The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-13
ROYAL BATTLE
IN RATE 81 MATTER.
Mr.. Braston Takes Mr.. Plant on.
Cross -Exaninatio1l, and They
Both Prove. Strong.
. SCRAP !! NOW AND NJ THEN len
Southern Comptroller May Finish.
His Testimony This Week.
Adjourn Tomorrow.
SCRAP NOW '!|(,|' v AND NJ THEN !: !
Southern Comptroller May Finish
Adjourn Tomorrow.

if5fsi5a{S5sF AU1OuI1l ElO-lliOAAONs a5t4sH.s
III II was a battle royal between a great
i railroad lawyer on one side, and great
4 railroad official on the other, during most
y Of the time consumed in the rate inquiry
before tho Corporation Commission yes
a terday, and occasionally the official would '1
get breathing SPELL while two brilliant It;Nl"lt1
attorneys struggled against one another.
Mr.. Plant was turned over to MT.
Il Braxton for cross.exnminatio ton at l2:lu
y o'clock p. NJ. after having consumed
y more than Two days In giving his direct
s testimony, and from this point the IN.
4 curry moved by slow and easy stages;
for at frequent Intervals counsel would
engage in debate over the admisspliily
4 Of testimony, thus causing brief lulls for
the witness, and then the latter ana
AR. 5Braxton were extremely deliberate N
their questions and answers. There was was
no sembiance Of unpleasantness, how
& ever though there was @ degree y o. i
u earnestness In the manner Of all which
indicated far more than a passing inter.
i Rst In the case. Occasionally attorney
General Anderson would take sohns
verbal part, but he contented himself $1ol
the greater portion OF the day IN fol0'N-
ing the witness and noting his testimony
on his memorandum sheet. When Mr..
&Braxton took Mr.. Plant for cross exam-
8ination, they exchanged some pleasantrles
(which we're greatly enjoyed
v MIR Plant said the lawyer, II DO
not enter upon this task with any mark
i ed degree of confidence. fear that, UNI
like David, Il ma be approaching Goliath
without my sling.
hope you will not prove SO de-i
5structive as did David" was Mr.. Plants
pleasant reply, and then they got down
to business.
From that moment on it was a real
light. Mr.. Braxton >ras plying hard ques-
sometimes according to the notion Of the
tions. and Mr.. Plant ,vus answering them,
lawyer and sometimes not but always
5coolly, respectfully and in his own way.
1t will probably take the Southern comp
3tsoller to-day and tomorrow to cons
Splete his testimony.
Mr.. Thorn Resumes.
$s It was nearly II o'clock when the
commission convened. and Mr. Plant re-
buIneu cllldY pWIlsSJl ildu
ALREADY consumed two days. or more
a Witness hhd TESTIFIED on the previous
day that ties had decreased in Virginia.
Mr.. Thorn now asked him If It was a. fact
that labor and other expenses had In
creased, and he said, Yes
ne In 1895, he said, his company operated
55f23 miles of road In Virginia. The Allan.
tic and Danville was taken in in August
1889. the mileage being 2s2 miles. On
June 50. 1901. the mileage in Virginia woa
e6s. On June 50. 1905. 1t was 965.
He testified that taxes paid by MS
company in Virginia during the follow
Ing company years had been-1s95, M16.-
B24.79; 1901 s15oss7,oo; 1905. s2a5,b7bO5.
55 he gave these further statistics in an
y swer to qnestion1s,y Mr.. Thom
''l1OO--Gross earnings, $5,3l8.ot; operating
expenses, ss.o67.6s; net earnings, $2.45sa4.
'l9ol-4Gross earnings, S5,G06,G5; operating
Expenses. sS,33234; net earnings, s2,2AsU.
l?O2-Gross earnings, SGO;2, 60 /. operating
expenses. S3,So3,52: net earnings, s22sa10.
'l9o3-Gross earnings. $6,325.iS operating
expenses, s4,46d,S4; net earnings, Sl,S6s.6l,
"a. I9o4-Gross earnings, S6,645Sj; operating
4 expenses. $5.13s. 10; net earnings, Sl506.S5.
1906 Gross earnings. s7.i5SG; operating
expenses. s5,069.2l: net earnings. S2,ds4.0l.,'
Question Raised.
Witness said THAI rates in,o and out al
q aSState were often made upon a combinn.
Il zion of local rates. If these latter rates
we're reduced II meant reduction c,
Interstate rates.
Mr.. Braxton objected to questions tend
ing to show reductions In interstate
rates through The regulation OF loca
rates. nd said that the Supreme Cour
Il mad clearly decided that inter and mira
state business should be KEEP, separate II
III questions relating TO the fixing 9
iates,
Mr.. Thorn spoke at some lansth, am
y,o,nted out that the line OF the question
ing was 10 show that interstate rate
lIid often depend upon ntra- State rates
and that II the latter were, made e8ces
81 sjVeIy low, the former would In all probn
slgtliiv BE reduced To such Il point as tina
tic companies could not operate VIII
profit
proceeding, the witness said no rail-
,oad could do safe business withou
having a surplus to meet us Civilizations
3 FUNDED debt OF Southern Railway Com
nSny, exclusive of lease hold estates NJ
Il o. stock certificates. and eauipmen
85obiigations:
AT June 80. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I1'o9i'o'
4 8g- 1895. (. ,....,.. .,....., 193A,b0
8lf4 1857 ......... S0GG0,5D
1sas. ..,.,.. .,........ lol 2S6. 90
& 1873. .......... 1882, 30
Il 400. ........ ........,. 10i $40, 20
HI e55 1901 .....,.... l24.5Si, 70
N 1sDs .,........ 12s ,23l 80
3ax3 ,..,,.,.. ...,... l3S so
191t ........t.' l52 t8s, 10
& : . ..-r ,It.y