The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-24
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RATE:.A|| HEARINGS 4. 4 ( { !: J
Chesapeake u and Ohio Railway
Having It's Inning Before Cor
poration Commission sic \
90 COMMENTARY EVIDENCE e , e Y :
Major Hotchkiss, on Witness
Stand, Files Many Ex-
.E;3il hibits. 5}sa3 Ist aft! 4
DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE

pHny tIlaQ Deen ClLeu W dppSeAt -
o'clock, and 1t was there by Its attorneys,
Hon. Henry T: 1vclkham and Mr.. Henry
Taylor. Mr.. G. Il Doyle, general man
ager, and Major d. D. Hotoh kiss, general
traff1o manager, were also present ;5tS
II All the members Of the Corporation
Commission, Messrs. Cruinp, Stuart and
Willard, were in their seats, In the hall
OF the House Of Delegates. promptly at
the appointed hour, and Attorneys General
Anderson and Hon. A. Caperton Braxton
were on hand to look after the interest
Of the Commonwealth. The large NUM-
Ter Of lawyers representing the other rail-
ways, were conspicuous by their absence,
only two or three dropping in now and
then. o. Il il h II 81 AZ d, " n 5$$8
a It was the purpose OF the commission
to 20 ahead with y.the Chesapeake and
Ohio case until Friday next; and 9then
postpone the rate hearing units Septenl-
Der 1st This was deemed necessary be-
cause the commission Will be busy all
or pretty much all Of the month of EAu-
gust, hearing the telegraph and express
company cases. It Is not likely that the
Chesapeake and Ohio end OF the rate
hearing can be completed by Friday but
perhaps within a few days thereafter
The commission yesterday decided TO get
through with. the Chesapeake and Ohio
express cases.5 4.f
Quiet and Dull: ,:1 5.s-
The hearing ofSoyester Il va 81 tame
az compared With several Ii former SEES
sions OF the commissioners court, most
OF the time being taken up with the in
PRODUCTION OF documentary evidence, such
as charters and amended charters Of the
Chesapeake and Ohlo,9 and Its branches;
&C ntracts Of consultations extracts from
the laws Of Virginia. and special acts Of
Assembly bearing upon the railway In
general and the Chesapeake and Ohio "
in particular. etc; also with !; the fling
of exhibits prepared ~ Traf fig. Manager
Hotchkiss. B e. /. 4 ss # li5gt 81, 3.
Major Hotchklss was the only witness
to take the stand yesterday. and the
greater, part OF his oral stinlony was IN
explanation OF the exhibits he 4 u ed. 5 AL
OF these bore IN one way and another
upon the freight rates OF the Chesapeake
and Ohio as compared with those Of
other roads, and with those proposed by
the State Corporation Commission. In a
number OF instances It was shown that
the rates now charged by the Chesapeake
and Ohio are lower than rates provided
by the proposed classification sheet Of
n the commission, but on the whole, the
Chesapeake and Ohio will be d heavy
loser by the adoption Of the proposed
classification sheet OF the commission. q
Documentary Testimony.
The proceedings were opened by Mr..
'Wickham. who, without any GER mony or
Formally, took the business In hand
He first introduced documentar evid ence,
submitting the charter OF tho Chesapeake
and Ohio Railway, Is granted by the
Virginia Legislature, and the charters
OF the Chesapeake and Ohio roads OF
West Virginia and Ken lucky, the deeds
and articles Of agreement by which
these slast-named lines were turned 4 over
to the Chesapeake and Ohio Of Virginia;
also the deeds and "a greements under
the reorganizationf Of the Chesapeake and
Ohio in 1878, also maps and {protles show
ing the entire system. the grades, etc.a
also copies of deeds of trust and mort
cages given to secure certain III bonded
debts. s5 {i't1l IL q i5sj ~ s3s5 NJ
Fl Mr.. Wickham also offered extracts from
the report OF the Code revisers, issued IN
1870, under an act the lrginiaa lie SIS
laturc Mr.. Braxton objected to, sthe;sin-
PRODUCTION Of this ancient Rrevision, and
argued briefly against 1T This was the
only spat OF tho day between the law
yers. The revision was admitted ana
filed. 5ss i5 Ss St. s
Major Hotchkiss on Stand.
Major Z. D. Hotchkiss, general traffic
manager of the Chesapeake and Ohio,
was sworn and took the witness chair.
In reply to opening questions by Mr.,
AWlckham, Major Hotchkissg said he was
perfectly familiar with the Chesapeake
and Ohio system. The Chesapeake and
Ohio business in Virginia IS governed
by what is known as the offcla 7 classl-
Af,cation, except in.&cases where conipeef-
ton necessitates her classification or
exception sheets. 4 The State Corporation
Commission has been furnished With
these classihcations and exception 81 eets,
in accordance with law.
Witness gave 1t as his opinion, founded
on experience and practice as railroad
man. that tho prevailing rates OF the
chesapeake and Ohio are just and Iea-
sonabe Evidence Of their justnesB ana
reasonableness is found IN the fact that
manufacturing interests and all other
lines OF business contiguous to It's lines
and throughout Virginia are growing and
Sprosporlng. Rates on the Chesa penke
and Ohio are largely adjusted by COM
petition. Tho Chesapeake and Ohio mas
conformed strictly to the long and short
haul rate !naugurated by the Interstate
Commerce Commission, The rates Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio are shown to DO
rea sonabe and just by comparison with
rates of other lines.
Witness said there has been a regular
Z
business OF his road.
Virginia Has Prospered,
Major IIotchklss read from q report
of tho Census Bureau, showing that
between 1900 and 1905 Virginia prospered
as much and as RAPIDLY In manufactures
and along general lines as other States
and this report was filed as an exhibit,
Many exhibits were read and f,led as
parts Of Major lIotchkisss testimony
These were comparisons Of Chesapeake
and Ohio rates with rate sheets OF othes
Southern roads, showing tho Chesapeake
and Ohio rates to be under many o.
them. He also exhibited comparisons
with tho proposed rate sheets OF the
state Corporation Commission, showing,
as to many items. that tthe present
Chesape and Ohio rates are lower
than the commissions proposed rates,
In this connection. the witness said
hid company had never been consulted
w me commission concerning Virginia