The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-13
MEETING WITH BUSINESS MEN Local Complaints Are
 Discussed. MEMBERS OF FREIGHT BUREAU Hon. J. (. Clements Goes Over
 Procedure With Them. Informal Confersnee of Interstste Com- naeree Commissioners With the
 Montgomery Merchants
 Who Are Complsining.

Hon. Judson c. Clements. of the In- terstate Commerce Commission, met, socially. yesterday afternoon some of the leading business men of Montgom- cry. who compose the Montgomery freight Bureau. and with them dis cussed informally the case of the Bu- reau against certain common carriers, In which discrimination against the city of Montgomery is alleged. The conference between Judge Clem- ents and the gentlemen who compose the directorate of the Freight Bureau was devoted almost exclusively to the method of the Interstate Commerce Commission in hearing and adJudging against common carriers. Present at the conference were Horace Strin&fel- low and W. A. Gunter, attorneys, who are representing the Bureau in the in1- portant case which Is already before the Commission. but which is not yet set for trial
 Tn this case the Freight Bureau mated against. in favor of Mobile. Pen
 sacola and New orleans. by western lines and their connecting links from Mississippi and Ohio river crossing points. It Is set forth in the papers ! fied before the Commission that freight can be hauled through Montgomery to Mobile or Pensacola and hauled back to Montgomery from such points cheap CT than 1t can be brought to and stopped at Montgomery.
 1t is charged that as result of this
 Montgomery can be undersoid by Mo-
 bile and Pensacola merchants In
 wholesale territory near Montgomery,
 which by rights belongs to Montsom- erx.
 Judge Clements in his conference yesterday. declared that the purpose of the Interstate Commerce Commission under the new law was to condemn
 the unjust rate and substitute the just
 rate.'
 He did not. os course. express in any way an opinion as to the issue be- tween the Montgomery merchants and the carrying lines, which will come be-
 fore the Commission for a final adjust
 ment. Nor did the members of the Bu. reau urge their case on him. but de-
 voted the. conference to questions which wouM bring out information re- lating to the mode of procedure when the case came to trial before the Commission. This line of questioning
 was of special interest to the attor- nays who are representing the Mont gomery merchants complaining of the unjust discrimination.
 | A case before the Commission is not | subject to the strict rules nt pleading, | procedure and evidence which govern lawsuit" said Judge Clements. "The COLlIIHhhlOu WAA 4t8GtA 0HA Nu38IlouM on matters which are out of the rec ord. but which may assist in the ad- Indication of the. issue"
 The attorneys also desired to know | of the method of eummoning witnesses Judge Clements said that if the Com. mission was furnished with Q list of l witnesses desired, summonses would be | issued through the United States Mar | snaps effice, or one party to the issue | could present witnesses without their
 having been summoned through the | Commission.
 Judge Clements was unable to say at what time the Montgomery case
 would he brought to trial. He would confer with his associates when he
 returned to Washington, and the date would probably be set for the latter part of November. A member of the Commission or some special examiner
 would come to Montgomery to take evil dencA
 After this had been transcribed and
 attorneys on both sides were given
 time to examine the record. the final
 argument of the case by the attorneys
 on both sides would be heard in Wash
 ington. Hon. Frank Lyon. assistant
 attorney for the Commissioner, was
 present at the conference.
 Judge Clements was presented to
 the members of the Freight Bureau
 by Manager IT. g. Kealhofer. The con-
 ference was held in the offices of the
 Bureau in the Vandiver building.
 dozen of the largest shippers in Mont-