The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-22


Ringdial Presided Over the Con-
ference.
Twenty-one railroad officials gathered
in the Offices of the railroad commission
yesterday afternoon to attend the freight
rate hearing and investigation ordered in
a citation sent to the different roads
operating in the southwestern part of the
state a month ago. The hearing pro-
crossed no further than an adjournment
until March &c, and little was done be-
yond establishing a common understand
ing concerning the matters which will
come up for argument. Tt was decided
by common consent to hear the merchan-
disc rate question first, since all the roads
were directly interested, and to follow
with the investigation of southwestern
grain rates, after which the commission
will hear complaints upon freight CLASH
fcation.
Commissioner Ringdal presided over the
conference, and with him sat Commits
sioners Becker and Knox. Ex-Attorney
General Childs acted as counsel for the
commission, and the legal departments of
their heads and assistants. Mayor Cur
rier, of Mankato, and several interested
shippers were present. The representa-
tives of the different railways were:
Great Northern, General Counsel M. D.
Grover; North Western, President Marvin
Hughitt, Vice President H r. McCulloch
General Counsel L. w. Bowers; Milwau-
kee, Vice President A. c. Bird. General
Solicitor George r. Peck, District Freight
Agent E. D. Sewall; Omaha, Vice Presi-
dent J. T. Clark, General Counsel Thomas
Wilson, General Freight Agent H. NJ.
Pearce; Northern Pacific, Vice President
and General Traffic Manager Hannaford,
General Counsel Bum: st. Paul & Duluth,
General Freight Agent Broughton, AS
sistant Counsel Hadley; Minneapolis &
St Louis, Vice President F. L. Day;
Great Western, General TraMc Manager
p C. Stohr F. B. Kellogg; 500 line, At
torney M. D. Mum and G. D. Rogers, OF
the Chamber of Commerce, Minneapolis,
were present.
The gathering of officials was the most
notable in the history of the commission
hearings. The importance of the matter
up for argument brought the heads Of the
departments directly interested and the
best legal talent in the Northwest. Com
missioner Ringdal opened the hearing by
reading the order Of the commission for an
investigation of grain and merchandise
rates in effect In the state, and explained
that the commission desired first to In
vestigate the universal practice of grant
ing more favorable rates to terminals
than to intermediate stations and to in
quire into the reasonableness of present
grain rates. He left the matter of decid-
ing which should first come before the
commission to the officers present.
General Solicitor ROUars Of no North
Western, obtained recognition and stat
ed that In his opinion the investigation of
merchandise rates should precede the
other matters to come up, but wanted an
Informal discussion first to enable the Of
f1cials to learn precisely what the COM
mission wished to know and do. He rec
commended that date be then set upon
which an adjourned session could go into
details.
This opened a sharp legal sparring
match for points, in which Gen. Childs
and General Counsel Wilson, of the Oma-
ha, took an active part. Mr.. Wilson
wished to limit the commission to def
mite statement Of the their object and
claims, which would have tied them down
In subsequent proceedings. Gen. Childs
took exception. In answer to direct
question. he explained that the commits
sion would submit no evidence in the
hearing, other than that contained in
their records of tariffs and rates on file.
az assume that the railroads. said he,
"can furnish the commission with evil
dence as to whether the rates mentioned,
at present in effect, are justiflable or not"
President Hughitt, of the North West
ern, interposed a question tending to sup
port Mr.. Wilson.
Are there any specified complaints
against the present rates at present on
file with the commission?" he asked, cor
are the records at present free from for
NAL objections to our rates?"
Commissioner Ringdal stated that no
complaints were on file.
eve have not called this hearing" said
he, Ito inquire into any specified instance
Of unreasonable rates, but are acting I'M
der the law which permits us to investi-
gate rate conditions. One thing is evil
dent from our records and that is that
a wide difference exists on all roads be-
tween distance and terminal tariffs. That
this condition exists you do not dispute.
The commission is not satisfied that the
present state Of business justifies these
tariffs"
1t was also explained that the commits
sion would admit the reasonableness of
terminal tariffs, as basis from which
to show the divergence In rates In dis
lance tariffs, affecting intermediate
towns General Counsel Bowers, of the
North Western, then made an argument
for extension of time in which to produce
evidence in support of the defense of the
railroads.
Before it would be proper to reduce
rates, as you intend to do said he, adj
dressing the commissioners land to cut
the interstation tariffs to the same basis
hs distance tariffs you must determine
the following points:
whether the terminal tariffs are not
Unreasonable.
THAT interstation rates are not as low
hs present service will permit.
'"That railroad revenue In Minnesota
will permit a reduction and establish the
wisdom of such a course.
"And that 1t would be right to disre-
gard the universal practice of railroads
as to terminal and distance tariffs in
making them approximately the same,
and thus controvert the opinions of emil
ment transportation authorities.
with these several propositions before
us, each of tremendous Importance to
railroad interests, we cannot prepare our
selves for a hearing within less than
Thirty days time"
The statements met the approval and
support of the majority of the officials
present, and after a conference the COM
mission granted an adjournment until
March &C. The officials promised to sub
NIT tables showing their rates and to pro-
duce employees for evidence in support of
their claims.
A side issue of the hearing was an ar
raignment of the present arbitrary meth
DDS of freight classification before the
commission by Mayor Currier, of Man
kato. He charged that the railroads
operating there had raised the classical
ton of the products of his mandatory
without notice or apparent cause, and had
nut an additional 81 0OO on his YEARLY