The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-24
THROW OUT ALL.
Railroad Board Doesn't Care
for Tables Of Figures.
Will Disregard All Presented
in Coal Case.
EVIDENCE IS ALL IN.
Submitted to the Board With
out Argument.
Mr.. Lincoln Explains Why Re-
bates We're Given.

The most sensational DEVELOPMENT
at the coal rate hearing today was the
ruling of the board of railroad com
missioners that all the tables purport-
ing to show the cost of hauling coal
and the profits or loss on such ship
ments shall be disregarded by the
board. This ruling was brought about
by the very evident absurdity of some
of the conclusions arrived at.
There had been tables presented by
the eomplainants to show that the
railroads were making profits of from
$500 to 81, ,0Oo on every train of twelve
cars which it hauled out of the south
ern Kansas field The railroads came
back with similar ia ables showing that
the railroads were barely making ex-
penseS on lump coal shipments and
were losing money in vast sums on
every train load of slack. Tt was the
old story that figures viii not lie, but
each side was able to prove its case by
the same figures.
Long drawn out arguments seem to
be going out of fashion in the hearing
on rates before the state board. At the
conclusion of the testimony in the coal
rate case shortly before noon today.
both sides waived their arguments and
the hearing adjourned sine die.
The railroads put only two wit
nesses on the stand today. The first
was A. J.. Conrad, auditor of disburse-
ments of the Santa Fe, and the sec
Ond was J. c. Lincoln, assistant freight
traffic manager of the Missouri Pa
cific
The delegation Of witnesses from
. Thought Kuntz etaoishrdlushrfd
Abilene did not testify, because they
did not care to wait for an oppor-
tun8y. and their evidence would have
been largely of a cumulative nature
Mr.. Conrad. the first witness this
morning, was to give some further
information about his marvellous rate
tables which were introduced Thurs
day afternoon He had promised to
present some new tabfes to the board
this morning, but when placed on the
stand stated that he had not prepared
the tables because he did not under
stand exactly what vas wanted. He
agreed 10 make an eFlort to file tables
with the board to show the actual
cost of hauling carload of coal over
one division of the road between
Pfttsburg and Wichita
G Lincoln. who is the semper
idem of the railroads in rate hearings,
was really the only witness called to
disprove all the testimony presented
by the state.
Explain why the railroads make a
low rate on steam coal" said ]. FL
Richards, attorney for the Missouri
Pacific. to Mr.. Lincoln.
Because of competition for one thing:
also because by encouraging manufac-
lures. the railroads are given the haul
on manufactured products. The low
rates to Kansas CITY are partially due
to the competition OF coal fields only so
miles from Kansas CitN and partly to
the fact that we move such shipments in
trainload lots
What actuated the Missouri Pacific
in making the rebates which have been
testified to?"
Prior to the granting of the injunc-
ton against rebates, and the passage of
the Elkins law, the railroad companies
were frequently compelled by various
conditions to make rates that were d
departure from published tariffs. The
same thing applied in state tariffs prior
to the passage of the anti-diScriminatiOn
act Such special rates were never
made by the railroads on their own mo-
tion, but were al the solicitation of the
shipper. I consider the $125 rate on
slack coal to Wichita very low Not
withstanding. the saTt men contend that
it costs them more to produce salt, and
that they needed a lower coal rate to
compete with eastern producers This
resulted in the concessions. or rebates.
We have also solicited coal companies
to make preferred prices on coal to us,
on account Of the eaft in617T~V There
has been practically no discriminate
between different manufacturers; they
all got rebates.
Mr.. Lincoln stated that the tables
introduced by Mr.. Sinner and Mr..
Conrad were both very misleading,
and showed nothing about actual con-
ditions.
On cross examination. Mr.. Taylor
brought out the fact that the rate on
a carload of cattle from Hutchinson
to Kansas City is 1880: on hogs
S40.85; on sheep $3.50; while on a
carload of slack coal from Pittsburg to
Hutchinson. practically the same dis
tance, the rate is $66-50. In explana-
ton of this Mr. Lincoln said:
1.-THE rates on cattle in Kansas are
very low lower than in other states.
Moreover. 500 tons of cattle mean
more than 500 tons of coal There is a
| limit to the power of our engines''
DnD0D- EOD DPrccrcr