The San Francisco call., 1909-01-26
WANTS S.P. BOOKS
Barred TO PUBLIC
Attorney Seth Mann Asks Inter-
state Commerce Board TO In
vestigate Roads Profits
Commissioner Lane Forced to
Suspend Rate Hearing to
Leave for East

The switching case hearing came to
temporary halt last night when Com
missioner Lane left for Washington.
The hearing viii be resumed in San
Francisco some time next month before
"a special examiner TO be selected by
The interstate commerce board.
TIL concluding hours OF yesterdays
session were marked by spirited dis
cussion between Attorney Peter Dunno
OF the Southern Pacific and Seth Mann.
attorney for the jobbers and manufac-
turers. Mann had grown restless under
the evasiVe answering of the company's
witnesses and their disposition TO inter
pret their records TO mt their case. Ex-
pressing his conviction that il was un-
fair 10 the shippers to leave to the
company the unchaIlenged elucidation
of its own statistics, Mann fled a formal
motion that the commission investigate
the company's books and make its own
deductions as 10 the meaning of the fig
ures.
I suggest" said Mann. that an in
Nestigation be made by the interstate
commerce commission into the books
81 the company TO gain at first hand
ims information, undiluted by the com
panys witnesses. These statements
which have been made TO US, have been
Uttered through the judgment and opin-
IONS Of the company's witnesses. This
IS unsatisfactory TO US because these
statements are clOuded by the loyalty
OF The witnesses to the company.
No PERJURY CHARGE
Il do not charge that there has been
perjury, continued Mann, but the 10y
atty or the employees to the COMPANY
has warped their Judgment. and this
we have found to be a consideration
here- j now place my suggestion in the
form Of motion that the commission
investigate the books of the companv -
Lane announced that he would take
me matter under advisement In a mo-
ment Dunno retaliated with a demand
mat the business firms in the iobbers'
and manufacturers association be COM
PEELED 10 produce a record of their
business, their profits accruing from the
use OF spur tracks and other data Gov
erlng the past four or five years
We have been called upon here 3"
said Dunno, ito lay our books open for
inspection and to produce statements of
our business. / think this requirement
should extend TO the other parties of
this action
Lane denied the request, but gave
Dunno permission 10 summon as wit
nesses such members Of the association
m
the points mentioned.
In the discussion that ensued it he
came clear that the Southern Pacific
VIII take the position that the switch
ing charge Of S2.50 a car is not too
nigh and VIII answer the charge of dis
elimination by imposing the same tax
ln al Pacific coast terminals IN Cali
fornia.
LUCE FIRST WITNESS
The first witness called yesterday was
g. ". Luce, general freight agent of
The Southern Pacific. Luce was ready
with explanations and nettled Mann
somewhat by his refusal to confne him
self TO direct replies.
Ny previous answer will cover that
duplex question" was one Of Luce's re-
torts, 10 which Mann replied: Yes. and
that is the best answer that you can
give"
The witness explained that there was
10 switching charge at Stockton eand
other river points because of the water
competition
And 1 suppose there is no water at
san Francisco" interjected Mann.
The witness admitted, finally. that
since San Francisco paid the switching
charge there was no reason why Oak
land should not
A. ". PiOda. a civil engineer in the
employ Of the Southern Pacific. was the
last witness Of the day He testified
that the property devoted by the rail
roads TO spur track purposes was valued
at S921.320 He added that it cost the
company $4,000 10 install the SeS miles
Of spur track and that il required 81 900
a mile year to maintain the spurs
Mann took exception TO the system Of
calculation and the subject was under
discussion when the hearing was ad-
jOurned
Lane was forced to suspend the hear
ing in order TO reach Washington in
time 10 sits with the commission on