The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-17
| MR.. INGALLS, VIEWS
TELLS THE INDUSTRIAL COMMITS
SION WHAT WOULD BE DESIR-
ABLE FOR RAILROADS
FAvoRs SWEEPING REFORMS

Has Confidence in the Interstate
siders 1t Useful to Railroads.
Commission Should Give Question
of Protection of Railroads
Against Each Other Attention.
WASHINGTON, Oct 16-Ihe industrial
commission today heard the testimony Of
President NJ E. ingalls,, of the Big Four
and the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad
companies, on the transportation subject,
and Of William T. Graham, Of Chicago,
vice president of the American Tin Plate
company, and director of the Federal
Steel company and the Steel Hoop COM
pany, as a part of the inquiry concern
ing trusts. Mr.. Ingalls, announced his
confidence in the interstate commerce
commission as useful to the railroads.
He said he was willing to trust the COM
mission to g. large extent in the regula-
ton of rates and would be willing that
its decisions should regulate until passed
upon by United States COURT. He want
ed the government to aid the railroads
In the maintenance of rates, saying this
power should go with the power to regu-
late the roads. There was less discrimin-
alton on the part of the roads now than
during dull times, and he feared that
with change for the worse in the gen.
eraI 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
dependent for q livelihood upor the rail-
roads, he thought the commission should
give the question of protecting the roads
against one another in the matter of
rates a great deal of attention. To this
end contracts between railroads should
be legalized, and suits authorized for
the recovery of damages in case of a
breach
To his mind there was more danger In
giving free rein to the railroad pariahs
and Ishmaelites than in legislation. In
restricted competition was injurious to
the railroads, the shippers and the public
at large, and he feared that, without
equitable laws, it would work the de-
struction of the greatest industry in the
United States. He wanted the anti-pool-
ing feature of the interstate commerce
abolished, and would go further and ask
for a 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 to submit
to the inspection of the books of the rail-
road companies as the books of the ma
tional banks are now inspected. He
thought the criminal feature of the law
should be abolished He also favored the
abolition of the pass system, and the
ticket brokerage system. With the proper
laws regulating rates so as to insure
steady incomes to the roads, Mr.. ingalls,
said he would favor a system of profit
sharing Tfe thought such q system
would insure better service BY employees
and be more equitable, but felt that it
would not be satisfactory in the absence
Of a system guaranteeing stability.
TIN PLATE TRUST.
Mr.. Graham, the second witness of the
day, said that the capital stock of the
American Tin Plate company was
$50, 900, 000 Of which amount $1S,000,000 was
preferred stock, and the remainder COM
| mon. There We're about forty old COM
panies in the combination. When he
went into the COnSOHQateQ company lie
was told that he could have only a GER
tain amount of stock, and he was
given $l00 worth of each kind Of stock
for each 500 of the cash valuation OF
his old plant. Since the consolidation
had been effected prices had advanced
from 1915 tc s4.65 per box, but this adj
vance did not more than cover the adj
vance in the prices of steel, pig tin and
other ingredients and the price of labor
Indeed, the profits were not so large as
formerly ETe said there was no restric-
ton in contracts with buyers requiring
them to buy from the American company
| only. No preferences were given to one
iobber over another, and no sales were
made to retailers.
Asked concerning the effect OF the tar
if upon the tin plate industry, he said it
had been built UP, and the abolition of
the tariff would kill 1t absolutely.
"Could you have organized your COM
bine without the TARIFF" asked Col. Liv-
ingstone.
To this question the witness replied:
'"There would have been nothing to Or
ganize."
He said that regular dividends had
been paid on the preferred stock, but
that none had been paid or the common
stock. lie thought. however, that the
company was earning sufficient money
to pay dividends on the stock. Work
men 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 Ameri-
can Tin Plate company, also made a
brief statement concerning the crganiza-
tion of that company. He said he knew
Of no contracts for discrimtna tons
against our manufacturers. He said
that the common stock Of the company
represented the price Of the good will
of the different companies which consti-
tute the combination.