Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-17
Companies Must Show Special Con-
ditions Prevail in Los Angeles to
Defeat Contention of
Compliments

switching charge in every city in the
country. Unless they can Substantiate
the claim that special conditions attach
to the situation in Los Angeles and San
Francisco, which do not prevail in
Seattle and other coast cities, as well
! as IN the east, the contention Of the
Associated Jobbers will be upheld by
the commission
This was brought out by the testi-
mony yesterday when a number Of bus
mess men and railroad officials were
questioned.
1.-THE question is one of great inn
portance," said Commissioner Franklin
K. Lane, land does not concern Los
Angeles alone''
The railroad defense. as outlined bv
Z. r. Dunno, attorney for the Southern
Pacific, is that the $3.50 charge is for
special service rendered after the haul
proper is completed on similar lines
with the special letter delivery made
by the postof1ce, that the charge for
tnat service is reasonable and proper.
that Its discontinuance would work
an injustice on railroads and that the
conditions which cause it to prevail in
Los Angeles are not legal or economic
but historical.
Against this the Associated Jobhers
of Los Angeles are endeavoring to prove
the charge is not imposed elsewhere
except at San Diego and San Francisco
ana that there is no reason why the
custom is eastern cities should not oh
tain locally. They also have intro
duced evidence to show the railroads
nave received valuable concessions and
possess valuable property in the indus
trial service tracks, and that thera iv
no unusual expense to justify the extra
switching charges.
Roads Hold Back Evidence
The railroad attorneys apparently
saved their strongest evidence for the
pan FRANCISCO hearing. At yesterdays
nearing they endeavored to obtain ner-
mission to close their case at San Fran
CISCO, but Attorneys Kuster and Loeb
ooJected strongly, saying if rebuttal
became necessary all Los Angeles wit
nesses would be 500 miles from the
nearing. Commissioner Lane did not
sustain the railroad attorneys.
AZ the session yesterday morning
members of the Associated Jobbers Of
Los Angeles testified they were brought
directly into competition with business
men of other cities who did not have
the switching charge.
FRANK Brininstool said his firm must
compete in selling axle grease with the
standard Oil company, which does not
IeeI the extra switching expense.
w. u. Bishop said Bishop & Co. meet
firms, on whom the $3.50 per car
charge is not imposed because their
factories are not located in Los An
geles.
L. c. Scheller, traffic manager of
the Union Hardware and Metal com
pany, said his concern had been
brought into competition with a San
Diego firm, located on an industry
track of the Santa Fe, which did not
pay the switching charge, and in adj
dition st. Louis and Chicago competi-
tors were likewise favored.
G. S. KiouS of Stetson, Barrett &,
Co., testified his firm met in Arizona
and New Mexico the competition of
| eastern wholesale grocers who have
industry track service but who are
not compelled to pay switching
charges.
J. B. Jacobs, vice president of the
Simon Levi company, said his COM
pany is disseminated against through
! competition with a San Jose concern,
which pays no switching charge for
| industrial track service.
! M. H. Newmark, president of the
Associated Jobbers, also testified re-
! garding local conditions.
! Says Team Tracks Are Inadequate
G. B. Shaw of the California Truck
company stated he considers the team
| tracks of the railroads inadequate,
under normal conditions, to provide
! for the business received over them.
| He said that the trucking companies
! had experienced considerable difficult
| ty in handling goods from the cars.
Bad roads and congestion Of cars COM
bined to produce such condition, ac-
cording to Mr.. Shaw.
Railroad men were the witnesses at
! the afternoon and evening sessions,
among them being Edward Chambers,
J. r. Hitchcock, C. H Titcomb and r.
T. Burdett. The testimony was mainly
technical, relating to realty values and
cost of track service.
''Why is it," asked Commissioner
Lane in the course of last nights hear
ing, addressing his question to the
Santa Fe attorneys, that on one side
you have a team track where free de-
liveries are made while on the other.
near by, charge is made? You should
have uniform rule, and how are you
going to put it into effect? Won't you
have to make a general charge outside
a certain DISTRICT"
mot necessarily" said Mr.. Camp,
"the industrial track delivery is a spe-
cial service for which a charge is justi-
fed
"That is Just the situation" respond
ed the commissioner, with rs per cent
Of the grain elevators of the United
States, which are situated on the right
of way. Those like Armour's are not
open to the public generally. Probably
the same situation applies to a great
majority of the coal chutes."
The hearing proved as tedious as it
was drawn out. 81 hope we can get
through soon; I object to working
Sundays" said P. F. Dunno, attorney
for the Southern Pacific, as midnight
approached.
'"That is not contrary to the act reg
ulating commerce. said Commissioner
Lane dryly.
81 submit that all good things are not
in that act" said Mr.. Dunno.
But" quickly returned Mr.. Lane,
sit has numerous things to make men
good''
"Ill be good, your honor" said Mr..
Dunno.
The evidence stood submitted at II
o'clock, subject to a subsequent order
to take dispositions as to the cost Of
track service. The attorneys will make
oral arguments at Washington, but the
time for submitting briefs will not be