The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1902-06-03
where the meeting was being

4 u - 9
held
'Perhaps he was not gsing to
the meeting, but was on his way
Ito the BAR interposed Mr.. Rus
sell.
.sNo he wasn't = said Mr.. Al
lien, "for | was in the bar myself
when / saw him pass.
This little bit of fun created
quite laugh among the specta-
tors, and forced Mr.. Poe to admit
that he was present at the meet
ing. Witness also admitted that
his road had an agreement in re-
gard to rates with the Mississippi
/ Valley tariff association in which
| Meridian and Mobile were not in
i cluded, but which did include the
4 cities of the Aberdeen group.
Witness also admitted that there
was an agreement between the
i competing lines that cotton from
all points included in the Aber-
deem group should be equally di-
vided, each company hauling one
half of the cotton shipped from
points in said group where there
were two ro..,ls and one third if
there were three roads. At this
juncture Mr.. Alien consulted his
watch and, finding that it was
IL 80 O'Clock, asked that recess
for dinner be taken. CommiS-
sioner Clements acceded to the
request and adjourned the hear
ing until o'clock.
The afternoon session was held
at the court house, circuit court
having adjourned for the d;ly and
Judge Sykes having placed the
court room at the disposal of
Commissioners Clements, who ac-
cepted his offer. The hearing
was resumed at 2 o'clock. Mr..
Robbins, Mr.. Allen's law partner,
had arrived froEI Tupelo at noon
ard was present at the afternoon
session. The examination of Mr..
Poe was resumed. Witness said
he did not know the exact cost
per mile of operating a. freight
car. Said he had heard that
boats had been paid to keep out
Of the river trade between Mobile
and Montgomery, but had no per-
|sonal knowledge regarding the
matter.
At 3 o'clock MIR. Allen became
exhausted and the examin alton
of Mr.. Poe was continued by Mr..
Nillsaps. Mr.. Millsaps failed to
elicit any important information
and Mr.. Allen resumed the exam
ination of the witness. Mr.. Allen
asked witness if he thought it fair
and equitable for his line to haul
corn from ST. Louis to Reform,
Ala, at a cheaper rate than from
Tupelo to Reform, while the dis
tance was twice as great. Wit
ness said the st. Louis rate was
fixed unusually low because of
competition. Mr.. Allen wanted
to know where the competition
existed and witness said he re-
ferred to RATES which were in eff
feet at nearby points on other
roads, notable the Southern. In
reply to other questions regard
ing discrepancies in rates to and
from various places. Mr.. Poe said
that all such discrepancies were
brought about by competition on
the part of other lines. Witness
said he knew nothing about the
Mobile and Ohio railroad officials
having paid the owners of boats
to establish a rate between Mo-
bile and Montgomery. Heard
that there was an arrangement with
them whereby they agreed not to
haul cotton between Montgomery
and Mobile.
Questioned by the commissions
er Mr.. Miller said that freight
shipped from Meridian and Jack
son via vicksburg did not go to
its destination on through billing,
but was re-billed at Vicksburg.
Witness said that the division of
cotton formerly referred to was
arranged by the representatives
of the different roads entering in
to the agreement. Said the South
eastern Mississippi Valley asso-
citation and associations of like
character were formed for the