The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1908-03-31
Hearing Begas BsfOre interstate
GGalm5lCe Commission
Large Representation From Cities
ana h.sIfrUaGs frese2t-xvuAS
Mhi.e sfan Lodged IN saii-E2sc-
basI siatters-Cadcts OF A. ami
NJ College Inspected
Messenger buIeau

STATE Commerce Commissioner Juo-
son G.. Clements at the farborouSn
mouse and al ten o'clock everybody
| interested in the bill railway dlscfi-
| mination fight met ut the federal
| court room, where Hr. Clements pre-
sided and the hearing of the case
| about which so much mas been heard
| these past few months the charge be-
| ing discrimination against Winston
Salem, Durham and other North
| Carolina points by the Norfolk n
Western, the Big Four and the Louis
vile and Nashville railways in favor
OF Virginia points natably ROANOKE
! and Lynchburg and also including
\ Norfolk, Richmond and Petersburg,
which are what + called gateways
also. Lynchburg and several otner
| points, including Richmond and
Roanoke were asserted to be parties
to this case, standing by h reads
named, but Lynchburg dropped cut,
| denying hat it had any part in the
; affair. A Richmond man said today
that LyHchburg was really in it, but
| that it had, to use a sporting phrase,
laid down" He went on to say that
| Richmond had filed a brief and spoke
of the interest that town, Norfolk
! and Petersburg had in this matter.
The railways were represented by
the following persons: Louisville and
Nashville, C. B. Clopton. traffic man
| after, and w. G. bearing, attorney;
Seaboard Air Line, c. R. Caps, gen.
eral freight agent; Tidewater, S. M.
Adsitt, general freight agent; Nor
folk and Southern, R. e. l.. Bunch;
Norfolk and Western, T. S. DeVant,
vice-president and traffic manager,
j. R Rufin, general freight agent,
Lucian Cooke, general solicitor, r.
w. Moore and Sydney A. Andrews,
assistant special counsel; Southern,
L. Green, freight traffic manager, J.
H. Drake and Geo. Thompson, assis-
tant general freight agent; Atlantic
Coast Line, A. Brand, freight traffic
manager. The Seaboard Air Line,
T1dewater, Norfolk and Southern,
Southern, and Atlantic Coast Line
are not directly concerned in this
case, but indirectly they. are and SO
their people are ON the ground. The
Richmond chamber of commerce is
represented by E. S. Goodwin, it's
traffic manager. The Virginia cities,
Richmond, Petersburg, Norfolk, Suf-
kOlh duu ~ItOduUhc, WulCA dix 4uLC1-
veners in this suit are represented by
Charles E.. Davis and r. v. Davis, of
Petersburg and A. r, Thompson of
Washington.
On the other side there is a strong
delegation of fourteen from Durham,
headed by Julian S. Carr, and twelve
from Winston-Salem; A. B. Justice,
representing Charlotte. Other towns
have representatives also. N. L.
Crawford, the president of the North
Carolina Retail Merchants Associa-
ton is on hand, and so is Norman
H. Johnson, it's chief attorney. AT the
beginning of the proceedings Attor-
ney E. J. Justice for the state and
the corporation commission asked
the intervening towns If they would
oppose a reduction in the rates to
North Carolina points, whether it did
or did not interfere with the Virginia
rates. Davis and Davis, who are at
torneys for the Virginia towns said
they would oppose any reduction in
rates. Attorney Johnson, of the Ner-
chants Association, said this was a
very significant admission.
The first witness vas Clerk Henry
Clay Brown, of the corporation COM
mission, whom no nan in North
Carolina is better informed about
railway rates. On behalf of the COM
mission he was questioned mainly by
Attorney Guthrie. The reports on the
railway in interest of this matter, as
filed with the interstate commerce
commission were submitted as evil
dence and accepted by Commissioner
Clements, who sits as judge.
Mr.. Browns evidence showed that
the same rates were charged to Roa-
noke, Lynchburg, Richmond, Norfolk
and other Virginia points named from
Chicago and Cincinnati, and that a
much higher rate is charged to Win
ston-Salem and Durham. In fact Mr..
Brown made out a very strong case
of discrimination.
The young white man Goodwin, who
was captured yesterday by an au-
tomobile policeman, who made the
IT mile run from Raleigh to Apex
in g minutes, Is In Jail. At first he
sal dhe was from Atlanta and had
come here from Norfolk, but now he
admits he Is from Indiana He made
a plain confession OF his guilt and
is apt to get a good term on the
roads.
The Raleigh athletic association,
which will have charge of baseball
this season. has opened regular head
quarters with King Kelly in charge.
There was never more interest in the
game than at present and the outlook
is for a fine season. At the athletic
field additional seats are being put in
so as to provide for a total Of about
$500 spectators. The field is now in
very good condition
To judge by the statements made
by the your mems republican club here
there will be but few democrats left
il 1t keeps On, for they say it has near
" 400 members, having taking in q
last night.
Postmaster William G.. Briggs at
tended the Johnston county republi-
AN convention yesterday. This en-
dorsed him and J o. Stancill for del
egates from this district to the repub-