The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-27
PROBE PIER j
DRAFT MYSTERY
Traffic Official Explains Hidden
Expenditures Of NJ. q
st. L.
COMMISSIONS PAID
TO RAILROAD MEN
Employees Of Connecting Lines
Rewarded for Routing
-@a Freight.

+ J. N. Tittemore of Minneapolis, traf-
nc manager Of the Minneapolis & st.
Louis road, today made an explanation
of the use to which the thousands Of
dollars of mysterious drafts issued by
his line, were put. and about which the
state railroad commission has been in
the dark for several months. They
were used in payment of secret COM
missions to agents of eastern lines, to
get freight routed over the Minneapo-
lis & st. Louis road. This was always
done without, and osmetimes in opposi-
ton, to the wishes Of the shippers. Mr.
Tittemore g explanation was made at
the capitol at today s hearing on gener-
al commodity rates before the state rail
Sewers, general counsel of the Mime
apolis & st. Louis, was with Mr.. Title
more. At the opening of today's .ses-
sion Mr.. Stone handed Mr.. Tittemore
number of drafts, some drawn by Mr..
Clark former general counsel of the
road, and others by Judge Sewers. The
for as high an amount as $4,000 and
aggregated y$l07,750. Mr.. Tittemore
stated that he only came to the road g
[ employ Jan.a1, 1905. Was he expected
to make an explanation Of drafts drawn
before his time7
Desired to Explain.
In reply Mr. Stone said he under
Of the drafts it desired to make.
He called attention first to a draft
drawn by Mr.. Sewers, payable to J. n.
Tittemore and SO Endorsed, the draft
being for 100000 ! !. 80: I $ ! - 49, s:
II Endorsed the draft said wit.
ness, but u, don It know a- thing OF
what the money it represents covers. =
I, = 4 !
mony on drafts before his time and
not Endorsed by himself.
Mr.. Tittemore then identified individ-
ual drafts for $lO, 900, $12 600, So 900.
$4,000, $500, $4,000, $4,000. He was
asked for explanations Of them.
Must Hire Services.
"There is a good deal. of this money
in my possession STILL One does not
like always to represent the weakness
OF companies he works for. Our lines
eight miles. In securing traffic east
Of Peoria, for instance, we may have
| to work with the agent Of another conn
pany. Hetwould not want to have it
known he was also working for us. He
would not want drafts made to himself
can say, however, these drafts were
used in payment Of commissions to diff
ferent men for business. do not care
to tell to whom the money was paid
Mr.. Stone: GIVE do not care for the
names. Will you state that all OF
edge; was either paid in commissions
or remains in your hands - 80 .
Eyes; the major portion went for
commissions, with the. exception! Of
$4,000 or $4,000 which went for dam
age cases.'' :, ~ re @Flss. ~
:" This money should have been adj
ded to the gross earnings Of your
80, WELL We I cant q say. I am little
~: Keeps No Record.
MI. Staples: aHave. you anything
IN, your office to show for thesesexpen-
dituresS'
emo, Mr.. Staples; I haven t. Sup
pose a man of our road comes to me
and tells me Of 100 cars of pipe coming
on another line that can be had thru
the agent Of another road. An expen-
diture may be necessary to get that
business. I have some professional
pride in wanting to keep secret the
names Of agents who give us such bust
Judge Mills: "You have to pay
these commissioner
Has Been an Economy.
Yes, sir. The strength of rail
road is conferred largely in its COM
petitive men. We have two or three
men in territory where in competition
the Great Western and Wisconsin Gem
trail have twenty. We believe the COM
mission. expenditures have saved us
money!
How much Of this draft money is
in your hands nows'
About $4,000 Between January,
1905, and August, 1905, about $4,000
was thus expended
What was the rate Of commits
sionsso
"Those differed, running from So to
SIS carr
Witness testified he did not inaugu-
rate the commission method Of getting
business. He said:
Would Circumvent Shippers.
Anybody who knows the working
Of the United States Steel company
knows we can It get any of their busi-
Continued on Cd Page, 4th Column.