Evening star., 1897-06-03
RAILWAY POOLING BILL.
Confederation Postponed by Senat,
Committee

confederation Postponed by Senate
Committee.
me final consideration of the railroad
poohng bill was again postponed by the
senate committee on interstate commerce
today. Senator Chandler moved a post
ponement until the 1st of December, but
the motion was not voted upon. and a COM
promise was agreed upon postponing it
until the next weekly meeting In present.
ing MS motion Senator Chandler read
written statement signed by himself and
senator T1llman, giving their reasons for
seeking to have the consideration of the
bill delayed
ment was the general understanding that
the tariff only was to receive attention at
the present session; also the necessity for
various Investigations by the committee,
ana 1or careIul scrutiny of the recent Su-
preme Court decisions bearing upon inter-
state commerce questions, which would
now be impossible. They suggested the i'm
portance OF an investigation of the issu-
ance Of free passes by the railroad COM
panies to accomplish their purposes as
violation of the existing law, and Of the
probable enect OF pooling contracts upon
| the wages of labor.
"If." they said. "the owners Of the COM
bined railroads organized as one great
trust are to be allowed to obtain from the
public annually their cost Of operation, be-
ing 81. 100. GOO. 900, and. in addition. $3.50 OOO-
| 600 interest and dividends, without encoun-
| tering any competition whatever, 1t Will be
claimed that the owners Of other property
amounting to 100000. .OO0. 90 should also be
allowed to form trusts'.hPnd, DO business
Another suggestion wassas follows: "As
the bill proposes to make 1t lawful for all
the railroads Of the country ~ enter into
one immense trust with . caHttal of $11,-
/ OOO. .OOO.O0O careful investigator should be
made into the workings 81 thS already ex-
listing Joint Traffic Association. That
| combination includes tho 9nfna iaffforQnt md
competing systems of railroad extending
from Chicago to the se4poard. embracing
thirty-one of the greatest railroad COM
panies and $2,5OO, ,OOO. .0OO'' Of capital, which
years in violation Of laW. Ths en- most $ A. @x-
! haustive inquiry in this direction should be
made by the committee, whether to send
Tor persons and papers; and there should
posure of the methods and results of the
existing Illegal trust before making 1t
legal. extending 1t to cover all the railroads
OF the country. and committing to its oper-
atoms the vast interests of the whole peo-
| pie to be anected by its transactions.
Especially should the vast special fund
| OF the Joint Traffic Association be inves-
tigated: Each Of the thirty-one railroad
INES OF the association paid into the hands
OF the nine managersNone representing
each systematic sum Of 5000. making q
fund to begin with Of $155.OO0. and has
nouad :Nseio to make such additional
monthly payments based Upon gross earn
ings as the managers may call for, as well
as large sums as fines, II 1t lowers trans-
portation rates. II should be ascertained
for what purpose this great fund Is main
: tained, and whether or not Il IL designed
or used, or likely to be USED. for improper
To this was added a note OF concurrence
taking up the subject was inopportune,
and Senator Smith expressed Q similar
view.