Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-22
DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE FORCES
RAILROAD COMMISSION TO ACT
Possibilities of Dignified Row Opened When
Letters Pass Between Members of
Party and State Officials
T HE state railroad commission yes
terdav sent q helligerent letter to

sioners January II in which the DEM
ocratic committee urged immediate
and drastic acton on the part of the
state inquisitors against recent in
creases of terminal and inland railway
rates.
THE committee will postpone fur
ther action until you have been given
E. reasonable time to inform us what
action, if any, you intend to take
against existing corporation abuses,
is the conclusion of the letter of the
Democratic committee.
This sudden solicitude for the ship
, pers of the state, considered in con-
nection with the political aspirations
and salary-seeking attitude of these
gentlemen, eXcites suspicion and sug-
gests the thought that they are more
familiar with the desires and necessi-
ties of political office seekers than
with the requirements and interests OF
shippers" is the reply of the state
railroad commissioners in the letter
mailed yesterday. The remaining con-
tents of the two letters are in similar
vein, which, considered apart from the
polite verbiage of the two communica-
tions, gives a strong impression that
the affair offers possibilities of an in
teresting but dignitied row.
The Democratic committee, which
at the Democratic state conference in
San Francisco January s. 1t consisted
of Theodore A. Bell, Joseph A. Call,
George w. Cartwright, A e. Camp
bell and A. Caminetti. The commune
cation of the railroad commissioners Is
signed by President A. c. Irwin and
H. D. Loveland and Theodore sum-
merland, members of the commission.
The letter was mailed from Los An
| ~ 7
land and Secretary Walter D. Wagner
are in Southern California after hold
ing a number of hearings in towns in
the southern part of the state.
| The communication of the railroad
commissioners follows:
Hon. John F. Murray, secretary
Democratic state central commit
tee, San Francisco: Dear sir-In-
asmuch as your Democratic state
conference" held in San Francisco
on Saturday, January s. 1910, in a
manner which we presume you con-
sidered fair and unprejudiced, pub
| slished to the people of California
set of resolutions condemning with
| out prior inquiry or hearing all OF
the members of this commission
| and failed to request of this COM
mission or any member thereof be-
| fore publishing such resolutions
OF condemnation, an explanation of
! what you were pleased to term
! the silence and inactivity of this
board" +" you will pardon US if this
board suggests that your demand
for an explanation comes a little
late in the day and bears the brand
| of insincerity.
This impression is further con-
firmed by the names signed to your
communication, for if the public
prints are truthful purveyors of
facts in this respect Mr.. Theodore
A. Bell is a Democratic candidate
for governor, Mr.. Joseph A. Call is
a Democratic candidate for rail-
road commissioner, Mr.. George w.
| Cartwright is a Democratic candi-
date for lieutenant governor, Mr.
| A. B. Campbell is a Democratic
candidate for attorney general and
Mr.. A. Caminetti is a Democratic
candidate for railroad commis-
sioner.
Aside from this peculiar condition
Of affairs attaching TO these self
constituted guardians of the ship
pers of the state we would cite the
! fact that not one member of this
committee, not even one member
of the Democratic state confer
ence," has heretofore intimated to
this commission or to any member
| thereof, either verbally or in writ
ing, that the interests of the ship
pers of this state required action by
this commission before the inter-
state commerce commission, al
though the advanced rates to which
| you refer had been in force over
| one year when your Democratic
state conference" was in session.
This sudden solicitude for the ship
pers of our state, considered in con-
nection with the political aspira-
tions and Salary-seeking attitude OF
these gentlemen, eXcites suspicion
and suggests the thought that they
are more familiar with the desires
and necessities of political office
seekers than with the requirements
and interests of shippers. Why did
these gentlemen not appear at the
meetings held by this commission
in the towns in which some of
them live?
Since last May this commission
has held sessions in fourteen of the
principal county seats of this state,
namely, Sacramento, Redding,
Marysville, Eureka, Fresno, Stock
ton, Bakersfield, Los Angeles, San
Diego San Bernardino, Santa Bar
bara, San Jose, San Francisco and
Oakland. These meetings have
u
and local papers and shippers re-
quested to present any matters of
which they had cause for complaint
or desired investigated. Many COM
plants were presented and matters
adjusted at these meetings, but at
no time was there any complaint
made of the advance in rates re-
ferred to in the communication of
your committee. Not only has this
commission never been requested
to bring an action before the inter-
state commerce commission, but
prior to the action taken by the
Gamers convention in this city on
January Is no intimation has ever
come to this board that such ac-
tion was considered advisable;
whereas, as is well known to the
! signers of your communication, i'm
portant shipping interests in this
| state have earnestly advised
| against such a course. This advice
| has at all times referred to rates
| generally and not to rates on spe-
| cial commodities; therefore, when
| this commission learned that the
| Gamers in convention assembled
IL had passed a resolution requesting
| this board to institute proceedings
before the federal commission to
| investigate the transcontinental
rate on canned goods, the matter
was at once called to the attention
of the attorney general, with the
II request that suit be brought. The
II papers are being prepared, the nee
essary data collected and the case
will be presented to the interstate
il commerce commission by Gen.
II Webb, who will represent this COM
| mission and by special counsel rep