The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-30
BIDDLE ON STAND.
Santa Fe Freight Traffic Manager Has
a Strenuous Time.


Chicago, Dec. 30.-Assertions that
witnesses were evading questions and
were refusing to tell what they knew
and that an attempt had been made to
deceive the interstate commerce COM
mission as to the rates on coal ship
nents in the west were made Thurs
day in the hearing OF two cases before
Commissioners Yeomans and Prouty.
one of the cases heard by the COM
rnissioners was the proposed freight
rate on sugar which goes into effect
January 1, 1905, against which job
bers of Wichita, Kan, are complain
ing and which they allege is a serious
discrimination against that city IN
favor of Missouri river points. The
defendant railroads are the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe, Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific, ST. Louis & San
Francisco, Missouri Pacific, Illinois
Central, st. Louis, Iron Mountain &
Southern and the Texas & Pacific.
against the proposed rate it developed
at the hearing that the jobbers of
Wichita and Missouri river points are
warning upon one another concerning
the territory into which they shall
ship sugar.
The other investigation by the COM
missioners was the conclusion of a
hearing begun by Commissioner Prouty
in Ell Paso, Tex, concerning the rate
charged on coal by the Santa Fe rail-
road, against which complaint was
made by the Caledonia Coal company.
1t was charged that the railroad had
Disseminated III making the rates in
favor of the Colorado Fuel and Iron
company. Freight Traffic Manager w.
B. Biddle, of the Santa Fe, was the
only witness in the case, and, in QueS-
tioning him concerning the rates
charged, Attorney N. B. Field. for the
N01 Lad hat
the commissioners force the witness to
answer certain questions. In ques-
tioning Mr.. Bfddle concerning the
price charged the Colorado company
asked if the tariff named by the rail-
road company did not include the
price of the commodity. Mr.. Biddle
refused to answer the question.
Attorney Field became excited at
this point and demanded that the COM
mission compel the witness to answer
the question.
Commissioner Prouty said that he
believed Mr.. Biddle had covered these
points in previous testimony saying
that Biddle had refused to answer the
question for business reasons"
In sending your tariff lists to the
interstate commerce commission said
Attorney Field, addressing BiddIe,
you did not mention this fact did
you? Did you not attempt to conceal
it from the commission, and did you
not attempt to deceive the commission
concerning the facts ?'
Mr.. Biddle refused to reply, and his
attorney, Robert Dunlap, protested
while Commissioner Yeomans declared
that the matter had been all gone
over once before. Attorney Field in
sisted that he was attempting to bring
out facts that would show that the
law had been violated. ST am trying
to find out if this witness attempted to
deceive the commission and the pub
lic," said Mr.. Field, but if the com
mission rules against me 1 am ready
to quit
Turning toward Mr.. BiddIe, At
torney Field asked:
Did you not write a letter to the
Caledonia Coal company, informing
them that they could sell their coal to
the Colorado Fuel and Iron company,
or keep it?''
The witness admitted having writ
ten the letter, but placed another in
depreciation upon it, and d not mean
that 1T should be construed as the at
torney suggested. The commissioners
then decided to take no more testi-
mony in the case of the Wichita gro
GERS against the railroad companies.
Both sides to the controversy asked
Tor continuance of the case and the
commissioners put the hearing over
until tomorrow morning.