[280]. Rep. 1904, p. 15, 10 I. C. C. Decis. 1904, p. 360. Dealers have protested against paying 4 or 5 or 6 times the fair charge for ice, and have now and then refused to pay, telling the companies they could sue for the charges. But the car companies knew a better way. They ordered the cars of the disobedient dealers delayed and notified them that in future icing charges must be prepaid on all shipments to them or from them. These orders were enforced by the railroads and the kicking dealers were helpless. (Evidence, etc., 201–203.)
With a commission business such as that involved in the case referred to, an order for prepayment of icing charges or freight rates or both means ruin. For farmers and other producers will not prepay charges on perishables, and will not therefore ship to commission merchants to whom the railroads do not give credit that permits the payment of charges at their end of the line, i. e., on delivery.
[281]. Evidence, etc., 206, 207.
[282]. Ibid., 207.
[283]. Sen. Com. 1905, p. 2596; and the next item in the text.
[284]. 11 I. C. C. Decis, 129, and Rep. 1905, p. 30, holding the Pere Marquette Armour charges excessive and approving the Michigan Central charge of $2.50 per ton on interstate shipments by the car.
[285]. Sen. Com. 1905, p. 369.
[286]. I. C. C. Beef Hearing, 1904, p. 165 et seq. It is a physical impossibility for a man to inspect the loading of 75 or 100 cars a day, and if an inspector is overzealous and conscientious in watching the cars he can attend to, the Trust has the railroad dismiss him.
[287]. McClure’s for January, 1906, p. 323.
[288]. See testimony before the I. C. C. April, 1904, p. 27. Mr. Watson’s memory was very hazy. He could not remember what he had formerly testified on this subject before the referee. Neither could he tell what “U. P.” meant nor recognize the clear meaning of “C. & A.” in the car-line account books, though every one familiar with railway matters knows that “U. P.” stands for Union Pacific and “C. & A.” for Chicago and Alton. Mr. Marchand, counsel for the Commission, drew some curious non-information and mal-information from Mr. Watson, the former head of Porter Brothers, who were large shippers of fruit in Chicago.