The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1902-06-03
ABERDEEN GROUP SHOWS
WHY RATES SHOULD
BE LOWERED.
Case Admirably Conducted
BY Mr.. Allen.
THURSDAYS SESSION.

commercial association against
the Mobile and Ohio railroad
company, in which the defend
ant is charged with unjustly dis
eliminating against the cities
composing the above group was
begun before Interstate Com
merce Commissions Jno. G.. Cle-
ments in the opera house at 10
O'Clock last Thursday morning.
The plaintiff was represented by
Hon. John NJ. Allen, of Tupelo; !;
Hon. Jno. w. Norment, of Sta ek-
vile; Hon. j. G. Millsaps, of
West Point and Hon. Ben Me-
Farland, of Aberdeen. Col. T.
j. O'Neill, of this city, who is one
of the leading attorneys for the
commercial association "a s.,
on account of sickness, unable to
be present. The interests oe the
Mobile and Ohio were looked aft
er by Col. E. P. Russell, of Mo-
bile, general counsel of the rad,
and Hon. r. p. Williams, of St.
Louis. Among the prominent
Mobile and Ohio officials present
were j. T. Poe, traffic manager;
Hayden Miller, general freight
agent; G. s. Clark, general man.
ager, and E. o. Sykes, jr., per-
sonal injury agent. Other rail-
road officials present were. w. M.
Rhett, general freight agent Of
the Illinois Central, and T. c.
Powell, traffic freight manager
of the Southern railway.
After the formal proceedings
incidental to the opening of the
coult had been gone through
with Mr.. Allen read the petition
filed against the defendant, which,
when stripped of its legal phrase
ology, recites the fact that the
Mobile and Ohio has unjustly
and unlawfully Disseminated
against Aberdeen, Tupeio and
other cities composing the Aber-
deem group by hauling freight
from ST. Louis and other cities
on the northern division of the
line to Mobile and Meridian at a
lower rate than was enjoyed by
the cities at the Aberdeen group,
while the distance from ST. Louis
and other initial points to Merid-
ian, Mobile and Ohio as greater
than from said central points to
said cities of the Aberdeen group.
In reply to this petition the
defendant admitted that the
freight rates from ST. Louis TO
Mobile and Meridian are lower
than to the cities composing the
Aberdee group, burt that this con-
dition of affairs is due to the fact
that Meridian and Mobile are en-
titled to these rates on account of
their situation as regards the wa
terways, and river competition.
Mr.. j. T. Poe, traffic manager
of the Mobile and Ohio railroad,
was the first witness to take the
stand. In reply to interrogatives
propounded by Mr.. Allen witness
stated that he had been connect
ed with above road for twenty
five years. He admitted that
the freight rate on numerous
articles to various points along
the line of the road had been
raised last fall. Said that the
reason the raise was ordered was
because the rates had been
lowered some time since when
tho crops throughout the section
has1 been poor and the financial
condition of the country general
ly bad claimed that the present
rate was only jdst and equitable.
Mr.. Allen here asked Mr.. Poe
about certain meeting of rail-
road officials which was held in
St. Louis last November. Mr..
Poe found it difficult to recall
anything concerning the meet
ing, saying that he had no recol-
lection of having attended it.
oh yes you did, said Mr..
Allen. 7 was in the Southern
hotel IN st. Louis at the time and
saw you On your way 70 the room