Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-03-28
THE ROCK ISLANDS REPLY.
The Most Sensational Charges Against the
Burlington

The Most Sensational Charges Against the
Burlington.
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
filed its answer in Judge Gresham s
court at Chicago on the oath, in answer
to the petition of the Chicago, Burling-
ton & Quincy that the Rock Island Com
pany be compelled to receive and handle
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy cars. The
Rock Island Company states the rela-
tons existing among the various
railway systems In the West and
Northwest and goes on to say
that among the systems Of railways are
the Chicago & North Western, the Chi
cago, Milwaukee q ST. Paul, the Wis
consin Central, the Chicago s. Alton and
the Missouri Pacific; that these systems
are competitors with the complainant,
the defendant and with each other; that
for mutual protection these systems had
been organized into an association to
maintain reasonable and profitable rates
for transportation of freight; that in
January the Burlington began a
suicidal cutting of rates., and that
no reason was assigned therefor;
that late in February it communicated
to the managing officers of one or more
of the principal systems mentioned it's
purpose to prosecute the rate war until
the officers ofall the railways involved
in the disastrous results of it's policy
should consent to abdicate the powers
placed in their hands by the stockhold-
ers they represented, not to the stock
holders, but to what is generally denomi-
mated trust which should be man
aged by three men who should be
vested with the exclusive and absolute
power to make and alter the rates which
should be charged for transportation Of
persons and property over the several
railways above referred to; that the
officers of the competing roads re-
fused to enter the combine.
that when the engineers strike
began on the Burlington that company
refusing to take any steps to settle it, but
after filling the places Of the strikers as
far as possible, by engaging all the
idle engineers and iremen in
the country, attempted to ex-
tend the strike to the competing
roads by compelling them to handle all
the Burlington freight possible in oppo
sition to the desire of the men en-
ployed by them in the hope that gen.
eral crippliDg of their competitors
through their inability to get men (the
Burlington have gobbled all the idle en-
gineers in the country will result in
compelling the formation of the above
mentioned trust.
The defendant further says that it adj
mits that it is the duty as a common
carrier to receive and transport when
able without discrimination and alleges
that it is now and ever has been willing
to perform such duty, but it denies that
it is under any obligation, legal or moral,
to attempt what it knows is impossible,
especially when such attempt could ben
eft no one and would result in great in
jury to considerable portion of the
population Of several states and to it's
own stockholders. Robert T. Lincoln
is counsel for the Rock Island.
A Chicago dispatch of the 18th says:
Regarding the answer to the Burling
ten made by the Rock Island in the suit
brought in Judge Gresham's court, it is
learned that, without any reference
to the merits of the charge, that
tablish a "trust," there was, without
doubt, movement in favor of creating
what was to be known as a "board of
CONTROL" which was to have the power
to decide all questions arising between
all railroads in the West, to arrange the
rates on and control the through and
competitive business of the Western
lines. At the first conference, held
about month ago, this plan was sub
mitted and rejected by large majority.
Justly or not the impression pre-
vailed that it was Burlington plan
and it was common gossip among the
officials that the three members of the
"board of control" would have been E.
P. Ripley, general freight agent of the
Burlington, J. W. Midgely, Of the South
Lo1+ 81 N
Western and Northwestern freight bu-
reaus.
Subsequently the Burlington agreed to
restore the rates, but for what reason
has not been made apparent.