The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-14
iTA.K[SRECEsS
F0 / En- 5.
Corporation Commits sion FINISHES
With Freight Traffic Man 81
4 agerb Dava1lt.
c. 6 o. IS HE MEX i lN!s5LlNE
Norfolk and Western and South
crn, However, Have Not Yet
Completed Their Cases.
,,.-.-,,...-.s--.-.....,


$500 =. 49, Hi S$9r4 I'M
Freight 4 Traffic Manager Davant, Of
the Norfolk and w estern, completed his
testimony in the freight rate hearing boz
fore the Corporation Commission yester-
/ day afternooti,f and the Uody took q
recess until July %. s5. Il
Ia Although the Norfolk and Western has
not finished its CASE the .Chesap eake and
Ohio will proceed when the body recon.
venes. H II! t "A s{.5 u NJ s5{
Commissioner Joseph B .. b w lizard Il sat
with his colleagues yesterday, having
returned from the bedside i Of. Mrs. VII
lard, who has been indisp osed for several
& days. 34ss. IA tStt HI II III Eat ri 5a
d Mr.. II. s. Vi Dayant5 resumed tho stand
when the commission convened % Mt IL II
O'clock, and Attorney General Anderson
took him in hand on cross-exan1ination.
ltS4 Mr.. @Brax ton had examined him for the
{ State up to- the hour Of adj ournmcnt
K Thursday, and now tho Attorney General
took a shot $at' him, iand fired volumes
OF questions Mt him. 9 81 81 & *. ffFFf
Major Anderson and Mr.. Cooke had a
brief debate over the pertinency OF GER
tain testimony, but It was # Flowed sun-
, der the wide latitude permitted both sides
4 by tho commission. n #,
81 The Witness wos pointing out some Of
the difficulties Incident to changing
3classiflcations, but he finally admitted that
even though there might 4 be some re-
sultng inconpnienoos, II the proposed
changes were reasonable and just they
should be made. III 81 III q 8@S
At 1915 p. M Mr. Braxton again took
the witness, MAJ ori Ande rson having ex-
samined him mainly with reference to
tons. III
Where / They " eft3O Off. 81
The witness and Mr. 3 Braxton II now
started In whore they Mt Off Thursday
evening, and they discussed the cost OF
hauling freight for some time. Is. y; 35st.
Witness was asked X he or any other
man, not knowing anything B OF either
former or present rates. could construct
thrift for his own road which would 4
come anywhere Z In the neighborllood Of
reasonabeness and business.
l3f He answered that railroad rates afo the
lresultgof evolution, and that as the first
man had to be- born. SO the first tariff
had to be made. stI He vol ID not Ike to
say that under the ctrcGms tantss named
by the lawyer Il Il 2his Question he Gould
perform the service ana meet the stua-
tlon.% It would be q very difficult task.
and he would not like to be ASST ned IT..
Witness did not think railroad could
prosper ullAcSS hearty Hin u5l1Ic
along its lines were likewise iprospering.
S2 Il. Mr.. Braxton called attention to the
slanguishing Of the tobacco business in
5Danville and to the corresponding pros
Sperlty Of the Southern Railway, and the
two discussed the matter for some time.
Witness contcnded that a railroad COM
ipany could not prosper II It's rates were
unreasonable hg fl.5eF, III. nd HI
5SSf Mr.. Braxton said It had been testified
that the company did Its # intrastatej
freight business In Virginia at a loss,
ana assuming this to be- true, he asked
the witness II It would not therefore be
better for the company If It did mo mira
state freight business In Virginia at ALL
Question Admitted.
Mr.. Cooke objected. and tho two at
torneys argued the matter OF admitting
the question with much earnestness.
The ques tjon & was Il admitted, and the
witness said he had no Knowledge that his
company did itsRi trastate freigh t bust
ness In Yrginia at q loss, and that IL
this were true he was not prepared to
admit that his company should abandon
this class OF Its Virginia business.
AT this point the mission took
recess for lunch. and resumed at S45 @1'.a
M. Mr.. 3raxton continuing his cross
examination OF Mr.. Davant.
Hon. Alex. Hamilton, Of PETERSBURG,
counsel for the Atlantic Coast Line, whose
case comes up later, was In attendance
upon the afternoon session, having boon
absent for the most part during the In
qury. ID, 3 "a . "a K 81 !. III 5s a
Il Witness said, II las Z traffi officer OF the
Norfolk and Western. It was his business
to make business for the road, X and ht
fixed his rates with reference to this end.
M Witness was asked to name any large
n al, a 81
ltnblished Itself on his road, except al
cornpettative points, withaut first max !.
ing forms as to rates, and hel answered
that It was the policy OF his company
to protect manufacturers along Its lines,
and not to treat them harshly In the mat
ter of rates or otherwise.
The question Of the capacity OF freight
cars and the method Of Il loading them
came in for a long. discu ssion between
the lawyer and witness. and freight tar
lifts were again taken up. ,.55
Easy Movement. h
Witness was asked IL 1t was not his
aim, In making ates, to so Slx them
as to produce tho largest revenue for his
company, and he said this was true with
the qualification that he always had in
mind the easy movement of freight.
Hero Mr.. Dayant suggested that to his
mind railronding was very practical husl-
ness, and he therefore found 1t difficult
to follow the questions Of Mr., Braxt0ni
to theoretical ,coDclu sions, y III 8,l.s lsts4sSs u
'You started It nll.n replied Mr. I3rax-
ton pleasantly. ''by your answcrs on your
examination in CHIEF X ,f
CIT may be true, rejolned the witness,
that am responsible" II 3
On the question OF rate making Mr.
Braxton wished to know II, lin effect. tho
traffic man was not looking out always
for his company, and the witness sub
United that traffic mon are human beings,
and they deal with their fellow-men much.
as do business men In other lines, He
said he could not admit that the rates
oh his Interstate business In Virginia
We're all tho traffic would bear, and yet
further he said that II tho commission
should give the company the authority
to raise them, 1t could not be done, AMI
| nj the Same time permit the easy moNe..