The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-12
.MR D|AvAN'T.|
FESTIVITIES to-day D
Comptroller ]. W.. Coke Finishes fishes
Il Upo and.is Excused Two aSes-
sions Of the Commission. VI
.FREI G it TRAFFIC MAN NEXT Ne. <
Will Be Examined First by Mr..
G. L. Cooke, Attor1ey for
.Ss tie Norfolk and Western.

sss tie Norfolk and Western. ~
The Corporation Commission held two
long sessions yesterday, and heard Comp
troller COKE, Of the Norfolk and Western
Railway, further on cross -e e: tio n
He concluded his testimony and was .ex-
cused at $50 r. NJ III
Mr.. Braxtoni had the witness all day,
81 and asked him many hard questions con-
b corning the conduct of railroads ge gene r.
# ally and the VI Norfolk and Western IN
\; particular. III Bg
SIfgS Traffic Manager 4. s. Davant. OF the
same road, will be the next witness, and
# Will hardly complete his testimony this
week !; the commission will adjourn to-
morrow evening until July 2Sd. { a
THE day was not one Of striking public
interest, though there was an able dis.
@cussion between Attorney Cooke, for the
company, and Mr.. Braxton, for the State,
h over the question Of the net earnings! Of
III the company on intrastnte passenger
business in Virginia for the year ended
June 80 1905. which witness had admit
ted was done at O profit. s55 u n "a
8{JS3S ~ Cooke commended that q rate made
AL SO low on freight as to require the COM
pany to haul Il t. at loss could not pc
justified on the ground that the company
was doing another class Of It's business
s#at profit. t III $53
ss3 s5. To Test Accuracy.
5s Mr.. Braxton replied, and commended
that forGthe purposes OF testing the accu-
#racy OF the figures submitted as to the
&intrastate business In Virginia. and 5escer.
9taining whether the freight business is
actually done at a loss the passenger
business should be taken#sinto account
He did not wish to force the company
Ito do one class Otis business ut 4 loss
because It wns doing another at a profit,
#but he wished to have the data asked for.
No. ruling was asked for. but for the
present tho statistics We're mot forth
coming. X 4.
5sS Nlessrs Cooke sand Braxton agreed.
" however, that the matter go over, with
the understanding IL the statistics are
not produced, the latter shall have the
right TO make use Of the failure OF the
company to produce them. y, b ssE
Witness resuming, said that for me
year ended Jupe 80. 1905, the sum Of
# sS41 Al had been expended for better
gments in Virginia. All this was actually
81 expended and witness was asked to SUD
nit a statement Of the items included IN
the sum, and he said he would do SO
ater.
# Afternoon Session.
The afternoon session Of the commission
"a convened at 3:45, and Mr.. Braxton con-
tinued his cross examination OF MI COKE.
Witnessl was asked a great many dues
#tions rs ta.vari6us mortgages carried ~
his road on Its properties and Inc ia W
YER enquired specifically for what pur-
noses the proceeds of each We're useo,
and how much was actually used III
Virginia. -, =
saw whether or not the Norfolk ana
Western paid out the sl4,ooo.0CO given as
Operating expenses during the year ended
M June 40, 1905. before any considerable P'. D.. !
OF this amount had been collected IRON ~
patrons 1t took long time to get inc
matter Strengthened out, but finally ING
witness said no railroad could Operate
without working capital
He said further that his company usual.
" had a fund Of some three or four mis-
lions. of dollars on hand for this pur-
pose.
WAS there ever time" he was asked
"when your collections We're not so1l'c-
IL what ahead OF your expenses
4 II should say as a general proposition,
that the collections are usually ahead
Had Hard Time. VI
Mr.. Braxton was trying to hammer out
OF the witness the admission that IN
apportioning the burdens Of the company
the net, and not the gross earnings
should be taken as the basis, but he
could not get him to say so He con-
tended that the gross earnings was the
proper basis as there might not be any
net earnings.
The witness astoutly stuck to this con-
tention, though the lawyer held him on
Il the point for a long time. gEs
"a Witness was asked II he did not use
the gross earnings as the basis for ap-
81 Forthcoming the taxes to Virginia intra-
state business, as well Ms for assigning
other burdens, and he answered in the
affirmative 5
About 5 o'clock Mr.. Braxton started
hack over his voluminous notes, asking
further questions on various subjects
and he brought a smile from his very
X courteous competitor. Mr. Cooke. by an
" rounoing that he was quite sure III
mould get through with the witness be
II fore the end of the days session.
A loud clap Of thunder came shortl
afterwards, and Mr., Braxton said ami'
the smiles Of all; II think we should ad
journ. don't want the end OF the worl,
10 come with all these railroad men sit
ting around me-" He proceeded however
when calm followed. not seeming t
fear the railroad attorneys under ordlnar
conditions
The examination OF Mr., Coke was com
pIeted at $50, and Traffic Manage
Dayant, OF the Norfolk and Western
will so on to-day.
Elects It's Officers.
The Virginia Building and Loan Con,
pany. at Its meeting on yesterday. elette
#s the following officers and directors: Pres