El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-04-23
FL PASO GAINS POINT
IN DEFINING RATE CASE


roads took In the cross examination
Elmer Westlake. san Francisco, at
torney and rate expert for the South
eru Pacific. was the feature both yes
rerday and today with his sarcastic
and penetrating questions, although
r. G. Fulbright. who is acting as at
torney for the FL PasO chamber
commerce. was not far. II any be-
hind him For Instance, M Eulbright
WrunE from Edwin r. Coard. rate
clerk for the state corporation COM
mission, and from other witnesses the
admission that 81 Of the IS commodity
rates alleged in the complaint 20 be
ia effect were erroneous and that
Of the class rates stated TO be en-
forced were also Incorrect
Admits Ignorance on Rates
The admission also was made by the
plaintiffs witnesses that they knew
very little about how rates were made
or what influenced their making.
Dir. Westlake forced one witness TO
admit that the city OF Fl Paso, with a
denser population and a heavier traf-
nc and a greater proximity 70 produc-
ing ceuters, was probably entitled 70
more consideration than Deming.
The interest that railroads are tax
ing ia the hearing is shown by the
presence Of ten representatives OF
various roads and more are coming.
Those who are here now are ". C.
Barnes, freight traffic manager, Ell
Paso and Southwestern, OF FL Pasos
r X. MinsOn. general freight agent
OF the Arizona a. New Mexico railway,
AZ Clifton. Ariz-; Elmer Westlaze,
attorney, Southern Pacific, san Fran
CISCO II. A. Cummings, assistant gen
eral freight agent. Southern Pacific
san Francisco; B. ?. i. Marsh. assist
ant general freight agent, Santa Re,
Topeka Kansas; ". NJ Peticolas,
general solicitor, Fl Paso & South
western. Fl Paso, also acting FOR
Rock Island; y. r Brown. vice presi-
dent Rio Grande, Fl PasO & santa Ee
Fl Paso; L H TrimbIe, rate clerk. FL
Raso & Southwestern, II Paso; and
y. Q. lden, attorney for the Santa Fe,
Albuquerque.
Fl Paso Firms Represented.
In addition 10 other traffic men for
Fl Paso concerns mentioned yester-
day. J. 81 Pierson, OF Momsen. Dune
gan & Ryan and J. ID. Nicely. OF kra-
kauer, Cork & Moye, both OF FL Paso,
are here
John 1IcCourt. a salesman FOR the
Murray & Layne company here. testi-
fled that his firms sales ia the towns
OF Rodeo and Hachlta had fallen of
az much as $500 a month since the
Increase Of outbound rates last Octo-
Der. That business, he said. had gone
70 II Paso wholesale grocers mainly
for the reason that FL Paso's rates
were not increased and for that rea-
son FL Paso firms could undersell
Deming firms IN order to keep 10 the
volume OF business. Mr.. 1lcCOurt said
ne had 10 sell at such a low margin
I OF profit that on many commodities
II Old not pay one OF those COM
modiues, he said, was grape Juice.
There seems TO be a great demand for
5raps Julce IN the southwest and FL
Paso apparently has cornered the
market, so much so that DeminF Isn't
trying 10 sell any now.
Rate Men Embarrassed.
The mistakes which the plaintiffs
admitted they made ia the rate quo
tatious in their complaint were an
against them, as IN almost every case
the actual rate 20 DeminE was found
% De lower than the rate they quoted.
Mr. Coard and 3. D. woodward. rate
man Tor Murray & Layne, were both
considerably embarrassed when thew
we're asked by Mr. Wcstlake III thew
alan.t know the real rate lfr. Wood