The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-26
HEARING GIVEN IN
RATE MATTE R
Continued from First Page.p

were transported at loss to the COM
pany.
| MIR. w ID. Duke. assistant to the
| president of the railroad was the first
witness called When he took the
stand in the commissions court room
in the Capitol. the counsel table and
| many chairs were filled with books,
papers, statistical tables. tariff rates,
! schedules and other documents. Mr.
| Duke declared that the roads bust
ness was increasing steadily, but be-
cause OF the low rate of 2 cents a mile
per passenger little financial head
way was being made. He said the Z
1 cent rate was too low and unfair 10
| the Richmond Fredericksburg and
! Potomac, especially in view OF the
fact that the Washington and South
ern Railroad, whose hauls are short.
err has been granted the right to
| charge IL cents Il mile.
On cross examination by Assistant
Attorney General Davis. Mr.. Duke
said the gross receipts for the year
ending June 30, 1907, We're SI,9S1.-
so6.4l. and for the year ending June,
/ ls0s, the FIRST full year after the :
| cent rate went into effect, s2,026,
Is. Asked what the figures for June,
1905, We're, Mr.. Duke replied So
! 003,ll4.30
During the course OF his testimony
he declared that a loss of $4,000 to
the company was caused by the prac-
tice among Interstate passengers
purchasing Northern tickets only to
Alexandria. thus making intra-State
passengers of themselves. He said
this loss did not appear in the tables
of figures compiled, but was a reality,
nevertheless. lie declared the rail-
road made no money by transporting
mall little by handing express and
lost money on switching.
When Mr.. Davis had concluded his
| cro$s- examination. Judge ITentls,
chairman OF the commission, asked
Mr.. Duke a number of questions, Mr..
Duke said in his first statement that
| 1t cost the railroad Is per cent. more
to do intrastate business than inter
state. Judge PrentIs asked II any
ngures were produced to show that
this was true. Mr.. Duke said he
had no statistics, but he was sure
that II cost 10 per cent, or more to
do intrastate business. Asked how
many intrastate freight trains tn.
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Poto-
mac operated n day Mr.. Duke re-
piled one. Judge Prentis inquired
II intrastate freight business was not
done on interstate freight trains Mr.
! Duke replied in the negative.
| Mr., Duke declared the additiona.
cost of operating intrastate freigh,
trains was due TO the fact that the
local freights travel at less than Il q
miles TIN hour and the intrasta t.
| freights make 10 miles, and that
scientific Investigations have proved
that an engine consumes the sam.
quantity OF coal whether II goes fas,
or slow or the load be heavy or light
IN ADDITION to this he said the loca
| irelsht crews We're paid more than
| interstate trainmen. Beside. he added
| local freight business necessttated the
hiring or agents and maintenance oil
| siulnss, warehouses and stations, Ask
ed II these We're, nat >sased La. inter.
state business. he said they were
Witness said 1t was a general railroad
understanding that locar business cos,
the companies all over the country
AT least fifteen per cent. more than
! Interstate business
MT Duke was asked many cues.
tons about the number or commuters
on the road. the trips they made. the
amount they paid. the miles they
travelled. and other Things.
Inc nearing Is technical in its ma
lure. The commission. according ia
Judge Prentts. intends going rulIv
INTO the roads business to ascerta In
whether the present rate is fair tust
ana equitable. He said during the
nearing that the present rate Is "iust
a guess, arrived at from considera :
uon OF maze of figures"
Traffic Manager w. p. TayIor Was
the only other witness examined. He
was questioned by the ATTORNEYS and
Judge Prentis about the freight mas
senger, mail and express receipts ths
volume of business done and on al.
| versity OF other subjects
AT the conclusion of Mr.. TayIor,s
testimony Mr.. Carter and Mr.. Davis
argued their contentious a few mo-
ments. Mr.. Carter declared that the
testimony given by the two Witnesses
and the data contained in the records
and tables submitted with the peti-
ton would prove that the railroad
was being submitted to hardships.
which ii should not he compelled 10
bear. Mr.. Davis Insisted that the
books Of the company showed thar
its receipts had increased under the
cent rate. and that there was no
| reason or justification for the increase
asked for by the railroad. The com
mission announced it's intention OF
taking the matter under advisement
and giving IL long and careful thought
and study.