The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-15
Would Take Too Long to Make
Investigation.
IE DOESN'T LIKE TT.
Mr. hOomis, Attorney for Roads,
Objects to Ruling.
Mr. Reising Says Last Prop of
Railroads Is Gone.

Under the ruling of the state board
Of railroad commissioners Tuesday
| afternoon, the witnesses summoned
for the grocery freight rate hearing
viii not be allowed to testify concern
ing rates outside of the state OF
Kansas.
The railroad companies regard this
as a very severe blow to their chances
of success. They We're expecting to
prove, by a large number of freight
experts from different lines, that the
through rate from the point of origin
of car load lot shipments to the job
bling centers, and thence under dis
tributing rates to the consumer, is as
low or lower for interior Kansas job
bers as for Missouri river jobbers.
J. G. Robson, chairman of the
board, stated to the attorneys that the
board had decided that it would take
rates outside the state.
This ruling, however, was rendered
only after an extended debate, in
which both Mr. LOOMS and Mr.. At
wood for the railroads and Missouri
river jobbers had used their best eff
forts to get their evidence before the
board.
H. L. Reising of wichita, in speak
ing of the ruling, said: The railroads
fought this to the limit of their ability
because they realize that it is the only
thing they have left to stand on. They
are catching at straWs. If they fail to
get this line of evidence before the
board, their case is hopeless" Mr..
Reising is the rate expert of the Wich-
tia chamber of commerce. and one of
the principal witnesses for the interior
jobbers in the present hearing.
N. H. LOOMS, attorney for the
Union Pacific, who led the fight on the
boards ruling, said: eve might as
well let our witnesses go home. The
81,
that the board does not seem to think
it has the right to open its eyes to all
the evidence in this case. We have
evidence of the. most vital character,
which under this ruling we are now
unable to present"
Soon after the board delivered its
ruling, the hearing adjourned for the
afternoon, and all the railroad attor-
neys and freight rate men who are
here attending the conference went
into a conference at the Office Of the
Missouri Pacific attorneys, Waggener,
| Doster & Orr. This conference was
for the purpose of comparing notes Tor
the day, and deciding upon a plan OF
campaign under the new ruling.
Four witnesses were on the stand
| during. the. whole of Wednesday They
K were J. s. George of the Hutchinson
| Wholesale Grocery company, who
| testified all the previous afternoon; F.
G. Wood, of the firm of Jett & Wood,
of Wichita; Henry Baden of Independ-
ence, and John I. Hill of the Coffey-
vile Wholesale Grocery company.
N H LOOMS had a clash with Mr..
Wood when the latter was testifying,
wlaich seemed to be somewhat of a tri-
umph for The grocer over the lawyer
Mr. Loorcis pursued the witness relent-
lessly to set him to state how much Of
a reduction in distributing rates he be-
lieved the interior jobber to be entitled
to receive. Mr.. Wood persisted that he
could give no opinion offhand. Both men
seemed to get considerably excited in the
verbal spaITing match.
.-An ask of this board, said Mr.
de1ee that this board viii will know WV What eP r
auctions should be made I don't claim
to be a freight rate expert; I'm simply a
common. Flooding grocer. II I was an
expert freight rate man I would get a
better job from Mr.. LOOMS company