The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-17
Urges More Power for the Interstate
Commerce Commission and FavOrs
Abolition of Passes and Scalping.
METHODS OF A GREAT TRUST
OF w. r. GRAHAM, OF
THE TIN-PLATE COMBINATION.
American WOrkmen, He Says, Are
Paid Three Times as Much as Skilled
Labor in Welsh Factories.

WASHINGTON. Oct. 16.-The industrial
commission to-day heard the testimony OF
President NJ f. ingalls,, of the Big -Four
and the Chesapeake & Ohio railway COM
panies, on the transportation subject, ana
of William T. Graham, of Chicago, vice
president of the American Tin-plate Com
pany, and director of the Federal steer
Company and the Steel Hoop Company as
part of the inquiry concerning trusts.
Mr.. ingalls, announced his confidence In
the Interstate-commerce Commission as
useful to the railroads. He said he was
willing to trust the commission to a large
extent in the regulation of rates, and would
be willing that its decisions should regulate
rates not passed on by the United States
Court He wanted the government TO aid
the railroads in the maintenance of rates,
saying this power should go with the power
to regulate the roads. There was less dis
elimination on the part of the roads now
than during dull times, but he feared that
with change for the worse in the gen.
eral conditions there would be return to
the old system of Determinations to get
freight business.
In view of the fact that one-tenth OF the
population Of the country is directly de-
pendent for livelihood upon the railroads,
he thought the commission should give the
question Of protecting the roads against
one another in the matter of rates great
deal of attention. To this end contracts
between railroads should be legalized and
suits authorized for the recovery of DAM
ages in case of breach. TO his mind there
was more danger in giving free rein to the
railroad pariahs and Ishmaelites than in
legislation. Unrestricted competition was
Injurious to the railroads, the shippers and
the public at large and he feared that,
without equitable laws, 1t would work the
destruction of the greatest industry in the
United States. He wanted the anti-pooling
feature of the interstate-commerce law
abolished and would go further and ask
for law enabling the railroads to make
rate agreements, their maintenance to be
controlled by the courts.
Mr. Ingalls, also advocated the enforced
publication of all freight rates, saying that
he would be willing also submit to the
inspection Of the books of the railroad
companies as the books of national banks
now inspected. He thought the GRIM
inal features of the law should be abolished.
He also favored the abolition of the pass
system and the ticket brokerage system.
With the proper laws for the regulation Of
rates, so as to insure steady incomes to the
roads. Mr. Ingall said he would favor a
system of profit sharing He thought such
a system would insure better service by en-
ployes and be more equitable, but felt that
it would not be satisfactory in the absence
of system guaranteeing stability.
Mr.. Graham, the second witness OF the
day, said that the capital stock of the
American Tin-plate Company was $4,000. 900,
of which amount $1s,OoO,OOO was preferred
stock and the remainder common. There
were about forty old companies in the COM
bination. When he went into the consoli-
dated company he was told that he could
have only a certain amount of stock, and
he was given 500 worth of each kind of
stock for each 800 of the cash valuation of
his old plant Since the consolidation had
been effected prices had advanced from 81. 70
to $465 per box, but this advance did not
more than cover the advance in the prices
of steel, pig tin and other ingredients, and
the price of labor. Indeed. the profits were
not so large as formerly He said there was
no restriction in contracts with buyers re-
quring them to buy from the American
company only. No preferences were given
| to one jobber over another and no sales
were made to retailers. Asked concerning
| the effect of the tariff on the tin-plate in
| dustry he said 1t had built 1t up and the
abolition of the tariff would kill it abso-
lutely.
Gould you have organized your combine
| without the tariff" asked Colonel Living
stone.
To this question the witness replied:
There would have been nothing to organ
| ze." He said that regular dividends had
| been paid on the preferred stock, but that
| none had been paid on the common stock.
| He thought, however. the company was
earning sufficient money to pay dividends on
| this stock. The workmen were paid two or
/ three times as much as the same workmen
| were paid in Wales before coming to this
| country.
| F. s. Wheeler, treasurer Of the American
| Tin-plate Company, ALSO made brief state
ment concerning the organization of that
company, corroborating Mr.. Graham S
statement. He said he knew of no con-
| tracts for determinations against other
manufacturers. He said that the common
stock OF the company represented the price
of the good will of the different companies
which constitute the combination.
Acting for the attorney general for the
! State of Louisiana, Edgar II. Farrar to-day
tuttleu a Niit tHittu CidNto gu
| preme Court for leave TO file bill for in
| junction on behalf of the State of Louisiana
| against the State OF Texas. prohibiting the
| freight embargo feature of the yellow fever
| quarantine against New Orleans. The at
| torney general of Texas was present in the
| court when the motion was made and asked
| until tomorrow to examine the papers in
| the case. He said he would object to the
motion on the ground that the court had no