twenty-five cents a ton."

"Yes--but--but--" said old Broderson, "it is rather unusual, isn't it,
for wheat in that district to be sent to Oakland?" "Why, look here,"
exclaimed Annixter, looking up from the schedule, "where is there any
reduction in rates in the San Joaquin--from Bonneville and Guadalajara,
for instance? I don't see as you've made any reduction at all. Is this
right? Did you give me the right schedule?"

"Of course, ALL the points in the State could not be covered at once,"
returned Lyman. "We never expected, you know, that we could cut rates in
the San Joaquin the very first move; that is for later. But you will see
we made very material reductions on shipments from the upper Sacramento
Valley; also the rate from Ione to Marysville has been reduced eighty
cents a ton."

"Why, rot," cried Annixter, "no one ever ships wheat that way."

"The Salinas rate," continued Lyman, "has been lowered seventy-five
cents; the St. Helena rate fifty cents, and please notice the very
drastic cut from Red Bluff, north, along the Oregon route, to the Oregon
State Line."

"Where not a carload of wheat is shipped in a year," commented Gethings
of the San Pablo.

"Oh, you will find yourself mistaken there, Mr. Gethings," returned
Lyman courteously. "And for the matter of that, a low rate would
stimulate wheat-production in that district."

The order of the meeting was broken up, neglected; Magnus did not even
pretend to preside. In the growing excitement over the inexplicable
schedule, routine was not thought of. Every one spoke at will.

"Why, Lyman," demanded Magnus, looking across the table to his son, "is
this schedule correct? You have not cut rates in the San Joaquin at all.
We--these gentlemen here and myself, we are no better off than we were
before we secured your election as commissioner."

"We were pledged to make an average ten per cent. cut, sir----" "It IS
an average ten per cent. cut," cried Osterman. "Oh, yes, that's plain.
It's an average ten per cent. cut all right, but you've made it by
cutting grain rates between points where practically no grain is
shipped. We, the wheat-growers in the San Joaquin, where all the wheat
is grown, are right where we were before. The Railroad won't lose a
nickel. By Jingo, boys," he glanced around the table, "I'd like to know
what this means."

"The Railroad, if you come to that," returned Lyman, "has already lodged
a protest against the new rate."

Annixter u