The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-01-19
Conclude All Evidence to Be Taken in
Western Oklahoma; Testimony Deals
With Freight Rates
NO REGULATION
OF PRICE KNOWN
Witnesses State That They Know Of No
Combination for Affecting Rate at
Which Products are Sold

The hearing before Corporation
Commissioner Campbell Russell end
ed yesterday so far as the west side
of the state is concerned. with the
testimony Of r. X. Wootten, prest
dent Of the Chickasha Cotton Oh
company and one of the leading cot
ton men of the southwest.
The testimony yesterday was along
the same lines as the day before only
it was perhaps a little more compli-
Gated, going into the freight rates in
this part of the state as compared
to that Of other parts and bearing
upon the corresponding effect this
would have upon the territory in
which local cotton men can operate.
It was stated in the testimony that
the Chickasha Cotton Oil company
owened about twenty-five per cent Of
the gins that were operating in this
part of the state. That other oil
companies operate about twenty per
cent of the gins and about fifty-five
per cent are what is known as indie
pendent gins and are controlled in
no manner by members Of a cotton
Gil company was stated on the wit
ness stand.
The question was asked most ev-
cry witness whether he knew Of any
order, organization or combination
that had been formed for the pur-
pose of regulating or controlling in
any manner the sale and the price OF
cotton and cotton seed. Not wit
ness among those who testified, eth
or among the farmers or among the
cotton men, said that he knew Of any
organize tion or combination that had
for its purpose the regulation of the
price of cotton seed.
Two or three of the witnesses said
that a number of years ago there
was an organization that had for its
purpose nothing other than the reg
ulation of the price of cotton seed
and its products, but all agreed that
the organization was never effective
and that for the past ten years moth
ing had been done to form an organ.
ization of such a character. The or
ganizations spoken Of in the testimo-
ny was known as the Sons of Plato.
1t was testified that the only kind
Of an organization that existed in
this state at the present time is the
Cotton Seed Crushers association but
1t was pointed out that this organiza-
tion IN no way tried to regulate the
Price of cotton seed and it's products.
When asked what his opinion was
relative to the gins providing facili
ties for the storage of seed for a
short time at least, Mr.. Wootten said
that he did not believe that it was
FOR the best interest of the cotton in
dustry to pass a law to that effect
He pointed out that the seed would
have to be insured and that there
would DE ashrinkage and waste that
would have to. be made up, unless
separate bins were provided and un-
less this was done there would al
ways be trouble in separating the
seed for various farmers and that
the ginner would be confronted at all
times with the problem of hot seed
which would be the cause of no lit
tie amount of trouble.
When asked what he thought
about the cotton oil mills owning the
gins he said he thought that It was
q good thing that they did and that
it was for the best interests Of the
cotton industry. He said that one
Of the greatest and the principal ben
efits that would result to the indus
try from the oil mill companies own
ing the gins was that they we're able
at all times to get a price for cotton