New-York tribune., 1906-06-20
MR. BERWIND ON STAND.
Paid p. Il. r. High Price for Cars
Road Aided Shippers.

Washington, June 19-The Interstate COM
merce Commission resumed its investigation to-
day into the question Of the ownership by rail-
road companies or their officers or employees of
coal and oil stocks properties, as called for
by the Tillman- Gillespie resolution. e. B. Chase.
secretary of the Berwind- White Coal Mining
Company, was the first witness He was closely
examined by Mr.. Glasgow. special counsel for the
government. regarding the amount of coal from
the Berwind- White company which goes over the
Harsimus pier at Jersey City. and replied that
the Ber,vnd-Whte company did not know the
amount except by estimated railroad weight
He declared he had way of ascertaininS
whether the Berwind-White company had been
paid for ali the coal that went to the New YORK
City railways except that they were paid on
estimated weights. No claim. he said. was ever
made by his company for coal lost in transit
unless there evidence of wreck.
President E. J. Berwind of the company was
next called, and stated that at first the Balti-
more & Ohio handled all the tonnage OF his COM
pany but later the Pennsylvania Railroad got
the business being able to ship to South Am
boy N j. without transfer. In answer TO ques-
tions he said his company was the largest snip
per of bituminous coal over the Pennsylvania
lines He expressed the belief that the Penn
sylvania company had aided in establishing the
steamship business for the shippers on the lines
He referred to the connection of Robert Cas-
satt, son of President Cassatt of the Pennsyl-
vania, with the keystone Coal and Coke Com
pany and said he had gone to some of the Penn
sylvania officials and told them that the Pehn-
sylvania company was being criticised in conse-
uuence He would not say however. that he had
complained that the Keystone company was re-
ceivfng any special preference over the Ber-
wnd-White Company.
Mr.. Berwind declared that at no time was he
ever able to get enough cars from the Pennsyl-
vania for the transportation of his coal. He also
said that no officer or employe of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad ever had any interest in the Ber-
wind-Whfte Company except Mr.. Shepherd, gen
eral superintendent of the New York Division
who owns fifty shares of the Willmore Coal
Company, subsidiary company, which. he SAID
in fact is but real estate company. This state
ment was followed by the explanation that in
1882 Mr. Cassatt left the Pennsylvania, and that
in 1886, when the Berwind-White Company was
organized, A ]. Cassatt and Gardner Cassatt
his brother took stock in the company. The
witness said they sold out to him in 1891.
Mr.. Berwind was then examined regarding the
rebates his company is alleged TO have received
from the Pennsylvania Railroad, and insisted
that official employe of the Pennsylvania
directly or indirectly. or by any device whatever
received any share in them.
Testfying TO the total weight of coal
dumped the HarsimuS pier, Mr.. Berwind said
his company doubt had a record somewhere
Of every carload of coal so dumped, but that IL
was forced to take the estimated weights of the
Pennsylvania road. He was not aware of any
system in vogue by his company showing tho
difference between the amount of coal received
and that sold He believed that the car weights
were correct. Mr.. Berwind explained the pur-
chase by his company in 1902 Of one thousand
cars from the Pennsylvania Railroad saying
that the great coal strike of that year created
ar enormous demand for cars. and that in con-
sequence his company was unable to move it's
output. First he said, he tried to have the cars
built, but found they could not be delivered for
six months. He then opened negotiations with
Mr.. Provost, of the Pennsylvania. the result
of which he got the cars but compelled TO
pay S1,1S1 each for them which. he said was
the highest price ever paid. The Pennsylvania
Railroad later. he said. desired to buy back the
cars, but he had declined to sell
A. II. Storrers, a government expert. testi-
fed regarding the variations in the estimated
weights the bills of ladng of the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad TO the Berwind-W White Company
and the actual weights found by the City
Railway Company of New York. There We're
he said, no material differences, the averag ex-
cess OF the estimated weights over the actual
weights being less than l per cent.