Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-05-17
COMMISSION PROBING
THE DISCRIMINATION
MlCnael Trump, General SupoFin-
lend6nt Of Transportation, on
The Witness Stand Today.
ATTENDANCE WAS LARGE
Inc testimony Yesterday Was Of a Sen
SaIlOnal Nature, and Today The Same
Line Of Inquiry WsS Followed.
A..oeiatea Pres. pl.paleh by srs.l.l Wire.

Associated Press Dispatch by Special Wires
Philadelphia, Pa, Nav 1.-THE In
teHtate Commerce Commission TODAY
resumed MS investigation into the alleged
discrimination On the distribution of
coal cars. The sensational testimony of
yesterday M which officials of the Penn
sylvania Railroad Co. connected with
the car distributing department were
shown TO have received gifts of stock and
money from coal companies, increased
tne attendance al the morning session
Ihe same line of inquiry was fol-
I lowed with today's witnesses. The
most important witness at the early ses-
SION OF the commission was Michael
| Trump, general superintendent OF trans
/ portatlon. The previous witnesses, who
| had testified concerning the distribution
Of cars, informed the commission that
/ they had acted under orders from Mr..
/ Trump The latter will be required by
the commission to explain the telegraphic
orders sending special assignments of
cars TO certain coal companies
Mr. Trump was asked to explain the
method OF distribution between 1900
and 1908. He stated that the rating of
the coal companies was fixed by taking
the tonnage of the various regions for
several years and endeavoring TO strike
an average The tonnage system, he
said. was used until 1903 He was
asked if he could furnish the tonnage
allotment for the period named and said
he would do So
Mr.. Trump was closely questioned
concerning Individual cars He was
asked If the Berwind-White Co. and the
| Keystone Coal Co. did not have enough
private or individual cars to carry all
their tonnage He said that was the
case.
rs it a rule of the railroad company
that no coal company shall have less
than 500 individual cars" Attorney
Glasgow asked the witness.
That was a rule adopted by the COM
pany TO discourage the use Of individual
cars.
Don't you know said Mr. Glasgow
"that during the Pennsylvania Railroad 5
most strenuous period of freight conges-
tion the company sold 600 cars to Ber-
wind-White and 500 to the keystone Goa
and Coke Co. You don't call that dis
couraging the use Of individual cars dc
you Isn't il a fact that the rule wa
adopted for the purpose Of disoouraginl
only small operators 2''
1--WE thought it would discourage every
body, Mr. Trump replied.
"Was the rate enforced ?'
"Wen. exceptions were made. In SOM
cases we varied the rule, allowing 100 car
in one year and POO cars withintthrel
4 | years.
He was asked If he recalled the case o
| Mr. Ellsworth who, complaining tina
I he was unable to secure cars, went e
the president Of the road and on the orde
q of the president secured 600 cars. MI
y Trump said he knew Mr.. Ellsworth ha'
q secured the cars, but he was not iamilia
= with the circumstances.
= Asked what efforts we're made to insur
the proper distribution of cars, Mr.. frum
" said General Superintendent Creighto
- furnished him with weekly reports Of tn
u allotment In reply TO the question as .
y whether he examined these reports to de
termine whether each mine received Il
Il full rating he said the general superintenc
ent probably received some.
Mr.. Glasgow wanted TO know why Oh
company did not make public the numbC
of cars 10 which each company was er
J. titled. the number it received and th
number sent to the district Mr.. Irum
said there was no substantial objection
)s but he did not think il necessary.
u. Mr.. Glasgow inquired as to Mr.. Trump
Nv holdings of stock in coal companies. II
ia said he had 200 shares in the Atlant
is Crushed Coke Co. paying four per eel
dividends and 400 shares in the ke,
stone Coal and Coke Co. The stock in u
NJ 6rst-named company he said, was give
,ft to him by j. r. Patton, superIntendei
rk of the Pennsylvania Railroad. He he
ID 100 shares OF Clarion and Carbon con
er many stock. and when these compani
Nv we're absorbed by the keystone oompar
nd he received 200 shares of Keystone sto'
30 for his holdings in the Clarion and Carlo
in Later. when the capital stock of the he
M Stone Coal and Coke Co. was increased, D
no holdings were increased to 400 shares.
At the request of Francis /. Gowen, N
- Trimp read a statement of the metho
~ car distribution as applied by the Pen
svlvania Railroad Regarding the TEL
graphic orders for special allotments
cars Mr. Trump said they we're ma
during 1902 and 1908 when there W
"A scarcity of cars because OF the congesu
nj traffic. He endeavored to furnish &C
10 the industrial and municipal plan
where there was danger OF distress a
for this reason was compelled to fay
the companies which had contracts vi
Establishments of the kind. AT otf
times Mr.. Trump said, It was custom.o
10 issue special orders Tor coal 70 u,
water. in order to furnish vessels WI
necessary coal.