Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-07-11
SMALL SHIPPER
At DISADVANTAGE
AGENT SAYS LARGE GROWERS
HAVE PRECEDENCE
All Admit That Proper Distribution of
Cars in the Busy Season Is a
Problem Not Easily
Solved

when the nearing or the car SnoItdSe
| complaint made by the California Frul,
| Growers exchange was resumed before
| Special Commissioner Frank G.. Ffnlay-
son yesterday, w. d. Barnwell, general
freight agent of the Santa Fe coas'
| lines, was recalled to the witness stand
| On redirect examination he testified that
under the percentage or holdings rule II
| was not the practice to hold cars three
or four days for the big shippers IN
| times of car shortage no cars were held
for any one, and when there was no
shortage it was not necessary to apply
! the percentage or any other rule, there
| being cars enough for all.
| He admitted that the California Fruit
Growers exchange and its subordinate
| concerns were the largest shippers over
| the Santa Fe lines In Southern California,
| and quoted the record to prove that up
to May 81 of this year they had shipped
81 per cent of all citrus fruits consigned
to points east of Albuquerque, New Mex
leo, the Citrus union shipping 9-l0 per
cent and the Independent shippers 81 l-lO.
Here Commissioner Finlayson inter-
posed What authority, If any, is vested
in the local agents regarding the appor-
tionment of the cars at their respective
stations in times of SHORTAGE?
Il think" replied Mr.. Barnwell, 1t is
In the form of a letter from our general
agents, and verbal instructions from the
visiting officials. l do not recall that any
circular letter was ever issued, covering
the subject
on recross examination Attorney Dunn
of the Southern Pacific remarked that he
had no questions to ask, leaving all of
that for Mr.. Britt, attorney for the Citrus
union.
In answer to a hypothetical question by
Mr.. Britt, the witness stated most en-
phatically that he would discourage any
shipper from the practice of bringing fruit
a long distance, out of the territory of
another station. He thought such prac-
ing cars and could only result in longest
ing the business of the shippers of the
local station, who. he thought were en-
titled to first consideration in time of a
car shortage.
Commissioner Finlayson provoked
laugh by asking casually if persuasion by
a railroad company was not usually eff
fectual, and the witness replied tnat they
tried to make ii so.
Mr.. Barnwell thought it would be to
the interest of the growers if they would
store the other varieties of oranges and
push forward the shipment of the navels.
for the latter did not keep so well. He
would not refuse either Mediterranean
sweets or lemons if oIered for shipment
during the navel season, but he wished
the growers would leave them on the trees
until the latter were out of the way.
After considerable sparring between the
attorneys for the intervenor and the wit
ness in regard to the latter's opinion on
certain subject, the commissioner remind
ed them that oniy facts would be con-
sidered by the interstate commission in
their view of the case, and he suggested
that the attorneys confine themselves to
facts as much as possible.
Santa Fe had no interest in the case I'M
der discussion except to deal fairly with
every one.
Advocates Present Plan
J. r. Downs. station agent at Redlands
for the Southern Pacific, was next called.
His experience had taught him that the
method of distributing cars on a per-
centage plan, based on the holdings of
the shippers was the only practicable
one. He had tried both ways and found
that the new system recently adopted
by the Southern Pacific worked a hard
ship on the small shipper.
In case of a car shortage he said it
was the practice of the railroad COM
pany no notify the growers that no cars
were obtainable and it would be ad-
visable TO leave the fruit on the trees.
d. w. Pontius, commercial agent of
the Southern Pacific, explained how he
first obtained from the shippers an es-
innate of how many carloads they in
tended to ship during the season, and
then their figures were verified by ref
erence to the growers, to ascertain II
the shippers really had bought as many
as they claimed. As a rule 1t was
found that the shippers had overesti-
mated the matter, and Mr.. Pontius usu-
ally revised their figures
The witness also thought the present
method of distributing cars could be
much improved upon in the matter of
notifying the shippers as to how many
cars were to be had.
H. p. Monohan, station agent at Po-
mona for the Southern Pacific, proved
very interesting witness, furnishing
great deal of information and some
amusement for the spectators. He, too,
was in favor of the holding plan,
which he found in use at Pomona when
he became agent there nearly two years
ago. He usually wired to the superin-
tendent at 3 in the afternoon the num-
of required his station and
the cars were delivered at II o'clock
the same night. He never knew of the
exchange holding car longer than un-
til o'clock the same evening.
When pressed for a reason as to why
he thought the holding system the best
method of apportionment during pc
Rod of car shortage Mr.. Monohan re-
piled that 1T was because every one had
an equal chance, while by the rule at
present in force man with only one
car to ship would be crowded out by
the larger shippers, who kept dozen
or more carloads packed and ready for
shipment all the time.
He explained further that under the
present rule the consignor having the
| largest shipment ready was entitled to
| first consideration in time of car
shortage, and in his experience 1t had
been necessary to supersede the order
with his own good Judgment In order
| to aid the small shipper to get his goods
UP to the present year. the witness
stated, there had never been any con-
troversy as to the distribution of cars
on the holdings plan, but when the
recent shortage began in February
there had been several kicks. The COM
plants were common, first on the short
| age and then on the method of appor-
| Torment Among others, the exchange
and citrue union had complained, but
the witness thought that a shipper by
the name of Gilmore had been the most
| insistent kicker.
On cross examination Attorney Dunn
of the Southern Pacific asked the wit
ness why he had applied the epithet of
kicker to Gilmore. and wanted to know
exactly what Gilmore had said to de-
| serve such designation.
IT can't remember what he didn
say" replied the witness, amid gen
erai laugh. He claimed to have 20 per
cent of the fruit shipped from Pomona
but 1 differed with him"
The witness was reminded of his
statement on direct examination, in
which he contended that under the pres
! ent rule a small shipper could not for
ward single car, and asked II he could
| remember an instance of It,
/ IT can" Monohan replied. He then
told of r. Swan & Son, shippers at Po-
mona who had been compelled to hold
a carload for a whole week, and would
L have been holding them yet If the wit
moss had not adjusted the matter by