Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1906-08-23
ICE INQUIRY At TOLEDO
CONVICTED MANAGER TELLS OF
DEALS WITH ROAD.
PAID NO RENT ON FREIGHT
Employe of the Railroad Acted as
Selling Agent for the Ice Con-
cern, His Salary Being Paid
by the Parent Company.

Toledo, O.-Judson C. Clements,
member of the interstate commerce
commission, Tuesday began an in
quiry on behalf of the government
into the relations between the rail
roads entering Toledo and the ice
companies shipping over these lines
Joseph A. Miller, manager of the
Toledo Ice & Coal company, and one
of the men sentenced to the work
house by Judge Kinkade for conspir-
acy in restraint of trade, was the first
witness called by the government
Millers testimony was to the effect
that previous to five years ago, when
he became manager of the ice com
pany, he was purchasing agent for the
Ann Arbor railroad; but while an
agent for the road he had sold ice for
the ice company and was paid by
the road, and that Wellington r. Burt,
president of the Ann Arbor, and Har-
ry Ashley general manager, were di-
rectors of the ice company, and that
practically all the stock in the ice
company was owned by the railroad
people.
He further testified that the office
of the ice company is located on Ann
Arbor railroad property, but that no
rent was paid The 100 or 125 men
sent each year by the ice company
to cut ice We're carried free by the
Ann Arbor road until 1904, when a
fiat rate was charged. Miller testified
that as manager of the ice company
he travelled over the road on an an
nual pass.
The most important witness of the
afternoon session was Wellington r..
Burt, once receiver and president of
the Ann Arbor railroad. Mr.. Burt
testified he was president of the road
when the Toledo Ice & Coal company
was organized, that he suggested the
organization and coaXed the employees
of the railroad to become stOckhold-
ers in the concern, but that he did not
know the road carried freight for the
ice company free of charge. He knew
the ice company was using the rail
road real estate as basis of opera
tions, but this was done by other
companies which produce freight
In regard to free or reduced freight
rates for the ice company, Mr.. Burt
said 1t is the custom to haul freight
at half rates for building up indus
tries.
When asked by Commissioner
Clements if he did not think it bad
policy for an official of a railroad to
be interested in industries along the
line and thus be in position to dis
criminate in rates, Mr.. Burt replied
that if he had it to do over again he
would do exactly as he did in order to
build up the business of his road.
Employees of the Ann Arbor testified
that supplies and men were carried
over the road free of charge for the
Toledo Ice & Coal company.
II. L. Meyers, local freight agent of
the Pere Marquette railroad was the
last witness fer the day. He said the
Michigan Lake Ice company was the
principal shipper of ice over his road,
but he had no records to show that
the company was given lower rate
than other ice shippers. When asked
to furnish the ice rates of his road
as he himself would want to know
what they were, the witness laughing
ly said he did not think he wanted to
know, but would try and get the in
formation.