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Show FHIGKETT ON Sril in mmm. Traffic Bureau Official Is i Questioned by Attorneys j of Railroad. ! There are no railroads in Minnesota in the hands of receivers, notwithstanding j that freight rates in that state are much lower in some instances as much as 200 per cent lower than in Utah, according i to the testimony of H. W. Prickett, trat- j fic manager of the traffic bureau of Utah, who was being cross-examined yes- I terday afternoon by tValdemar Van Cott. i counsel for the Denver & Rio Grande railroad, in the hearing before the state, public utilities commission. Mr. Prickett was asked if it were fair to compare rates in Minnesota and Utah, when the grades of railroads in the latter lat-ter state are so much greater than in the former. The witness answered that the matter mat-ter of grades was but one item in making such a comparison and in deciding the basis for freight rates. Mr. Prickett said the density of traffic was the chief factor. fac-tor. It was at this point that tho witness wit-ness made his comment on the lack of receiverships for railroads in Minnesota. "My belief is." said Mr. Prickett, "that the railroads will show greater profits this year than in 1916. the most profitable year in railway history in the United states. There is no reason or justification justifi-cation for the 15 per cent increase asked for here. Let Ihe railroads show some of the decreases in revenue they are talking about." Mr. Prickett was shown that some rates in Colorado were higher than in Utah. He quickly asked Mr. Van Cott if the rates referred to were not those of narrow-gauge lines, which should never be compared with those of standard -gauge roads. That particular line of examination was dropped. Mr. Prickett was on the 'witness stand practically all day, being cross-examined by counsel for the petitioning railroads. At the morning session, aside from tub submission of more exhibits, the principal princi-pal point developed in the testimony was that were it not for the existence of the state public utilities commission there would practically have been no obstacle ! to the railroads arbitrarily instituting the increased rate now petitioned for. There are to be three sessions of the commission today, beginning, respectively, at 10 a. m., 2 p. m. and S p. m. |