The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-25
NO ONE TO COMPETE
SITUATION OF NEW ENGLAND
ROADS TAKEN AS A TEXT.
Interstate Commerce Commissioner Knapp
in an Open Letter to Senator Chandler
OF New Hampshire Opines that that
Gentleman and the Courts are Good
Ways Apart in Their Notions Regarding
the Legality of the Trunk Line Agree
ment, and that Consolidation is Not a
Bad Thing After All Railroad News

Washington, Oct 2HInterstate Com
merce Commissioner Martin A. Knapp
has written an open letter to Senator
Chandler Of New Hampshire in reply to
the latter's criticism of his in connec-
ton 18th the new trunk line.
Mr.. Knapp says his published state
ments must not be attributed to the
commission and reiterates his asser-
ton that the detection and punishment
of crimes created by the interstate COM
merce statute is only an incident TO the
scheme and aim of regulation" a fea-
ture with which the commission has no
power to deal.
He adds that the courts seem to have
reached conclusion different from the
view taken by Senator Chandler that
the alleged agreement that the trunk
lines are about to enter into is Illegal
and criminal under either the anti-pool-
ing or antitrust laws. He concludes
as follows:
"It is evident that no combination of
carriers. whether formed in evasion of
existing laws or organized under legal
lied pooling, can be more powerful or
alarming than their actual consolida-
ton. In the New England states the
process of absorption, in one way or
another, has gone on until there is now
practically no competition in the rail
road service of that section. So far as
1 am aware, this consolidation has not
resulted in any increase of charges,
but on the contrary has been attended
by considerable reduction in rates, by
improved facilities and the better ac-
commo6a alton of the public. Fewer
Ia ir1fS IN
gion than from any other part of the
country. l believe the people in that
territory would not welcome return
to competitive. conditions. / am yet
to be convinced that similar results
might not fairly be expected il coop
Grafton action should be substituted for
compulsory warfare on a broader scale
in a more extensive field. In short,
1 believe the principle of association
should be applied to public transporta-
tons; that the power to regulate COM
merce' should be exerted to secure firm
and unquestioned control Of the rates
and charges which carriers may ex-
act"
ALONG THE SAME LINE
Denver, Colo, Oct. 24-There is a rIl-
NOR abroad in railway circles to the eff
feet that a movement is in progress
with the object Of uniting several tras-
continental lines into one system. ex-
tending from Chicago to the Pacific
coast The lines said to be in the deal
are the Atchison, the Denver and Rio
Grande Western, the Northern Pacific
and the Oregon Short Line. Accord
ing TO the report, if the government
takes possession of the Union Pacific
and Central Pacific as one system, the
consolidation of the lines named, per-
haps with the substitution of the Coro-
RADIO Midland for the Denver and Rio
Grande, is almost a sure thing.
HALF FARE PERMITS.
Chicago. Oct. 24-The Western roads
continued their work on the formation
of their passenger agreement today and
did nothing beyond a large amount Of
routine work Incidental to the adop-
tion of the rules which are to govern
the association. The meeting will be
continued tomorrow.
The lines of the Western Passenger
association will probably take action in
relation to clergy permits for the com
ing year that will reduce very mater
tally the evils that have come from this
direction in years past. Last year all
for annual permits had to
be certified by the chairman Of the as
ISOLATION before they were issued and
the plan was found to work exceedingly
we'll. This year the chairman will not
only investigate the applications but
will issue a joint permit which Will en-
title the holder to a half fare permit
on any road in the association. This
will save the roads a great amount of
labor and will further preserve the per-
nits from the possibility of misuse.
The change has not been formally adj
opted as yet but is it almost certain
hat will ho