Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-03-24
IN VIOLATION OFLAW
Railroad Men Interested In a Su.
preme Court Decision
AGAINST FREIGHT ASSOCIATIONS.
No Possibility for An Agreement to
Maintain Cor'aIn Rates
Legally.

mon manifest considerable interest in
The decision of the Supreme Court
holding that the agreement OF the
trsns-Miasouri freight association was
n violation Of the antitrust law OF
1890. Officers OF the railroads inter-
ested in the joiat traffic association
who last week were Ju0ilant over tho
decision Of the circuit court OF appeals
diminishing the petition OF tho U nited
States to have the asso citation dissolved,
decline to talk for publication until
they bave seen the decision In full.
President III. Il. InRalls of the Big
Four, said last night: ST helped tU
draw up the original agreement Of the
general traffic association, anu 1t was
ON limo with the decision vi tho cir
cult court which has juot been re-
verRed. II that decision had been
uphelp am sure our agreement wouid
have been, although at the time had
my uouDts about 1t. When that
circuit court decision is reversed by
the Supreme court, 1t seems to me that
there is no possibility OF an association
or agreement for legally maintaining
rates.
"Now 1 am no. sorry that the
decision hos been readereJ, Tor two
ressons. IN the fret place, while
Claiming to have the law with Us, we
have had none that gave us any pro-
tectien and we have relied too much
on the association, and the agreement,
which was a rope OF sand, instead
OF upon our individual forts. In the
second place, L have always believed
that we needed legislation so that rail-
way traffic, which amounts to one
fifth OF all the business of
the land should be brought with
in the law. Whenever we have tried
to get legislation We have been met by
statements that 1t WAS not necessary,
that we were acting unIer the law.
This decision eifectuaIly settled that.
am informed that legislation giving
t. the Interstate commerce committee
the same auth GRITTY tue board OF trade
has In England, that is, that the rail-
roads might make arrangements for
The division OF the traffic aud the
maintenance OF rates anc providing
that In case OF any complaint that ex-
cessive rates were charged tho inter.
state commerce commission should
hear tina case and their decision upon
il should be fiIal until IL was reviewed
in higher court This would aid
commerce and would irjure no one.
The quest on Will be asked, what
will the railroads do under the pTes-
ent conditiont2 L am going abr0ad for
short stay, but my advice 10 those
with whom / talked has been that this
New York case against the Joint traffic
association should be taken to Wash.
Il M
with the district attorney and the
Supreme Court should be saked for an
i'm 10 sdiate hearing. IL that court
still adheres to its decisiep, then all
ASA Citations should be disbAudcd aud
each railway should make Its own
rates.
United States District Attorney
Mcfarland, who represented the gov
eminent In this weeks hearing before
the circuit court, expressed the opin-
lou that the Supreme Court decision
might be taken as completely over
throwing the joint traffic association.
MIR. Mcfarland said:
"The association will be forced to
dissolve, you may put 1t as strongly es
you like. II cannot continue, AT lesst
anything Ike Its present shape. The
trans issouri asso ciation WAS a mere
sucking infant In Comparison with
the joint traffic association and the
point az ainet the western body appli0e
equally against the eastern sne. The
decision utterly overthIowB the pogi.
ton taken by Judge Wheeler in the
circuit court on our case ami also con.
troverts the finding OF that Judge In
the circuit court OF appeals this week.
What action will now be taken on the
Joint ira flo association case In view OF
this decision l have not yet deter
mined.
"rhe trans Missouri agreement was
much more stringent one than that
under which the Joint traffic lines
organised and the latter goes much
further in many ways. 1t Ia evident
that the joint traffic articles OF organ
ization were drafted upon the dsciston
OF the United Btates court OF appeals
for the eighth circuit. which was
favorable to the trans. Missouri Ne.
ISOLATION, but they went considerably
iuriher, SO hntab, sides being open to
all the charges OF illegslity which
have been upheld ~ against the trans
Missouri association the joint traffic
!s subject also to very many from
which the lesser association was Free"
COMBINATIONS BREAKING UP.
CHICAGO, March 24.-Evefy west
ern freight pool aud combination nav
ing headquarters In Chicago 10 appar-
emily in condition approaching
dissolution as result OF the decision
OF the Federal Supreme Court declar-
Ing all such pools In violation Of tue
Shermsn antitrust act. The Atchisop,
Topeka and Santa Fe has terveu
notice of withdrawal from all freight
organizations of which 1t hao been q
member. Other roads are also satd to
have already forwarded notice OF With
dtRwal.
Chairman Morrison Of the Interstate
commerce commission has rendered
The opinion that tho trans-Missouri
freight case applies to passenger as
well az freight associations OF every
character.
WILL TEST THE DICKSON.
New YORK, March a. rne Even.
Ing Post sayt:
The joint traffic asa citation acting
lnuer legal hIvice has uecided 10 con
sihue formally in existence and tesi
me antitrust DECISIONS actual acope.
Dead Bodies Ina tho Ruins.
NASHVILLE, Tenn, March ga
The residence of Jacob Aue, fifteen
nlIes ItOm the city OF PsIndips r ,sd