The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-01-13
AN AGGRESSIVE
R. R. COMMISSION.
A Reduction in Telephone Rates
Ordered Investigation Of AZ
fairs Of the Southern
Railway.
ADJUDGED In CONTEMPT

Tor Refusing To Answer Questions and
Comply W,,h the Commi>sioners Order
III. Counsel for the Railroad Dictates
the Answers put to witnesse,-The Conn
mission VIII Continue the Investigation
Thursday.
The Railroad Commission held two
days session.last week. IL proved very
interesting, and it looked at one time
~ il some railroad officials and EN-
plOyess were To get into serious trou-
ble.
Friday, the first days session, the
Commission Investigated charges OF
80 ....ninatiun In freight rates in favor
Of certain shippers Of the Southern
Railroad.
The commission then took up tele-
phone rates and adopted the following
schedule, to take effect Feb !, 1898.
Place Of business. Per year.
S,eciaJ wire $50 90
, and party wire (each), a 60
and party wire (eachJ, Is 90
For residence. Per year.
Special wire, $lS 90
, and 3 party wire teachJ, l6 0O
and party wire (each), II OO
This tariff does not apply to service
rendered outside the corporate limits
of any city or town in this State.
ON this resolution Messrs. Caldwell
and Pearson voted in the affirmative.
Dr. Abbott voted in the negative, Civ
ing as his reason for so doing the fol-
lowing " | vote against taking up the
telephone rate question again, because
have been advised by the Attorney
General and by my private counsel that
the Railroad Commission has no juris-
diction over telephone exchanges"
After transactIng some further bus
mess of minor Importance, the Com
mission commenced an investigation
of a charge against the Southern Rail-
way, that it had given Mr.. Otho Will
son and Mrs. Wilson, his mother, while
MIR. Wilson was Railroad Commission
er, special freight rates when shipping
freight To Round Knob last summer
MIR. Munson, division freight agent,
and Mr.. Potts, local freight agent of
the Southern, were summoned to ap-
pear before the Commission and bring
the books, papers, memoranda or wri-
tings thereof in their possession for ex-
animation. Mr.. MunsOn did not bring
any records and also evaded or de-
clined To answer any question put to
him by the Commission In reference
to this matter.
The Sheriff, in whose hands the sum
mons was placed to be executed, could
not find Mr.. Potts, and it was supposed
that he endeavored to keep out of the
officers reach so as to escape being
summoned.
The Commission suSplciOned some
thing of this kind, and in view of the
fact that Mr.. MunsOn expressed wisf
to consult counsel, Mr.. Pearson moved
that ti.eshearing be postponed until II
o'clock Saturday, and that In the mean
time the sheriff be directed to maxi
further effort TO summon Mr.. Potts.
In announcin & this motion carried
Chairman Caldwell said at is my du
ty, Mr.. Munson, to state to you that tn,
Commission has an intimatiOn tha
you have been instrumental in causing
Mr.. Potts to leave the city after yO,
had knowledge of the process citing
you and Mr.. Potts to appear before tn
! Commission at four O'clock this even
ing. And | will say further, Mr.. Nun
son, that as you were instrumental il
causing his absence, it will be to you
interest to have him here at 10 O'clOcl
saturday morning."
SATURDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
The Railway Commission had Col. A
b. Andrews and MIR. III. w. Miller sum
moned to appear before the Board an
exhibit records and books as to tn
issuance of free pas ,es for three year
past. Col. Andrews and Mr.. Mile
IAf@ h,T Trx,, ot
o'clock, the appointed hour for the ex
animation. They had with them neith
er books, records, stubs or informatio
as to the issuance Of free passes by tn
Southern, and respectfully declined
make public the information desire
when put on the witness stand. q
this the Chairman judged both Co
Andrews and Mr.. Miller in cOntemI
of the Commission. After som
nreleminary remarks between tn
Commission and Mr.. Busbee, attOrne
for the Southern, Chairman Caldwe
put the following questions:
"Mr. Munson state what knowlede
or information you have touching tn
rate allowed Mrs. Wilson upon he
shipment to Round Knob"
A. respectfully decline to answt
W
might tend to criminate me, or to di
close the circumstance or sourc,
from which evidence of the commi
sion of an act, or my connection wi,
an act, which the commission belie'
to be unlawful, may be obtained.
Chairman Caldwell: This is not
matter in which you can be indicte
Not q matter in which you are person
ally interested, but only as an eI
pl0yee OF the { Nthern. This is not
case in which W can shelter you
self behind that vision of the az
and the Charm. of this Board say
for one, that if the Commission su
tains the ruling you must answer.
Mr.. +. Ii. Busbee objected to the e.
animation on the ground that the a.
mission of such evidence as the Cor
mission was seeking from Mr.. Muns(
might show a violation of section
the Railroad Commission Act, viii,
provides that IL any railroad shall d
rectly or indirectly charge any perst
greater or less compensation for any sc
vice rendered in the transportation
passengers or property than it charg
another for doing like service, und
substantially similar circumstau nc,
such railroad shall be deemed guilty
unjust Discrimination, and shall |
upon conviction, fined not less tn
$1,000 nor more than $4,000 for each q
every offence.
Under this provision of law the q
mission of Mr.. Munson,s .eviden
would, Mr.. Busbee thought, be q vi
lation of the fifth amendment to
Constitution of the United Stat
which declares that mo person shall
compelled in any criminal case to b
witness against himself"
The meaning Of this constitution
provision, Mr.. Busbee explained, is
merely that person shall not be CO
pelled to be witness against hims
in criminal prosecution against hi
self; but that its object is to ins,
that q person shall not be COMPEL
when acting a. witness in any inv
tigation, to give testimony which m
tend to show that he himself has co
mitted crime. In the case of Co,