Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-10
WRG|N|A-CAROL|NA
RATE HEARING ENDS
Former State Decides to
Base Case Solely on Al
legged Discrimination.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
RICHMOND, Va, May 9.-With the
section challenging the reasonableness
or the interstate rate structure Shorn
from the Virginia Corporation Com
missions complaint, the North Caro-
na-Virginia freight rate controversy
went into the hands of the Interstate
Commerce Commission today. Along
with the yoiuminous testimony heard
by Examiner Carter during the six
days went a motion from the North
Carolina Corporation Commission ask
ing the dismissal Of the entire pro-
ceeding.
AS the complaint now stands with
the Interstate Commerce Commission
the Virginia commission raises only
the question Of alleged discrimination
and prejudice against Virginia cities.
localities and shippers. and preference
Of North Carolina points and shippers.
Ask For Dismissal.
A brief skirmish developed these
sudden tnrnings. 1t came 10 minutes
before the close Of the hearing. The
carriers had just finished their two
days testimony In justification of the
claim that their interstate rates were
reasonable when counsel for the North
Carolina Corporation Commission filed
their motion for dismissal. Announcing
that they would not offer any testi-
mony, they predicated their motion
upon q number of reasons. One Of
these contended that the complaint
directed against interstate rates pre-
sented no proper issue. since it sought
to consider the Virginia-North Caro-
lima scale separately and wholly apart
from the entire interstate rate struc-
n a a q ~
Virginia commission, it was advanced,
would constitute of itself an unreason.
able act in excess of the power Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
In so far as the charge of the Vir-
ginia commission that the rates were
discriminatory and granted unjust
preferences the North Carolina COM
mission asked dismissal on the
grounds that the evidence was alto
gether too indefinite, uncertain and
incomplete.
Plea Is Abandoned.
Mason Manghum, Virginia commits.
sion counsel, then filed his commits.
sion's decision to abandon. 80 tar AZ
this hearing was concerned, the issue
of reasonableness OF rates.
Certain things have happened dur.
ing this hearing that have caused us
to change our attitude" he an.
nounced. He referred to testimony
by carrier representatives that it
would be their purpose to establish
between Virginia cities and points In
North Carolina whatever level of
rates and classifications the Inter.
state Commerce Commission orders in
a docket now pending.
The Virginia decision also was
reached because Of the failure of the
reasonabieness Of the existing intra.
duce any evidence In support Of the
reasonabieness of the existing intro.
state rates and classification excep.
tons in North Carolina, he added.
He said that the injection of the
reasonableness of the rates from the
Virginia cities to points in North
Carolina might complicate what 9th.
erwise would be simple question.
erwise would be simple question, and
that this angle therefore was dropped
These hnaiities had been preceded
by the taking of testimony from wit
nesses from the Atlantic Coast Line
and the Norfolk and Southern Rail
way.