Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-07-12
RAILWAY RATE CASE,
Hearing Before Interstate CON-
mission Continued
AN UNEXPECTED LETTER.
It's Writer Says II Conveys a Wrong
Impression.
NORFOLK VERSUS CHARLESTON.
Why Rates from the West to the
Former Are Lower Than Similar
Rates to the Latter City-Other
Points.
NORFOLK VERSUS CHARLESTON.
Points.

WASHINGTON. July 1.-THE hearing
Of the Charleston rate case was continued
before the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion to-day.
The Charleston Bureau called as wit
nesses William Campbell, general freight
agent of the Chicago and Eastern ILL
nois railway, and l.. A. Emerson, gem
eral freight agent Of the Southern rail-
way, in charge Of the Charleston route
The witnesses for the defendant carriers
were II. W. b. Glover of Portsmouth.
traffic manager of the Seaboard Airline,
and J. NJ. CUP, of Washington, traffic
manager of the Southern railway.
When Mr.. Campbell was asked the atti-
tude of his road to the southern rate
question, he replied that the business
south of the Ohio was so small that it had
not commanded much attention. lie
thought the rates as they stood were low
enough, and he did not see much use
in reducing them.
STARTLING LETTER.
at this point Mr.. Bryan produced
letter written by Mr.. Campbell in March,
1898, to the Charleston Bureau of Freight
and Transportation, in which he charac-
terized the rates charged by the roads
south Of the Ohio as exorbitant and mimi
cal to the business interests of the South.
The letter said in part:
ITO my mind the information you fur
nish points conclusvely to the fact that
the direct roads from this territory are
losing business which should accrue 10
them. .
"As a matter of fact, 1 believe you Will
agree with me that the rates charged
south of the river as a rule are exorbi-
tant, and act as a barrier to the inter-
change Of products between the West and
South. Undoubtedly, If the southern
roads would open up and show the same
spirit toward productive industries as Is
shown by our road and the roads of the
Northwest, the spirit of industry would
be stimulated and the southern roads In
the end would be benefited.
"As | stated some months ago, I will
favor the proposition Of reduced rates TO
Charleston. and run the risk Of being
charged with grossly discriminating
against intermediate and interior points"
A WRONG IMPRESSION.
Mr.. Campbell FASTENED to say that this
letter conveyed a wrong impression; that
he knew nothing about tho rates south
of the Ohio, except through complaints
that had been made TO him through GER
tain shippers. He did not know how he
came TO sign such letter as the one
produced by Mr.. Bryan, unless he did so
i'm the press of signing large mail at
the end of a hard days work, when he
had not time to check the errors of his
stenographer. He said that he never
heard of such a proposition as that adj
vanced yesterday by Mr.. Fulton, to pro-
rate the through tariff to southeast-coast
points. and thus reduce the rates. AS he
understood the proposition, II had been
to readjust the division of profits between
the roads north of the Ohio and those
south of it, not to reduce the rates.
Commissioner Clements examined the
witness with some asperity as to the diff
ference between his oral testimony and
his letter. but Mr.. Campbell insisted that
his only object had been TO get a larger
share of the pro-rate charges for his own
road
OCEAN VERSUS INLAND FREIGHT
General Freight-Agent Emerson, Of the
Southern. was questioned by Commits
sioner Calhoun to find out why his road
moved grain for ocean freight from the
West through Charleston, at from IL TO
l6 cents, and at the same time charged
as high as 81 cents on the same grain
delivered as inland freight at Charleston
Mr.. Emerson claimed that this foreign
hound grain was handled at an actual
loss but that the road used 1t as lower
hold cargo TO help them make rates IN
loading cotton for export.
NORFOLK AND CHARLESTON
Commissioner Prouty also asked on
what principle witness Justified 2'-cent
freight rate from Kansas city TO NorIoIh'
and charged A In the same class 10
Charleston. Witness said that inc
rate AT Norfolk probably had been re-
duced nv the greater bulk of business
and competition with the northern Trunk
lines. .na
Mr.. Bryan made the point that the
Southern running through both Norfolk
and Charleston. ought 10 be able to quote
rates on the same mileage basis 10 each
WHY RATES ARE FAIR.
II. w r. Glover, Of the Seaboaru' salu
that the all-rail rates from the Wes'
were fair enough, because they W.
lower than any competing form OF lanu
RECOMMENDATION. In support Of this he
demonstrated at some length that freight
hauled by wagon from Chicago 10
charleston would cost at least NZ.5o per
hundredweight. This. he said, was
fair argument. He said that II rates 10
charleston were lowered to the lever Oh
Norfolk II would probably result in hand
ling an increased tonnage at Charleston,
but whether the railroads would beneh.
In revenue was problematic Naturai
conditions Of population, wealth, ana
nroductiveness, he said, prevented ran
road rates in the South being as 10" as
those on the big northern trunk lines.
Questions by Mr.. Bryan developed th"'
the seaboard carried South into the Car
olinas from Norfolk a large amount OF
grain and packag-house products. IN
ease through lowering of rates, inns
freight were brought into Charleston dl-
rect. the seaboard would get very short
haul. or none at all. on the Inland as
tribution OF this freight.
NO INTEREST IN NORFolk.
"And yet you say" continued MT
BRYAN. that your road has no interest
in Norfolk
II repeat that we have no interest In
Norfolk per Sc" returned Mr.. Glover;
s.our interest Is to build up the commu-
mites with which we do business"
Mr.. Glover said that he would not con-
sent TO a tariff arrangement with the