The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-06-22

the Western Maryland, Chesapeake
and Ohio and Buffalo and Susquehan-
ma railroads, were before the inter-
state commerce commission today to
tell what they knew about the trans
actions of their roads in connection
with coal and oil traffic
The first witness was A. Robertson.
general manager of the Western Mary
land, his examination being conducted
by Mr.. Whitney, special counsel for
the commission. Mr.. Robertson admit
ted that the Western Maryland rail-
road company was the owner of the
Davis Coal and Coke company. He
did not know that his road was inter-
ested IN any other coal mining COM
pany along it's line On the subject of
car distribution Mr.. Robertson said
that while the mine ratings Of his
company were not published Or post
ed anywhere, any shipper had permis-
sion to learn what these ratings we're.
So far as he knew, there had been no
complaints from operators that they
were not receiving sufficient cars un-
der the percentage of distribution.
The witness declared he owned 70
coal or oil stocks or properties, nor
had he ever at any time held such in
tereSt
The number of mines operated by
his road, he said. was sixteen while
the Independent operators had forty.
It was the policy Of the management
of his road, ne declared, to encourage
in every way the independent opera
tors, especially in the matter of sid
G. A. Steiner, superintendent Of the
West Virginia division of the Western
Maryland, testified to owning five
shares of stock in the Abrams Creek
| Coal and Coke Company, of Tar
value Of $100 per share, which, he said,
he bought from a Mr. Brady, who was
chief engineer of the Little Kanawha
syndicate, for $50 a share.
Brady he said, at one time was su-
| perintendent of mines for the Davis
Coal and Coke Company, and obtained
his stock after severing his connection
with that company. He further said
| that Brady has no connection with
| the Western Maryland.
The witness said he had no interest
| in any other coal company, nor was
| he aware that any other official or en-
| ploye of his road had any such inter-
| est.
| Testimony developed the fact that
neither of them had any interest in
| any coal or oil stocks or properties,
nor did they know what their road or
any Of it's officials or employees had any
such interest outside the Davis Coal
and Coke Company.
! Mr.. Baumes testified that his road
| controlled every coal plant on its line
| except that of the Northwestern min
| ing and Exchange Company, which be-
| longed to the Erie railroad. There
| were, he said, no Independent cOmpa-
nies along its line. The witness de-
| clared that while there were many
other coal properties along the line Of
road it had received no applications
| from Independents or others to develop
them So far as his company was con-
| cerned, however he said it would be
glad to put in sidings TO those unde
veloped properties if requested to do
| so.
| c. e. Boyle, of Richmond, Va, said
| in answer to questions gy counsel for
| the commission that he owned no stock
and had no interest in any coal or oil
| company, nor was he aware of such
| ownership or interest by any officer or
employe of the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad.
| He said further that the Chesapeake
and Ohio used about $500 tons of coal
| a day and that this was obtained
| from the various mines along the road,
several of which were the old W. T.
Rend mines, in West Virginia, now
owned by the Berwind-White Ccal
| Mining Company, and that they fur
| nished of this total amount a mini
| mum of $50 and a maximum of 400
tons a day The object of the question,
1t was explained, was to show that the
distribution of cars for railroad fuel
played no part in the ratings given the