rate by the Western Weighing as
/ ISOLATION. Witness testified to delay
! caused by the Weighing under the new
system and that frequently there are
discrepancies in weighing-mOre than
under the former method
The next witness was P. H. Lander
gin OF Eureka, a heavy shipper Of Is
years experience. The witness testified
to a personal knowledge of a material
increase in freight rates. Mr.. Lander
gin has usually shipped from $4,000 to
90. 600 pounds in each car. That this was
not heavy loading, he showed by say
ing in all his experience in shipping to
Kansas City, st. Louis and Chicago he
had never lost a single animal from ex-
cessive loading
Taking SO cars as a basis Of compu-
tatiOn, Mr.. Landergin showed that
there was a difference of $500. So between
the old and the new rates in favor Of
the old rate This makes an increase
Of $12.85 per car.
After the examination Of Mr.. Ian
dergin the cattlemen. through attor-
ney Waters, signtfed their willingness
to rest.
Geo. T.. Corwin Of Chicago, superin-
tendent Of the Western Railway Weigh
ing association was introduced by the
attorneys of the railroads and asked
to explain the system OF weighing used.
A statement of weights from all kan
sas points to Chicago for January, Feb
ruary and March 1895.
The witness also testified to state
ments of shipments made from Kan
sas points for 1895. over the Santa F'e
Burlington. Rock Island. Wabash, Bur
HngtOn, Chicago & Alton and other
roads. These various statements were
introduced in evidence by the railroad
attorneys, each as a separate exhibit.
These statements We're offered to con-
tradict the evidence of the cattlemen as
to the customary loading of cars
Attorney Davis for the cattlemen in
qulred Of Attorney Hurd of the Santa
Fe whether the shipping had been
changed from Kansas points to Chi
ago. and receiving the answer that it
had not. asked if it were not true that
the change only affected the shipment
to Kansas City. Attorney Hurd re-
piled that this was true.
a statement was also introduced by
the witness for the Santa Fe road show
ing the total shipments from all KAN
sas points to Kansas City, for the
months of January, February and
March, 1896, but being called upon for
a comparative statement for 1895 under
the old rates Attorney Hurd admitted
he did not have it.
In presenting these statements Mr..
Hurd admitted an increase upon the
Santa Fe for the month Of January,
1895. of S1.78 per car; for February, AZ;
for March, Sc.
Statements of the same kind were
also introduced for the Union Pacific
for the same months, January, Febru-
airy and March, 1896, showing an aver
age increase for these months respect
lively of s1.48. Sill and 40 cents. Under
the shipments over the NJ. K. & T. an
average increase was shown of S1.71 for
January, s131 for February, SO cents for
March.
1t developed during the examination
of Mr.. Corwin by Captain Waters that
the Western Weighing association was
composed OF 81 railways west of Chi
cago.
rs the weighing association a cor
DOratfOn2'' asked Captain Waters.
No" replied Mr.. Corwin.
fIs it a stock company"
us it a trust. a monopoly formed by
the railway companies to do business
for themselves ?"
1T is neither a trust nor a monopoly
or a pool
"1Then what IS it2'
AN organization by therailway com \
panies to do a Weighing business
Are there no salaries paid2 Tt is
strange that there can be such we'll
dressed representatives if there is no
head to the association and no COM
we are merely mutual admiration
society and just exist on air and veg
etables and SO FORTH facetiously re
Assistant General Freight Agent
Sargent of the Memphis route was in
troduced by the railroad companies
The testimony of Mr. Sargent was
mainly in an endeavOr to show de-
crease in freight rates for the first
three months of 1896.
In cross examination Attorney Wa
ters attempted for fully half an hour
to get the witness to state whether he
knew the carrying capacity OF a SO
foot car. The witness evaded Ques-
ton after question and finally admit
ted he knew little of carrying capacity
of ears
Cen Blalrs attorney Tor the MeInpnlS ]
route, introduced several afidavits !
from shippers in Miami county express
sing satisfaction with the present rate.
and testifying a saving in freight rates /
on cars shipped to Kansas City
C. w. Hale. freight agent of the NJ /
X & IT, New York, was the next wit I
ness Explaining the reason for max
ing the change from the old carload /
rate to the 100 pound rate. the witness /
said the old rate was discriminating /
Witness also testified that to the light |
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