The San Francisco call., 1909-04-24
SHIPPERS SCORE IN
SWITCHING INQUIRY
Agent of Interstate Commerce
Commission Secretly
Gathers Data
San Francisco and Los Angeles
Merchants Win Many
Points at Hearing

San Francisco and Los Angeles ship
pers scored heavily against the rail-
roads yesterday in the hearing OF evi-
dence in the so called switching
charge" cases now in progress before
Special Examiner j. D. Ledermann
Agents OF the interstate commerce
commission We're on the stand through
out the day and presented a mass of
data gathered by themselves by actual
work in the railroad yards. which will
be relied on by the shippers associa-
tions to prove that the arbitrary
charges enforced in san Francisco and
Los Angeles and no place else in the
country are illegal and discriminatory.
Failing 10 break down the testimony
Of the governments witnesses. c. W.
Durbrow, attorney for the Southern
Pacific. contented himself with attack
ing the interstate commerce commits
sion for securing data without notify
ing the common carriers OF its purpose.
CONTINUATION OF LANE INQUIRY
The hearing now in progress in this
city is a continuation OF the hearings
held in Los Angeles and san Francisco
by Commissioner Franklin X Lane
during January IN connection with the
cases Of the Associated Jobbers of Los
Angeles VS.. the Southern Pacific. Santa
te and salt Lake roads. and the Pacific
Coast Jobbers and Manufacturers as
sociatiOn Of San Francisco vs. the
southern Pacific and Santa Fe lines
The complaints filed BY the shippers
allege that the $3.50 charged by the
in Tac
Francisco for switching a carload of
freight from the eompaRys yards TO
private spur is unjust and Illegal
This allegation is based on the fact
that no similar switching charge is
made in any other city OF the country
q George D. Winters, special agent Of
The interstate commerce commission
was the first witness called yesterday.
and occupied the stand until late in
the afternoon when Frank McManamy.
another special agent was called.
IT developed from Winters testimony
that he had been directed by the in
terstate commerce commission to pro-
eeed 10 Los Angeles and secure infor-
nation regarding conditions In the
railroad yards and the cost Of switch
ing ears 10 private lines as compared
with switching 10 the carriers ware
houses or team tracks on which there
is no charge Winters spent four DAYS
working quietly in the yards of the
southern Pacific, Santa Fe and Salt
Lake roads. during which time he kept
an accurate account Of the number Of
cars switched 10 private tracks. the
time engines We're employed hauling
these cars and other data bearing on
this phase Of transferring cars
A record was also kept Of the time
during which the engines were en-
ployed switching TO the railroad cor
rrs~4f ff..r-f -. =
showed that the time and service re-
Quired We're about the same and that
the railroad companies were not put
10 any greater expense in Instances
where they delivered cars at the side
tracks Of the shippers.
FALLACY OF CHARGE SHOWN
This testimony tended TO show the
fsllacy Of the contention Of the rail-
roads that the S2.50 switching charge
was justified by Increased service.
seth Mann and J. p Loeb and +. c.
huster, attorney for The Los Angeles
shippers, brought out the testimony
with telling effect and then turned the
witness over 10 Durbrow and Z. w
Camp, who appeared for the Eouthern
Pacific and Santa Fe respectively
DUrbrow demanded the source Of
the witness information in regard to
the time the railroad equipment had
hFSH employed In the various Kinds or
switching. Winters answered that
great deal Of the data had been gath
cred by himself and McManamy in per
son and that the. data concernsng what
happened while they were not in the
YARDS was secured from employees of
the company. He refused TO give the
names Of the employees. although Dur
brow persisted.
If ! give you the names said Win
ters, finally, 1T might prove embar-
RAISING In the extreme to the en-
ployes who gave me the data, and /
DO not feel at liberty to divulge them
Winters proved himself thoroughly
competent railroadman Of II years ex-
perience and supplied the examiner
with a report in which the various
eFolutions Of cars in the yards and
the time and engine power required
Tor their moving had been computed
10 a fraction.
McManamy was called late in the
session. but had progressed only a
short way when adjournment was
taken.
The evidence yesterday was confined
10 the Los Angeles cases but the San
Francisco case win be taken up today.
GRAHAM ROMYN TAYIOR