Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-30
ne HAS SHARP TILT WITH LAWYER
Wanted to Answer Questions In t4la
Own Way But Judge Montgomery
cOmpels Witness to Make Direct
RcpIy-Testlmony Relative to Inter.
State and lntra.state Business,
Oly AssocIated Press.l

Comptroller Plant, of the Southern
hallway was again subjected to sew
cral hours' close ana vigorous cross
examination in the North Carolina
railroad rate case before Master In
chanccry Montgomery. Speaker jun.
&c Tor the state, conducted the oross
examination aud had not flushed tho
inlulsltion when the hour of adjourn
mcnt arrived.
Mr.. Justice failed in his effort to
draw from Comptroller Plant n state.
mcilt that he could determine with
mathematical accuracy. the cost of do.
ing an Interstate bus ness In North
Carolina on tho Southern Railway.
Mr.. Plant did say. however, that he
could determine the minimum cost of
doing IN intrastatc business.
The question Of the decrease In tho
next earnings Of tho Southern Rail.
way wns gone into very fully.
MIR. Justice asked MIR. Plant II ne
thought the decrease II the earnings
OF his company WAS due To- cundi.
lions peculiar To tho present time or
TO conditions which have come to
be permanent. MIR. Plant replied that
he Southern Railway was confronted
with two things, which, II continued
VIII not result In very mich improve
lncnt III the situation. Those condl-
Tons are. he said, tho constant de.
i,'hds Tor Increases In wages of cnl-
liloycs. together with an upward ten
dency in the price of materials anu
Il desire on the part OF the pccple OF
certain states to reduce rates and i'm
pose what he believed TO be improved
restrictions and penalties on rail.
roads. Unless the people and tho
railroad work together, there would
not he, lie said. that measure OF sue
cess both desired. The net rcsults
to the Southern system in the future
he added, would depend very largely
upon the attitude of Its patrons to.
ward II
Margin OF Profit.
"lf we have favorable conditions
along these lines said Mr. Plant. az
believe the business prosperity OF
the country traversed by the Southern
Hallway will give ua sufficient in
crease In our gross earnings TO over.
come the increases we are now called
on To make in wages and materials"
Mr. Justice asked whether taking
INTO account only passenger trans In
| North Carolina, that Is, through
ira rs from one point In the state
To another, and local trains in the
state the Southern operated those
J trains ut II loss. Mr.. Plant replled:
MY judgment Is that including
hose local trains running on the main
lines with the local trains running
on the branch or local lines as dis
tinsuishcd from the through inter-
state passenger trains. there is n loss
in the local business, but taken Ms n
whole. including the through passen-
ger trains ana the local passenger
trains. believe there is margin or
profit in the business rs whole"
sharp tilt occurred between MIR.
Justice and Mr. Plant Just before the
noon recess.
Mr.. Just ccc asked MI. Plant IL
he could say how much more it would
cost to carry a freight train with
passengers than without passengers
on the High Point e Ashoboro line.
Mr. Plant proceeded to answer the
question in his own way, hut Mr..
Justice insisted upon direct reply.
Judge Montgomery informed the
witness that he must answer Eyes"
or no"
Then Mr.. Plant replied that the
cost could not be dcterm ned accu-
ratcly.