The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-05-04

when opportunity AFFORDED ITSELF, to
meet and tank with shippers and
trades bodies. as wen as with retire.
Isentatives Of the vress. / explained
to them the situation of the, rail-
roads as understood it, and advo-
Gated their support of the plan
which we proposed, and IL what /
did in that direction, as Just ex-
planned by me, Is equivalent to pro-
hitting and encouraging a propagan-
ia in favor of uniform advance in
freight rates, then am quite will
ing to assume full responsibility for
So doing; but that anything improper
was done in that connection, or. that
money was spent for the 4 ITpose -
influencing the press or any other
organization, / most empnatIcally
deny. II may be that / have been
m .staken in some or many of my
statements, but it is most certainly
fact that believed what / said to
be true when said it, and further
more, believe 1t to be true now. /
have felt that ought, In Justice to
myself and to the raffrlads general
ly, to make this explanation.
I'm addition to advising with the
shippers directly as to our proposed
policy, a definite program was de-
cided upon with reference to the press
during these hearings. Realizing the
complicated character of the ques-
tons involved In this case, we have
eo-operated with the representatives
o. the press in Washington to the end
that they should have clear and ac-
curate statements Of the evidence
which we have offered. Furthermore,
we have prepared short abstracts Of
dence, and distributed them to the
press directly throughout our terri
tory.
'of necessity, however, the press
could carry only, fragmentary ac-
counts Of the hearings. We have,
therefore, not relied entirely upon
such reports as the newspapers might
make, but have seen to It that these
abstracts Of the testimony that was
presented to the commission were dis
tributed direct to members of Con-
gress, members of legislatures Of the
states through which our lines run,
members Of state railroad commits
sions, officers OF trade organizations
and others who were properly. en-
titled to know the facts upon which
we based our contentious before this
commission.
ut must be realized that the prob
lens confronting these carriers go
far beyond the scope OF this particular
proceeding. Yet the facts which we
have attempted to bring before the
commission in this proceeding are
highly Illuminating with reference to
this general problem.
I'VE have restricted what we have
distributed to the press or public to
statements Of fact actually presented
to this commission, and we have sent
to the commission itself, copies Of all
material distributed. Everything has
been done frankly and candidly, not
to mislead but to inform, and in ac-
cord with what we believe were con-
siderations of sound public policy.
There Is one other matter to which
I also think 1 ought to make refer
ence. 1t has been suggested that the
carriers have attempted to bring to
bear upon the commission undue
pressure In favor of a hasty decision,
and there again wish to disclaim
any such desire or effort on my part,
or so far as know, on the part of any
Of the carriers connected with this
movement. AS Is natural, suppose,