Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-16
PARROT DENIES
. GOVERNOR ASKED
/. INCREASE IN RATE
"I Am Sorry You Got That I'm
preston" Said Witness to the
Chairman, When Asked What
Governor Said.

| Efforts were made Tuesday by S. G.
| McLendon, suspended chairman of the
! railroad commission, to shift part of his
| burdens to former Governor Smith, at
/ the hearing before the joint senate and
house committees which are investigating
I his case.
The McLendon investigation opened
( Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock at the cap
! itol before the joint committee. in room
S1S.
| Judge ]. R. Hines, attorney of the rail-
! read commission. was the first witness.
| but he gave way to s. F. Parrott, one Of
Mr.. McLendon's witnesses, who said
he had to be in the federal court.
Various circulars and the minutes of
the commission for August rs. 1907, were
then produced.
! Mr.. PARROT, sworn, was asked by Mr..
McLendon If he was present before COM
mission on August q, when a reduction
| III passenger rates was discussed. He said
he was.
He was not sure wether he was noti-
| fed about the meeting. He did recall
! that the commission ordered a reduction
! of rates in May. to become effective Sep
TENDER 1. Following that a conference
of railroad men was held to discuss re-
opening the case and hold another hear
! ing. Mr.. PARROT, Mr.. Thompson, Of the
| Southern, and Mr.. Hartman, of the w.
and A. went to Governor Smith with a
view of getting another hearing on circu-
lar 1874, which reduced passenger rates.
! GAINED THE IMPRESSION"
! did not the governor assure you that
this circular would be revoked. or
changed?"
Mr.. PARROT replied that he gained the
/ impression that something like this would
be done. He could not be definite, how
ever. He thought that the other roads
got this sort of suppression.
Ibid Governor Smith tell you, Mr.. Par
rott, that he favored an increase Of the
rates?" asked the chairman.
NO" said Mr.. PARROT he never told
me that. l am sorry that you got that
impression. Perhaps was not clear
enough.
| WHAT HE DID MEAN.
| What did mean was that we got the
| impression that the governor would be
willing to have a rehearing on the circu-
lar by commission practically of his
own making"
| In reply to another question, Mr. Par
| rott said he was under the impression
that the new commission did not alter
the circular (No. 33D, which was adopted
| by the old, or Terrell commission He
! Shlu ne anu Others neIu a conference Win
| the governor before the rehearing was
| held.
/ Judge Hines then took the stand. Mr..
| Hardeman asked him II Mr.. McLendon
was not present at the interstate COM
merce commissions hearing on western
freight rates.
WHAT JUDGE HINES SAID.
| Judge Hines said that Mr.. McLendon
was present at several of the day ses-
sions of the hearing, but that he offered
| him no suggestions for the conduct of the
case. Judge Hines added, however, that
! h. got certain facts about the "A. c. L.
from a publication which might have
been obtained from the suspended chair
man of the commission. e..
| Mr.. Anderson asked Judge Hines wheth-
er the chairman was in any better posi-
ton to get this information than any
body else. Judge Hines said he thought
he was; that he understood that .Ir.
| McLendon had had some connection with
a road absorbed by the A. c. L.
Did you know that his connection with
the road was that of an attorney?''
| Judge Hines wasn't sure about this, but
thought that Mr.. McLendon had been the
attorney.
| FAVORED INCREASE. ,.
The chairman then brought up the ques-
ton of the petition of the Georgia rail-
road commission to have its rates in
creased. Judge Hines said he was under
the impression that McLendon favored
the increase. He so voted, later, he
thought, Judge Hines added.
! Mr.. McLendon said that he did not
vote on this question at all. 1t was not
necessary, as chairman, he said.
| But Judge Hines is correct as saying
that it was the opinion of myself that the
increase was adyisable-as well as his
own opinion" said Mr.. McLendon.
On cross-examination, Judge Hines said
he would favor putting the Georgia rail-
road on a 2 1-2 cent rate, but would favor
this rate for all trunk lines in Geor-
gia.
There is no issue between us here"
said Mr.. McLendon.
/ He then asked Judge Hines whether he
! did not get various technical works on
the capitalization of roads. including the
Georgia and the A. c. L., from him.
Judge Hines thought he did. Mr.. Nc
Lendon then asked Judge Hines to be
more explicit about his statement that
he (McLendon) had referred him Caines)
to the secretary of the commission for
facts about the railroads. Judge Hines
said that the secretary was the proper
person, but that the facts he furnished
were those furnished by the roads.
WHAT is GOVERNORS DUTY?
! What Judge Hines, is the duty of the
governor under the Gambler bill?", asked
Mr.. McLendon.
Judge Hines thought the act explained
itself He was asked whether the. gov
ernor was not the supreme power under
that act. .
! Suppose orders are passed by the COM
mission, and are ignored by the roads
Must not the governor act?"
Judge Hines thought that the governor
would have to use his discretion, largely.
| Mr. McLendon then asked for the pro-
duction of circulars BIC, 81 and 31s of the
commission. passed in 1906. Those circu-
lars, he said, reduced freight rates on
the Central, Southern and A. c. L. 20
per cent, and were enJoined by the fed
eral court.
was it not the duty of the governor,
during every day of his office. to try to
dissolve these injunctions? Governor Co
mer, of Alabama did these things" said
Mr.. McLendon.
Judge Hines said that these orders were
passed before Governor Smith came into
office, were enJoined during the same pc
Rod, and the thirty days necessary for
an appeal from the injunctions expired
| before Governor Smith came into office.