Evening star., 1899-07-12
SOUTHERN FREIGHT RATES.
investigation Resumed by the Inter-
state Commission.

state Commission.
The hearing of the Charleston rate case
was resumed before the interstate COM
merce commission yesterday. The Charles
ton bureau called witnesses VIM. Camp
bell, general freight agent of the Chicago
and Eastern Illinois railway, and L. A.
Emmerson. general freight agent of the
Southern railway in charge of the Charles
ton route. The witnesses of the defendant
carriers were H. w. B. Glover of Rich
mond, traffic manager of the Seaboard Air
Line, and j. NJ. Culp of Washington, traf-
fic manager of the Southern railway.
When MT Campbell was asked the atti-
tude of his road to the southern rate Ques-
ton he replied that the business south OF
the OHIO small that it had not COM
manded much attention. He thought the
rates they stood were low enough and
he did not see much use in reducing them
! At this Mr.. Bryan produced a letter writ
ten by Mr.. Campbell in March, 1888, to The
Charleston bureau of freight and transpor-
tation, in which he characterized the rates
charged by the roads south of the Ohio
as exorbitant and inimicai to the business
interests of the south. The letter said in
part:
ITO my mind the Information you furnish
points conclusively to the fact that the
direct roads from this territory are losing
business which should accrue to them.
AS matter Of fact L believe you
will agree with me that the rates charged
tant and act barrier to the Interchange
of products between the west and south.
Undoubtedly if the southern roads would
open up and show the same spirit to pro-
ductive 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 bene-
fitted. As l stated some months
ago. l will favor the proposition OF reduced
rates to Charleston and run the risk of be-
ing charged with grossly discriminating
against intermediate and interior points.
Mr.. Campbell hastened to say that this
letter conveyed wrong impression, that
he knew nothing about the rates south of
the Ohio except through complaints that
had been made to him through certain
shippers. He did not know how he came
TO sign such letter as the one produced
by Mr, Bryan except in the press of sign
ing large mail at the end of a hard days
work when he had not time to check the
errors of his stenosrapher. He said that
he never heard of such proposition
that advanced by Mr.. Fulton to pro-rate
the through tariff to southeast coast points
and thus reduce the rates. AS he under
stood the proposition 1t had been to re-
adjust 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 mis- oral testimony and his
letter, but Mr.. Campbell insisted that his
only object had been to get If possible
larger share of the pro-rated charges for
his own road.
Freight Handled at a Loss.
General Freight Agent Emmerson of the
Southern was questioned by Commissioner
Calhoun TO find why his road moved grain
for ocean freight from the west through
Charleston at from IL to I6 cents and at
the same time charged as high as 81 cents
on the same grain delivered as inland
freight at Charleston. Mt. Emmerson
claimed that this foreign bound grain was
handled at an actual loss. but that the
road used it as a lower hold cargo to help
make rates in loading cotton for export.
Commissioner Prouty also asked on what
principle witness justified a 2I-cent freight
from Kansas City to Norfolk and charged
A cents in the same class TO Charleston.
Witness said that the rate at Norfolk prob
ably had been reduced by the greater bulk
of business and the competition with the
northern trunk lines.
Mr. BRYAN made the point that the
Southern running through both Norfolk and
Charleston, ought to be able to quote rates
on the same mileage basis to each.
H. W. B. Glover of the Seaboard said
that the all-rail rates from the west were
fair enough, because they were lower than
any competing form of land transportation
In support of this he demonstrated at some
length that freight hauled by wagon from
Chicago to Charleston would cost at least
Sl2.50 per hundred weight. This he said,
was fair argument. He said that if
level of Norfolk it probably would result
in handling an increased tonnage at
Charleston, but whether the railroads would
benefit in revenue was problematic. Nat
urai conditions of population, wealth and
productiveness, he said, prevented railroad
rates in the south being low those
on the big northern trunk lines.
Questions by Mr.. Bryan developed that
the Seaboard carried south into the Caro-
linas from Norfolk large amount of grain
and packing house products. In case
through a lowering of rates this freight
was brought into Charleston direct the
Seaboard would get very short haul or
none at all on the inland distribution of
this freight.
And yet you say" continued Mr. Bryan,
that your road has no interest in Nor
folk?"
Il repeat that we have no interest In
Norfolk per Sc" returned Mr.. Glover "Our
interest is to build up the community with
which we do business
Mr.. Glover said that he would not con-
sent to traffic arrangement with the
Clyde line through Charleston because his
road could not handle ocean freight brought
In there as profitabiy as they could through
Norfolk.
Mr.. Culp of the Southern followed, max
ing about the same points as Mr. Glover
against lowering of the Charleston rates
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