New-York tribune., 1907-06-21
RAILROAD MEN ACT.
MAY LOWER 4LIEN RATES
Surprises at Hearing Before Com
mcrcc Commission

discrimination against immigrant nassaroors
m the part Of railroads running west and south
sron1 New York came to an ahr,,nt tar,,,;,,,.,.
yesterday afternoon. This WAS after 4za,.,.
Wise and John W. II. Grim. Assistant Trnited
states Attorneys. had brought out from, tho or,,
two witnesses examined surprising revelations
.s 10 the conditions under which the inrpigror.
,s forced TO travel from Ellis Island TO his des-
tination. Before the governments attorneys
had finished with the examination of the second
witness more than sufficient confirmation of the
statements made in The Tribune yesterday as
10 the immigrant traffic had been brought ont
10 cause the attorneys and traffic officials Of
;he railroads 10 pUt in a hurry call for a con-
ference. After recess of about half an hour
Martin s. Decker, special examiner for tba
commission. announced that BY consent of botb
sizes the hearing would be adjourned to JuI,- I
10 enable the defendants and Commissioner
Wetchorn TO see If they could not settle the
ronts under dispute
The hearing was held in Room az in the Post
Office Building. After a morning session The
railroad officials went into conference al once
10 determine what action they should take after
the revelations made by J. r. Wood general pas
senger traffic agent Of the Pennsylvania Rail
road, and Philip Cowan an immigration insnec
tor from Ellis Island. The former Acknowledged
under Mr.. Wises examination that the ir,,,,i
grant passenger tariff between New York and
Philadelphia was. as The Tribune stated YES
terday, precisely the same the first class pas
senger rate. Furthermore, Mr.. Wise got the
witness 10 admit reluctantly that during the last
Eve years there had been q consistent reduction
in the rates quoted 10 first class passengers
whereas during the same period the tax on the
immigrant had been steadily going IN Mr.
Wise then put Mr.. Cowan on the stand to show
what wide difference there is between the ser
vice given TO the immigrant and that provided
trains for first class passengers Mr. Cowen
gave in detail an account of a trip to Philadel
fhia on immigrant train which he took last
Monday night
SEVEN RAILROADS REPRESENTED.
The seven railroads named in Commissioner
Watchorn's complaint are the Pennsylvania the
Erie, the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western the
Baltimore & Ohio. the Central Of New Jersey
the Philadelphia & Readipg and the Lehigh VAL
ley When Special Examiner Decker opened the
hearing ar 10 o'clock each Of the roads was rep
resented by counsel and at least one of its traf-
fc officials. In announcing the purpose of the
hearing Mr.. Wise said he intended to show that
the defendant railroads charged unjust and
reasonable rates for the immigrant passenger
service. when the character of the service was
considered. He would prove. he said, that.
though the rates for immigrants 10 points west
ard south Of New York practically the
same as those quoted TO first class passengers.
10 afford no comparison at all with that for
the first class passenger.
Mr.. Wood, who was the first witness, identified
the tariff which had been filed with the Inter
state Commerce Commission by the Immigrant
Clearing House, which Is composed Of the vari-
Gus railroads, and deterpnes the immigrant
tariff and the appOr1ionment of the immigrant
carrying traffic. He admitted that the rate clerk
of his own road had prepared the tariff, which
had then been passed on and approved by the
passenger traffic managers of the various roads
running west from New York Mr.. Patterson,
counsel for the Pennsylvania, didn't see where
questions as to first class passenger traffic had
anything 10 do with inquiry regarding lInrl-
grant traffic. but Mr. Wise held that il was in
order TO show the difference between the service
OF immigrant trains and that given TO frst
class passengers Special Examiner Decker
agreed with 3Ir Wise, who then proceeded 10
ask the witness whether the Pennsylvania did
not get fair return from the first class passen-
ger traffic The witness wouldn't commit iln-
self 10 q categorical answer. but SAID II was a
rooted question, as the increase in the cost of
materials and wages during the last five years
had been very great For wages alone ne sald'
the Pennsylvania was now paying S25,oooVoo
year more than il did five years ago.
Mr Wise then got from the witness an aoIhls-
sion that five years ago the rate for an immi-
grant passenger between New York and Phila-
delphia had been only 81 15 II had been raised
since 10 81 and again TO 81 -. Mr. WOOD
thought tre increases in the rates had been mace
TO meet the increased cost Of operation.
Isn't il z matter of fact, though. that less
than year ago the rate for first class pas
senger between New York and PhiladeIphla was
81 90 and il is now only 81 Pop asked MI wise.
Mr.. Wood said that such was the case ana MI
Wise then brought out that other reductions
had been made in first class passenger laIes
during the last five years.
IMMIGRANT RATES INCREASED.
Mr Wood could not explain why the Pennsyl-
vania had not accompanied its increase in imml-
grant rates ito meet tfs increased cost Of opera
uon" with d corresponding increase in the nrst
class passenger tariff He thought that legisla-
ton bv the State Of Pennsylvania might nave
been resrorsibie for the reduction in the nrst
class passenger rates, and said that another such
reduction might be expected in September when
the PENNSYLVANIA 2-cent mile law would go
into effect Mr. Wise then brought out that the
immigrant bound for Atlantic City had 70 pay
So one way though the Pennsylvania Railroad
sold round trip excursion tickets for 81 30 Mr..
Wood seemed 20 forget about this excursion rate
until Mr. Wise showed him an advertisement OF
the Pennsylvania Railroad announcing il. Mr.
Wood said il for a Sunday excursion put
admitted that an immigrant could not ride on
the train His ticket. too must be used within
two dsvs NJ purchase 10 be valid, although a first
class passenger has unlimited time 10 make use
OF his To Washington the immigrant has TO
pay s. GO he admitted, although the first class
Passenger pays only cents more
TRIP ON IMMIGRANT TRAIN.
Inspector Cowan then told the story Of his
trip TO Philadelphia last week. He bought an
immigrant ticket and set out from Ellis Island
about O'Clock in the evening with about three
hundred and fifty immigrants. They were taken
70 the station Of the Central Railroad or New
Jersey in Jersey City and were penned up in A
section OF the station especially set on for i'm
migrants. Mr.. Cowan said this room was uCSer-
heath the main waiting room Of the stat0n Ind
me immigrants were locked IN. The only fur