The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1909-11-06

| carefully prepared estimates of Com
missioner Shaughnessy based upon fg-
ures furnished by the Sparks office OF
the Southern Pacific company, show
ing the excessive cost of hauling
freight over the mountains west of
Reno, the conclusion reached being that
the haul from Reno to Sacramento costs
twice as much per ton per mile as
does the haul from Ogden to Reno.
Finally, the elaborate tabulations of
Commissioner Thurtell, demonstrating
with almost mathematical certainty
that if the terminal rates were Accord
ed to Reno and other Nevada points,
it would still leave the railroad COM
pany a net profit of from z to 10 per
cent, according to the basis of valua-
ton adopted.
These are the salient points of the
case as made by the commissioner
and thus the case stood at the begin
ming of the second hearing on the 25th
inst.
The railroad companies had asked
that the case be held open in order
that they might introduce further testi-
mony. 1t had been agreed that the
testimony taken, at the Salt Lake hear
ing should be used in the Reno case,
SO far as it was applicable. This testi-
mony in my judgment greatly strength
ems our case, but it is too voluminous
for specific comment in a newspaper
article. At the last hearing we re-
inforced our former testimony by
tabulations prepared by COMMISSIONS
Thurtell and Secretary Walker, as well
as exhibits showing the tonnage of
freight carried by the Southern Pacific,
! the Santa Fe, and San Pedro roads.
The new testimony on behalf of the de-
PENDANTS simply showed a small in
crease Of water tonnage during the
| first six months of the current year,
and some trifing discrepancies in the
figures contained in the exhibits fled
by the commission. 1t was not shown,
though, that these discrepancies were
sufficient to change in any material
degree the estimates of Commissioners
Shaughnessy and Thurtell.
The foregoing is a sufficient outline
Of the testimony upon which the case
was argued orally before the interstate
commerce commission How we'll this
i may leave to the judgment of others
who were present.
As for the making up and presenta-
ton of the case as a whole, though, it
is only proper for me to remark
that it has been the work Of the en-
| tire commission and the secretary.
It would not be easy to say who of
them all rendered the most important
service. Not a step was taken, not a
move was made, not a scrap of
testimony was introduced until it had
been made the subject of the closest
scrutiny of all. Each worked along
the lines Of his greatest efficiency, and
the result is that a ease has been laid
before the interstate commerce com
mission incomparably stronger than
any of a similar nature ever before
presented for the consideration of that
body. This is not only our judgment,
based upon what we saw and heard at
Salt Lake City, Spokane, Seattle,
Portland and San Francisco, but it is
the openly expressed opinion of others
amply capable of judging, who heard
the other cases.
Concluding let me say that we have
every confidence in the high ability
and sterling integrity of the interstate
commerce commission, and that we are
equally confident of a very substantial
measure of success in this effort. Look
ing the entire field over, and consider
ing the numerous other eases to which
we have listened and in some Of which
we have taken a part, we are unable
to see where a single point has been
lost. We firmly believe that the final
result will be such as to give a splen-
did impetus to the prosperity and prog
ress of our state.
located and has been fairly snccassfpl