The Sentinel=record., 1911-09-13
ATTACK ON
 RATE MAKING
WITNESS AT OKLAHOMA RATE
 HEARING CONDEMNS SEE. 1 cRET CONFERENCES.
Notice Served That New Legislation Will be Asked in the Manner of
 Establishing New Freight tfE Rates.

~-=-- Oklahoma City. Ohia.r Sept. l2- Using the testimony of Vice President E. B. Boyd, of the Gould Lines, as a basis, Commissioner George A. Henshaw this afternoon in the raEe hearing before Commissioner Chas. A. Prouty of the Interstate Com merce Commission attacked the aneg- ed practice of the railroads in holding secret traffic conferences and filing rates without the explanations or ba- sis for the change in rates. 10 the public. Hr. Henshaw declared there would be lawmaking it compulsory for representatives of the Interstate Commission and members of the rall- road commissions of interested states to be admitted to such conferences.
 Commissioner Henshaw served mo- tive that he intended to go to Wash |ington when congress opens in the interest," of sucn Legislation. Com missioner Pro,sty agreed with Mr. Henshaw, saying that this was just the kind of law he had been urg- ing.
 President Boyd, who until two months ago was connected with the Texas and Pacific, stated on the stand that ne alone had fixed the Ft. Worth outbound rate on fresh meat ana packing house products, at the re- quest of Fort Worth packers. the rate being a reduction of the one in eff feet at the time. It was this state ment regarding the fixing of the rate by Mir. Boyd that called for the state Commissioner Hensnaw's statement.
 At the time this rate was reduced, the Interstate Commerce Confusion was asked to suspend the rate, but declined to take action in the mat ter on grounds that it doubted it's authority to suspend a rate which was a reduction. The witness admit. ted that the business of the Texas and Pacific out of Fort Worth had increased materially following the reduction of the outbound rate.
 President Boyd was subpoenaed by Commissioner Prouty at the request of counsel for Oklahoma City pack CTS. Attorney Jeffrey of Chicago, representing Fort Worth packers, conducted his examination.
 The witness testified as to what this rate was based on, and endeavor- ed 10 show that Oklahoma City was practically on par with Fort Worth and in some cases, the Oklahoma town had a slight advantage.
 Mir. Boyd said that ne had figured the Fort Worth outbound rate On ton mage and mileage. The witnesses declared that all fresh meats ana packing house products shipped out of Fort Worth had come from Okla homa City the revenue derived by the railroads would nave been S7S.- 900 less than it was.
 President Boyd was the first Wit Iness placed on the stan dby Fort Worth. following a refusal of Com missioner Prouty to delay the intro duetiom of testimony by Fort Worth Iptckers until after the railroads wit resseS had testified.
 The history of tie Eackiug 'ndus- Itry at Fort Worth was ouiinsd by IC r. F'risbee, traffic manager foI Armour and Company. He declared taat 70 per cent of the hogs butcher led at Fort Worth are raised in Okia- Ihona and added that s50.0jN,O10 had Ibeea paid into Oklahoma ty For' Worth packers from 1903 to 1910
 when the first packing plant was es. ltabIished in Oklahoma City.
 In a statement this morning, Com
 missioner Prouty assured Oklahoma
 packers that the InterYtate Com Incrce Commission will establish Isome rate which will be the same between Oklahoma and outside points between and out of the state and OK
 lahoma City The statement was
 made while A. W. McTaren, traffis
 manager flor Morris land Company
 was on the stand. That's all ws
 want" the witness quickly replied IThe trend of MT. McLaren's testl.
 money was to show discrimination lagainst Oklahoma packers as com
 pared with other points in the south