The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-01-10

Southern Pacific gives to the Denver
g. Rio Grande at Ogden as much traffic
as IL receives from that line.
Commissioner Clements asked Mr..
Stubbs If he would sanction an increase
of raj tes, without knowing that his com
petiors were going TO do the same,
81 wouldn' T dare to do il, ~ replied
| the witness,
"Then there ism Z such thing as an
independent line2'
Sees No Difference,
cit is Just as independent as any
| member of society can be. Every man
in the community is compelled to forego
a portion of his natural rights for the
good of the whole. | see no difference
| in the case
''If company said Commissioner
dends, ism Z that ground for reducing
| rates1'
''I don't know said the witness.
"that it is expedent for me to give
my personal opinion on that. If you
are referring TO the Union Pacific, [
| would say that IT is we'll to remember
| the lean years that the Union Pacific
stockholders have gone through Under
the circumstances, ] should not say that
| reduced rates are called for.
Mr. Milburn, in commencing the cross
examination, said
"Thcre may be lean years in the flu
ture. may there not2''
81 hope not, but | am afraid there
will be. The last few years have been
very exceptional in regard TO the rail
road business.
Mr. Mllburn brought out from Mr.
Stubbs the statement that he considered
the thirty-day notice OF proposed alter
alton of rates as directed by the new
rate law. as a distinct benefit, because
bo ha1 l,,,n oh
creased stability Of rates
Questioned by Commissioner Harlan
regarding railroad competition, Mr..
Stubbs said that one owner for parallel
lines did not mean the destruction of
competition.
Competition Inevitable.
Mr. HILL he said ''is probably
the leading railroad man in this coun
try, and he cannot, if he would. destroy
competition between the Great Northern
and Northern Pacific He must employ
vice-presidents and general managers.
These men have their regulations to
uphold or 10 construct. They will work
for their own line against the other line,
and competition is inevitable. If Mr.,
Hill should take that spirit ont of his
men he might as we'll hand their man
agement over to -hundred'dollar
clerk. -
Mr.. Stubbs was succeeded on the
stand by j. \. Hannaford, second vice
president of the Northern Pacific, who
is in charge of the traffic on that line.
Mr.. Hannaford said that in the pools
conducted prior TO 1887 the Union Pa
ci6c and Southern Pacific were repre-
sented as separate lines. He had always
considered the Southern Pacific and the
Union Pacific, in connection with the
Oregon Short Line. as competitors of
the Northern Pacific for Portland traf
fic. The Northern Pacific could not be
an active competitor of the Southern
Pacific on business from the East TO
San Francisco. because the boat service
and Galveston could not be equalled
across the lakes. Mr.. Hannaford did
not consider combination of trans
continental lines meant destruction of
competition, and declared the business
rivalry between the Great Northern and
Northern Pacific is sharper today than
before they went under the same man
agement.
Attorney Gets Aroused.
"Mr Hannaford, | will illustrate,'
said Mr. Severance. tDon't you be.
lieve that the excellent passenger ser
vice between Chicago and st. Paul is
superior to that between New York
and Boston because there are rival lines
between the two former cities and none
between the latter two? Don't you
account for midnight horrors that run
between New York and Boston on the
ground that there is no competition
there?'
"I don t know that they are 'hor-
rors, y replied the witness.
"Well, they are said Mr.. Sever
ance, with feeling.
Commissioner Lane and Harlan asked |
Mr., Hannaford many questions as to
whether or not a consolidation of own
ership did not mean a sitting of com
petition. The witness did not believe
that such a result would necessarily fol
low,
"Do YOU believe asked Attorney
Kellogg, that the philanthropic men
down in New York who own these lines
will give the hest service they can of
their own accord2'
They have very little to do with
the operation of the roads, said Mr.
Hannaford. "The men who actively op-
crate the lines will give the best ser
vice they can,
The witness was asked by the attor-
neys for Mr.. Hartman Just how great
a factor in bringing business TO rail
road was reduction in rates. Mr.. Han
naford said it depended upon circum-
stances
"Suppose, said Mr.. Lane, "that
You announce a reduction Of rates of
commodity. Would the announcement
by a competitor of its intention to meet
this cut by a reduction on something
else deter you from making your pro-
posed reduction?'
1T would if stood to lose more than
l would gain. Once it would not. but
now 1 am older than ] used to be- -
The hearing was adjourned until 10
o clock tomorrow morning.