Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-07
RAILROADS ARE
NOW UNDER FIRE
SANTA FE INVESTIGATED BY
BOARD
-
COMMISSIONERS ALSO AFTER
SALT LAKE
Members Differ as to Whether Leni-
ency Should Be Shown Southern
Pacific--Meet Here for
First Time

According to present indications, the
members of the state board of railroad
commissioners, who opened their ses-
sions In Los Angeles at the Chamber of
Commerce building for the first time in
the history OF the beard yesterday, will
have some heavy work ahead of them
for few days
The investigation of alleged discrim-
ination between shippers is the exact
line OF their work, the Santa Fe and
the Salt Lake being said to be. the OBJ
jects of the investigation, while the
Southern Pacific, IL Is rumored, may
come through with less weighty pun
lshment than those two roads men
toned.
The names of the board of railroad
commissioners are as follows:
A. c. Irwin of Sacramento, president;
III. d. Loyeland of San Francisco The
odore Summerland of Los Angeles:
while with them are Attorney General
U. S. Webb, who is the boards attor-
ney. and Assistant Attorney General
Raymond Benjamin.
All OF them arrived in Los Angeles
from San Francisco Sunday.
w. G.. Barnwell, general freight
agent of the Santa Fe road, was on
the stand all day yesterday, from 10 a.
m. when the hearing began, until its
close, when it was adjourned until this
morning at 10 o'clock.
One Santa Fe Official Questioned
After the reading of the official order
OF the boards investigation of the San
ia Fe road on the charge of alleged
discrimination between shippers, Barn
we'll took the stand.
Some two hours of careful question:
ing by the attorney general ELECTED the
statement from the witness that spe-
! cial tariff had been used by the Santa
Fe in California under the title of
Temporary local rate tariff" That
was in 1905.
Later i'm the day Barnwell testified
that, as the attorney general had
called them. the voucher rates were
called special rates" But, he ex-
| planned, that there were not so many
of these special rates granted in 1906
as in 1905. When asked as to whether
there were some OF these special
| rates. granted In 1907, the witness re-
piled that he was not prepared to an
swer.
The Santa Fe had among its repre-
| sentatives at the hearing yesterday
| Assistant Freight Traffic Manager Ed
ward Chambers; II. =. Anawalt, his
eral Counsel 7. ]. Norton of Chicago
and E. w. Camp, solicitor for the rail-
road.
The Salt Lake had several officials
| in attendance also, who may be on the
| stand when their road is investigated
on this question later.
Minority Report May Be Filed
| AS for the opinion of the commits
sioners regarding the Southern Pa
cific, which road was investigated on
similar charges at the commissions
recent meeting at San Francisco, Com
missioner II. d. Loveland may submit
minority report, asking that this cor
poration be fined for discrimination in
rates, if his colleagues, Alexander Ir-
win, president of the board, and The
odore Summerland of Los Angeles, in
sist that leniency be shown the South
ern Pacific on that count.
| But 1t is said that the entire COM
mission t. in favor of prosecuting the
| Salt Lake and Santa Fe on the same
| charge. to the limit. However, devel-
| opmerits will tell, as the investigation
| Is carried on from day to day.