The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-12-31
EVIDENCE IN MILEAGE CASE.
Commerce Commission Examiners
Open Hearing-Three Witnesses
Testify.

Charleston, Dec 21.-After delay
of more than three hours to allow At
torney General Lyon to arrive here to-
day to represent the railroad commits
sion at the hearing on the mileage
books regulations and rules, the inter
state commission, represented by W.
A. Ryan and H Elder, special eXaml-
ners in the absence Of Commissioner
Lane, who was to hear the case, but
was unable to come to Charleston,
gave a hearing on questions involved
,,oav. but it Will probably be some
Cays before the commission Will re-
view the testimony and make known
its decision.
The hearing is of much Importance
to the railroads of the southeastern
territory, affecting 79 railroads and
the hardest kind of fight is beng
made to sustain the contention OF the
roads and prevent an extension OF the
present movement.
The hearing was held in the Unlteo
States court room and the room was
crowded with lawyers and traVeilng
men who have special interest in the
case. South Carolina was the only
State which was officially represented
at the hearing for it appears to be
only in this State that the pending
questions about the books have been
raised.
In a nutshell the proposition hinges
on whether or not the system OF hand
ling mileage books as employed oy
the railroads is a burden to interstate
commerce and whether or not there IS
discrimination in these regulations.
The recent act of this State, making II
obligatory for lines in this State to pull
mileage On trains on intrastate trips
came in for elaborate discussion and
also the inconvenience to the travelling
public as urged by Mr.. Schirmer, sec
retarv of a travelling mems organlza-
ton. of having an exchange mileage
for tickets ON making trips, interstate
in their character.
The Specific Case.
The specific case that opened the
hearing was the necessity that Mr.
schirmer faced On trip from Char
lesion to Washington of having to pay
the cash fare between here and Flor
ence, because he did not have time to
get his mileage exchanged at Charles
ton for a ticket to Washington, and
having to make the exchange Of mile
age for a ticket from Florence On to
Washington.
The railroads affected are represent
ed by leading counsel and officials, and
the interest is Keen, the main PROPOSE
ton being the mileage exchange regu-
lations. The railroads argue vigorous
ly for the necessity of this rule, on
several grounds, while the railroad
commission of this State argue that
the intrastate books issued for South
Carolina should, in some way be made
good for trips beyond the State lines,
and there is also the contention ad-
yanced by users of mileage books OF
the interstate type that they should be
available on trains, doing away with
the necessity of having to exchange
mileage for tickets at railroad stations
on the ground that this is a burden to
the travelling public in general and that
one of the former conveniences OF
mileage books was the ability to pre-
sent them to conductors in payment
for fare. The examiner will take all
testimony available here on The ques-
tions at issue and also make up a file
of all documentary evidence in arriv-
ing at a ruling On the mileage book
system.