The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-24

List OF Witnesses Has Been Exhausted.
Relations OF the Southern Railway
With the Armour Line.

washington. October i2.-The In
ter-State Commerce Commission was
unable to conclude its hearing of the
private car line case today. altough it
was announced that the list of wit
nesses had been exhausted. Counsel
for the Armour Car Lines endeavored
to get an order closing the cases. In
which hearing have been had but
Chairman Knapp said the commission
might require additional testimony. All
OF the cases were postponed therefore
until November l. the date fixed for
the hearing in the cases of the two
trans-continental lines named In the
progress.
Lincoln Green. of the Southern Rail-
way. testified that his contract with
the Armour Car Lines for refrigera-
ton prescribes that the charges must
be reasonable. and no higher than
charges for like service for other lines.
I'm my opinion" he said. 1.-The pres
sut tes are lowe :iian could be made
by the carriers themselves. We have
had no complaints from shippers"
Tt was h-~-,ght out that the Armour
Car Lines are able to handle the busi-
ness economically for the reason that
they have it all. and are able to pre-
Fare for it. Commissioner Glenn snts
asked Mr.. Green IL he did not think
the shipper should receive some of the
benefits from this economical service.
Attorney Northrup. for the Southern
Railway. objected to the witness ans
wering. on the ground that the oues-
ton was not one OF railroad operation,
but purely legal. While discussing this
from a legal point of view. Attorney
Recihman said the selfishness of the
Armour Car Line would induce it to
maintain reasonable rate. Mr.. North
rup added that the Southern railway
insists also upon reasonable retes.
Commissioner Prouty interrupted to
say:
Then it is the selfshness of the
Armour line by grace of the Southern
Railway on which the shipper de-
pends" Protesting that the commits
er had stated the matter in All ungra-
cious manner and unfairly. Mr.. North
'rup declared that Intelligence and
business interests had built up the re-
frigeration business; that it was not a
matter of grace
He said the Southern railway is
proud of it's record in building up
traffic of every character in its terri
tory and with the satisfaction given its
shippers.
On redirect examination. Mr.. Green
said that the freight rate on ice. IL
uSeu 1OT The Va Ii U.S.
was reduced in 1904 from s1.05 to SO
cents ton. and he admitted to Attor-
ney Barry. for the commission that
under the exclusive contract the Ar
mour Car Line was the only concern
that could get the benefit of this rate.
F. W. Haze1hurst Of Macon. Ga.
secretary of the Georgia Peach Grow
ers Association. testified in regard to
the cost of producing peaches.
II l1x,r Sc }nc ffyt1n w
effect that there is no profit in raising
peaches and marketing them under
the present transportation charges
He said shippers think the total rate"
Of TRANSPORTATION is unreasonable and
the cost of refrigeration could be re-
duced. The witness estimated that 1t
cost s270 to send a car OF peaches
from Georgia to New York. or about
As cents a crate. AS an organization.
the witness said. his association had
not made any complaint against the
refrigerator charges.