Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-04-19
HEARING ON lOl
RANCH CONPLA|
NATIONAL STOCK YARDS COM
PANN PRESENT EVIDENCE
10 COMMISSION.
Claim NO JURISDICTION
Assert That Feeding Charges on Cat.
tie nt Yard, l. Not at ill
UnrcasOna bic.

OKLAHOMA CITY. April 1S-(Spe-
ciaL) Tn National Stock Yards com
pany of this city presented its cyi-
dcnce before the corporation commits
sion Thursday relative to the com.
plant filed by Miller Brothers of the
l0l Ranch at Bliss. Okla. that the
company had refused them permission
to furnish their own feed for cattle
while held in quarantine at the stock
yards awaiting the second dipping.
The company was represented at
the hearing by Judge C. b. Ames of
this city, as attorney. and by .. W,
McLaren, vice president of the East
st. Louis stock yards J W. s. Hutch
lngs, vice president of the National
stock Yards company and r.. +. Bis
bee formerly connected with the
yards here. The company filed an
answer TO the complaint through
Judge Ames. denying that the corpor-
alton commission has any jurisdiction
to fix rates and charges to be made
by the local stock yards because II
Mas not n public service corporation
within the meaning of the constitu
ton; also that the commission has no
legal authority to force the company
to grant different kind of service to
the Miller Brothers because they are
large shippers than to other patrons
Of the yards as such action would be
discrimination and violate provisions
Of the Oklahoma antitrust act.
The stock yards company also con
tended that the ten days notice of
hearing required by the constitution
had not been complied with and that
only nine days had elapsed between
date of notice and the hearing.
Witnesses OF the company showed
that prices for dipping cattle are not
higher than in any other city of the
Cnlted States and that they are lower
than at Fort Worth and some other
yards. II was also contended that
$40 ton for hay, including the ser
vice of feeding was not an unreason-
able rate and that the contention of
Miller Brothers that they could ship
hay here and feed it to their own
cattle for S. per ton were not valid as
hay Is selling in oklahoma City at
- per ION.
The Stock Yards company submitted
evidence to show that G.. W. Lane of
Udali, Kan. from whom Miller Broth
ers claimed to have purchased the
rights to stock pens adjoining the Ma
tional Stock yards, had relinquished
his rights obtained from the govern
ment by not using the pens and that
title could not be conveyed to the
Miller brothers. The latter claimed
that they have title to these yards and
asked the corporation commission to
compel the Stock Yards company to
permit them to feed their own cattle
in these yards. which adjoin the yards
of the National Stock Yards company
until the cattle could bc dipped. which
would be about seven days after the
date of receipt
Evidence was introduced by the
stock Yards company that only about
per cent Of the cattle shipped 10 the
yards are held for dipping. so that the
company only has opportunity of feed
ing most of the stock received for
about twenty-four hours
The company also submitted figures
showing the growth of the yards and
that the live stock receipts at Okla
homa City this year had increased 81
per cent over last year and that an
order such az asked would interfere
with this business, which is just get
tin on its feet
The commission extended the time
for ten more days for further hearing
of evidence before a decision is made
on the complaint.