The San Francisco call., 1907-02-09
CLARK LINE STOPS
FAST SERVICE
Lane Learns That Larger
Roads Made 1t Cease Six
Day Fruit Run to Chicago
GROWERS IN STRAITS

K Lane adjourned the Interstate Com
merce Commission hearing at the con-
clusion of today's session, to meet again
in New york on February 25. when the
inquiry into the Hartman merger VIII
be taken up again.
Several railroad officials and oncers
of fruit growers associations testlheo
today Many new facts of Importance
were ELECTED. chief among them being
the admission of r z. Wells, general
manager of the San Pedro, Los Angeles
and Salt Lake road, that after the
company had instituted fast sfx-day
freight service to Chicago for the bene-
fit of the fruit industry OF southern
California, the Southern Pacffc ana
Santa Fe companies made objection 70
his road and the service was dlscon-
tinued. This was deemed triumph Dy
the commissions attorney, as the rail-
road had made the contention that 1T
was not matter of competition IN
rates between the railroads, but rather
a matter of equipment and service from
which the public was benefited
GROWERS MAKE NOTHING
Fruit men testified that the growers
were making no money owing to ex-
orbitant freight rates, and that the
crops were greatly endangered by the
car shortage4
]. Ross Clark. brother of Senator
Clark and director of the Salt Lake,
who was on the stand all day yester-
day, took the witness chair again this
morning Clark testified briefly as to
the car shortage. which he said had
existed principally on the Eastern con-
nections of the Clark road and not on
it's own line.
Thomas E. Gibbon, former director,
third vice president and general coun-
a11I InH
to the stand. His testimony was large
ly repetition of the statements OF
Clark yesterday. 1t was the intention
of Senator Clark and his associates to
build a line wholly independent Of
other railroads running into the South
west. the witness said.
The difficulty with the Hartman in
terests In Meadow Valley wash, as tes-
titled to yesterday by Clark, nearly re-
pIoyes of the two companies. until
finally by mutual suggestion and unani-
nous consent the witness testified. the
Hartman and Clark interests agreed
upon a protocol, Hartman securing a
half interest in the Clark road. and the
line was built and mutually satisfac-
tory traffic arrangements made.
r. E Wells, general manager of the
Salt Lake road. was the next witness
He knew little of traffic details. He
said that his company was operating
but ESQ out of a total Of 5000 fruit cars
which 1T had under contract from the
Armour Company. and that this car
shortage was due to lack of motive
power. One of the most important
admissions by the witness was that the
term local freight" used in the
ninety -nine-year agreement between the
Harriman and Clark interests, by
which the Clark road was bound to
main tain the same freight rates as the
Hartman lines, meant all freight west
of the Missouri River.
STOP THE FAST SERVICE
Interesting testimony was brought
out showing that the Southern Pacific
and the Santa Fe had caused the dis
continuance Of fast freight service on
citrus fruits over the Saft Lake. line
between this city and Chicago. In jan
uary, 1906, the Salt Lake had sent fruit
trains to Chicago in six days, via the
Denver and Rio Grande and the Chi
cago, Burlington and Quincy.
Attorney Severance-why were these discon-
tinued?
wells-There was complaint made about them.
Who made this complaint?
The Southern Pacific.
Any one else?
You stopped them on their complaints. then?
No, sir.
Why did you stop them?
Well, they just run themselves out.
thought 70.
Wells-It the condition of our roadbed
that caused to discontinue the fast service
Commissioner Lane-Where did the complaints
come from?
Weils-Chfcago.
How did they comet
don't know.
Who told you about them?
j can't remember.
Why don't you resume the fast service?
RAILROADS TAKE PROFITS
The witness replied that they did not
have enough motive power to keep UP
the service and that conditions were
bad otherwise.
Late this afternoon several officials
of fruit growers organizations were
called to the stand and they testified
to the general condition of the fruit
in this section. 1t was shown
that the growers had made little orf
no money out OF oranges for several
years, and that the growers considered
that the railroads were getting all of
the profits on the crop with high
freight rates. The car shortage was
greatly with the market