The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-02

produce evidence relative 5tos the pro-
posed reduction in merchandise rates.
hhses..ssaid. sOn the first hearing Mr..
St1ckney asked the commission If it
onsldered itself bound to reduce rates
on thesle gislatiYe resolution calling for
near the evidence and judge the case
on It's merits. The commission replied
that the case would be decided on the
| merits of the&testimony.' $50
I Mr.. Severance detailed the history Of
the case; how there had been many
continuances which delayed matters but
that. these delays were, with one ex-
roads. = e.
This is one Of the most important,
one of the most far-reaching cases
which has ever been before the com
mission.'' he continued. "It involves
hundreds of thousands of dollars. It
should have every consideration before
a decision is made. The commission
cannot take money out of the pockets
of stockholders and hand it over to
commissioner duty so to do. And now
l am notified that the case is decided
without any chance to argue this mo-
! mentous matter. If submit any sug-
gestions, they must be after the. de-
cision is made. J
81 protest against this decision made
without due notice and without an OPP
portunity being allowed of summing
up the case.'
Manahan with Severance.
Mr.. Manahan, who has heretofore
attacked the railroad attorney in caus-
tic language, this time sided with him.
81 see no occasion for deciding this
question in such haste,''' he said. ~
think, in this matter the remarks of
Mr.. Severance are justifab BILE. join
in protesting against this unseemly
haste. 1t is hardly fair to- any of the
!: litigants. Here is matter in which
hundreds of thousands of, dollars is in
volved, and we are not permitted to ex-
| anime the man who knows more about
this affair than any man in the coun-
try. This commission denies us the
right to get that man here under oath.
And I believe this denial is made for
political purposes.''
To this final remark none Of the COM
missioners made any response. nor
seemed to take notice.
Mr.. Manahan then stated that he at
least desired to have Mr.. Hill sub
penaed to give testimony in the coal
rate case which is to come up, again
Sept ls.
"You have a perfect right to sub
pena Mr. Hill for then if you desire,'
was Chairman Mills response.
Olson's Testimony.
The testimony which Eric Olson sue
ceeded in getting into the records dur.
ing the afternoon, when he was the sole
witness, was voluminous. He said it
took him more than year to prepare
it, and in amount it looked it. His
documents, tabulations and typewriter
testimony filled bundle which was as
much as he could carry under his arm.
He asserted that commodity and class
rates on the same things varied. He
said that the carload rate on iron from
Pittsburg to Seattle is Is, cents. per
hundredweight. The regular tariff per
hundred pounds is $3.50. He submitted
a schedule of rates for Minnesota sta
lions which he insisted was just right;
a reduction of 40 per cent on existing
rates. He said he had carefully studied
all the reports of the Great Northern
and had compiled figures of their. gross
earnings from the time the roads were
in operation until Aug. IS, this year.
These earnings aggregated $3.50, 900.
The operating expenses Of the entire
systems for this period were $342, $780,
600. This left net earnings of $780,
100000. He believed that of the net
earnings, $72, 400, 900 was fair allow
ance Of interest on investment. Thus,
above a fair interest, the road has
earned, according to Olson, $165, 900.
The commission will meet again at
10 am. Tuesday.