Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-05-23
Interstate Commerce Commits
sion Continues Its Investiga-
tons Into Their Relations.
CASSATTS ASST A WITNESS.
Proved a Very Unwilling One and
Was Hard To Get Anything
Ont or.

the Pennsylvania railroad are among
the witnesses who Will be examined
during the investigation this week OF
the interstate commerce commission
into the alleged discrimination by the
railroads IN the distribution OF coal
cars. The hearings were resumed TO.
day,
The revelations last week when
number Of Pennsylvania railroad Of
iieials admitted accepting gifts OF
stocks In various soft coal mining conf
panies lmpelled the commission to sub
poena more important officers IN an
effort TO determine the extent ofathe
secret business relations alleged 10
exist between the railroad and certain
coal companies.
As result Of the Investigation mi
nority stockholders OF the Pennsylvania
railroad are said TO be considering
plans TO bring about more thorough
probing through the state legislature.
Such an Investigation would include an
inquiry into all the details surrounding
the contracts for steel rails. engines and
other equipment made In the last five
ar sly Years The nresent investtgn-
tion is limited nv The TIlIman. C;illesnIe
resolution 10 the relations OF the rail-
roads to the coal and oil industries,
The entire commission sat for today's
hearing,
The nrst wltness was w. a. Patton,
President Cassstt's assistant at Phil
adelpha. He was asked what INTEREST
nted the various companie. In which
he held stock. Concerning the Key
stone Coal company. Of which $500
shares mere I'm his name, he said he got
die stock BY purchase and through the
merging with the Kevstone companv
OF smaller companies In which no was
interestad Five hundred OF the shares
he said. belonged 10 his brother, ].
Howard Patton, who Is Interested in
coal properties in western Pennrylva-
MIA MI Patton explained that he
held stock In five companies which were
consolidated with the keystone, and
through that Transaction secured his
holdings I'm the Keystone company.
Mr.. Patton proved an unwilling Wit
ness when questioned about his hold
lngs in the Atlantic Crushed coke com
pany and repeated efforts were made
by Mr.. Glasgow 10 draw q positive
statement as to whether he had paid
any actual cash for his 400 shares in
the company Mr.. Patton explained
that he became interested IN the land
INCREASING company through ]. How.
ard Patton. who represented the inter-
ests of col George f. HUFF When
Inc land was purchased he said the In.
yestors were obliged to pay their pro-
rata share, but as there had been no
losses, 1t was necessary to pay In
cash.
you got that obligation back, didn't
your"
II did in stock,
Were you required 10 pay anything
toward the purchase Of the land
II stood 10 lose and had II been nee
essary, would have paid my share
Senator Cockrell here interrupted,
SAYING
1T seems TO me to be an easy mat
ter for you to say you went into a
speculative deal that none OF you paid
any cash and that the corporation was
responsible for the purchase price.
do not see the necessity OF beating
about the BUSH
AS matter OF fact, said Chairman
Knapp, You took the risk, but did not
lose anything.
Il was an investor replied the wit
ness, and was treated the same as
other investors
Concerning the Huron Coal company,
Mr.. Patton said he Thought ne nad eVo
shares, but was not certain, when ne
acquired in the same manner as MS
holdings In the Atlantic crushed Nohe
company. He was asked II ne ever
held stock In the Columbia Coal COM
pany He said he had AT lis organlza-
ton but II became a selling company
instead OF an operating company ana
he sold his stock to a Greensburg' ia"
banking company
what bank took RI
The Cassatt bank.
In the Greenwish company nv. Pat
ton said he had 1000 shares, lie said
he was obliged by note to the amount
Of $4,000 for the purchase OF the land.
The money was guaranteed by Mr..
HUNS bank at Greensburg, Witness
said he got the money back through
the sale OF bonds.
Concerning the Cochran Coal COM
pany. Mr. Patton said there were 1900
or 5000 acres Of undeyeloped coal land
and some Of our people suggested to
Thomas Cochran the deslrablity Of de-
Veloplng II.
Asked what he meant by some OF
our people" witness said bankers and
brokers and others who might be In
tnested IN the development OF the
land. Mir, Patton said he was abligated
10 the amount of $4,000 in the organl.
cation Of this company, Thomas Coch.
ran going ON his note. He acquired
800 shares In the company but paid nc
Interest on the note