The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-04
Interstate Commission Fooled.

Interstate Commission Fooled.
J. c. Denison secretary and treasurer
of the Union Stock Yards and Transit Com
pany. blocked the investigation Of the In
terstate-commerce Commission at Chicago
yesterday by refusing to produce before the
commission the books and records of his
corporation. Mr.. Newlin Of the Texas Cat
tie Growers Association, demanded the
books and asked the commission to issue
a subpoena to compel the secretary to pro-
duce them. Attorney Babcock claimed that
the Union Stock Yards and Transit Com
pany was an Illinois corporation, doing
business entirely in Cook county and that
the commission had nothing to do with its
affairs. chairman Morrison of a diff
ferent opinion and wanted to issue the
subpoena, but after conference with Com
missioner PrOuty and other associates he
announced the subpoena would not be is
sued He said he considered the Union
Stock Yards and Transit Company, al
though an Illinois corporation doing bust
ness entirely in Cook county, was handling
interstate business and hence was subject
to an inquiry by the commission. He said,
however that his associates did not agree
with him, and hence no subpoena would
be issued. The object of the effort to bring
in the books and records of the Union
Stock Yards and Transit Company was to
show that the railroads formerly held the
stock and organized the stock yards com
pany, and Mr.. Newlin was DESTROYS of
showing the relations of these roads and
this company at the present time
Late in the afternoon the commission
called up the complaint of the American
Warehouse Association against the Illinois
Central, Wabash. Michigan Central and
nearly every road in the Western States.
The compliments constitute a chain Of
warehouses all over the country and they
seek to have the commission enter an order
upon the railroads to cease from storing
and warahouseing grain, except upon I'M
claimed grain and other commodities. They
charge being performed
the railroads for nothing or next to nothing
and that it interferes with the legitimate
Percy Thompson, of New York the sec
rotary of the association, and h. K. Sum-
merwell, of New York, appeared for the
complainants. George B. Barnett, of the
Wabash line, moved to dismiss the COM
plant on the ground that it did not specify
any act of violation of the interstate-com-
merce law. Mr. Summerwell then launched
into an hours discussion of the complaint,
alleging that railroads incorporated as car
other business The commission, he as
serted, had right to make the order asked
and instanced the action of the commission
on the grange complaints of some years
since. Shortly after o'clock Chairman
Morrison shut off further argument by re-
marking that 1t was time to get dinner.
Argument will be resumed this morning.
1t was reported that railroad traffic men
have been lodging the subpoenaS of the COM
mission in the Board of Trade complaint
of discrimination on eaSt-bound grain ship
ments. The deputy marshals serving the
papers are not wiling to admit that there
is an attempt to evade service, but say they
are having some trouble in locating the
men who ought to be at their service.
Distributors Ticket.
Mention was made few days ago that
the wholesale merchants of Chicago were
taking steps to bring about reduced rates
for country merchants who come to Chi
cago in the fall and spring to purchase
goods, the Chicago merchants following in
the trail of the wholesale merchants in
New York in the matter The men at the
head Of the movement want the roads run
ming into Chicago TO apply the home-seek-
ers' excursion principle 10 their customers,
taking the position that ii a railroad can
afford to. sell a round-trip ticket for one
fare. plus ST. to home-seelxers' excursions,
1t can sell merchant who wants to visit
Chicago ticket on the same terms. The
Chicago drygoods Reporter says: Would
it not be wise and sensible policy for the
their natural friends? Would 1t not be busi-
ness sense for them, when they are making
concessions, 10 favor their own customers
first. A distributor ticket to be used by
distributors, freight payers, shippers of
merchandise, could and should be placed
on sale for five or six weeks in the spring
and fall, on perhaps two days of each
week, enabling the merchant to visit his
home market. have a few days of rest, buy
what he wants, settle his running account
and return home with new vigor and new
consignments of goods. The loss, If any,
would be small. and the friends secured
would be numbered by thousands and tens
of thousands
Passenger Earnings Increasing.
The general passenger agents of the
larger Western roads are feeling more hope
full than at any time during the past year.
For the first time in many months the earn
ings of their departments have been show
ing an increase over the same period of
last year. For long time after the first of
the year the earnings fell behind and final
ly crawled up to the point where they were
equal with those of last year. Now, how
ever, they have begun to go ahead and
with all the summer business to come the
roads are feeling very comfortable over the
outlook
The Henderson Route.
A new railroad line has been opened be-
tween st. Louis and Louisville and the
East, to be known as the Henderson route
The line is operated By the Louisville q
Nashville road to Henderson, Ky. and