The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-01-22
DENVER TALE OF
WOE BEING TOLD
Commissioner Prouty Begins
investigation of Charges
OF Discrimination.
ROADS WELL REPRESENTED
ONE WITNESS LOADED WITH
TABLES OF FIGURES.

Denver, Colo, Jan. 21.-Interstate
commerce Commissioner Prouty began
IN investigation here today of alleged
violations OF law by railroads affecting
Denver and other Colorado points.
Ihree cases are under examination.
Two of them are upon complaints filed
by the Merchants Traffic association
VI DenNer, and the third instituted by
George j. kincel. d Denver manufac-
turer. The defendants in these cases
comprise about twenty of the strong
est trunk line railroad corporations i'm
the country
Inc complaints allege violation of
section of the interstate commerce
act. which forbids the charging of a.
rate for a short haul which shall be
nlgher i'm the aggregate than for
longer haul under similar circ1In-
stances and conditions. and also the re-
quirement that the shipper on the
longer haul shall not pay a higher
rate pc? ton per mile than on the
shorter haul i'm the same direction
Generally The allegations are of I'M
Just Determinations i'm tariff rates on
classes and commodities and unlawful
combinations by the roads made de-
PENDANTS.
Many Attorneys on Hand.
dozen attorneys appeared for the
various defendant railroads. The first
half hour was taken up in A discus
sion between Mr.. Prouty and the at
torneys as TO the method of procedure
and as to what testimony should be ad-
mitted.
George j. Kindel was the first wit
ness called. His testimony was a tech
nical expose of rates on cotton piece
goods or other commodities illustrated
by diagrams and maps, showing the
discrimination against Denver.
illustrated His Testimony.
Mr.. Kindel filed number OF tables
with the commission. according TO
which there is discrimination against
Denver i'm many commodities from
eastern points. These tables Illustrated
different methods of figuring out COM
prehensive tariff rates Some of the
tables showed that certain commodi-
ties could be shipped from eastern
points through Denver to San Francis
co and Salt Lake and back to Denver
as less rate than direct to Denver.
He suggested that this might explain
i'm part the shortage of cars throughout
the country.
The witness said all he asked was
equality i'm rates. He did not ask for
lower rates for Denver provided the
city could be treated equally well as
other localities.
Attorney Joel F. Vale. for the Den
yer g. Rio Grandc railroad, cross-eX-
amincd the witness i'm an effort 10 show
that the rates over his railroad were
not excessive.
The attorneys for the other railroads
also asked a few questions OF Mr.. Kin
del.
Furniture Dealers Plant.
A. J. Spengel. a furniture dealer of
Denver, complained of the rates on fur
niture and carpets. He said that as
president of the chamber of commerce
he had prepared brief on the railroad
rates which was presented to all the
western railroads. Nothing came of
this. although the roads promised to
take the matter up. He said that they
did not ask for a specific railroad rate,
but that they wanted to get into COM
petitive territory on an equal basis
with other places.