Evening star., 1897-03-24
RAILROAD POOL DOOMED.
Prospects of Western Combinations
Going tn Pieces.

There are prospects of railroad combina-
tions throughout the west going TO pieces
as the result of the recent decision of
the United States Supreme Court II is
predicted that in week all these pooling
combinations will have been dissolved.
OGiciaIs No, Concerned.
An officer of the legal department of
the Pennsy Ivania Railroad Company de
cIared yesterday in Philadelphia that the
decision is not necessarily germane to the
Traffic Associations Of which the company
is a member. Because the Trans Missouri
Association. acting under its agreements.
was declared illegal. it does not follow
that the Joint Traffic Association. acting
under an entirely different agreement. Is
also Illegal
There are two suits pending against
the Joint Traffic Association. and two
courts have passed upon them. both de
claring that the organizatirE is a legal
one. In both decisions. however. the lower
courts have held that the Sherman law
is not applicable to railroads. The SUI
preme Court now declares that such is the
law and of course. that fact must be re-
garded by all the lower courts in the fu-
ture-
But even So they hold. ii does not follow
that the fact makes the Joint Traffic AS
scciation an Illegal orga nization- 1t will have
to be determined as an individual case, and
the decision of the Supreme Court in the
missouri case QOcS not act DIS d pltCtucht'
IL is claimed. because this is an entirely
different matter.
This Supreme Court decision necessar-
lily invaIidates the joint traffic railroad
agreement" said United States District At
torney Wallace Macfarlane at New York
yesterday. in commenting on the opinion
handed down by Justice Peckham of the
United States Supreme Court. adverse to
the Trans-MissoUri Freight Association.
THE Supreme Court decision that the
Sherman antitrust law prohibits such rail-
road combinations as III" Trans-Missouri
Association" he continued. applies with
still greater force to the Joint Traffic As
scciatioTi- The Trans-Missouri agreement
a very mild and moderate document
compared with the joint traffic agreement.
which is open to ali of the charges Of
iilegality brought against the TRANSMITS
souri,. and many more"
Chauncey NJ. Depew. chairman of the
heard OF control of the Joint Traffic Asso-
citation, was not inclined to give up the
fight yesterday. He confined to his
room by injury to his left eye. and M
said that he had not been able to read any
part Of the United States Supreme Court
proceedings The gist of the decision
against the Trans-MisSouri Freight Asso-
citation had been explained TO him, how
ever. and he does not think the joint traf-
fc agree TneIt i necessarily affected by it
The Joint Traffic Association is composed
of ten railroad systems. viz: The Wander
tilt system, Pennsylvania system, Ba.tl-
more and Ohio, Lackawanna, Lehigh Val
Erie. Canadian Pacific and Wabash. These
ten systems include thirty-two different
lines OF railways. The Lake Shore. Michi-
gan Central. Big Four. Nickel Plate arGI
West Shore roads are embraced in the
Vanderbilt system. The association has
jurisdiction over competitive traffic which
passes to. from or through the western ter
mini of the trunk lines via Toronto, Can
ada; Suspension Bridge. Niagara Falls.
Tonawanda, Black Rock. Buffalo East Buff
falo. Buffalo Junction. Duakirk and Sal
amanca, y. Y; Erie. Pittsburg and Ale
gheny. Pa; Belaire, Ohio; Wheeling
Parkersburg. Charleston and Kenova. w
Va. and Ashland. Ky.
The Trunk Line Association, which would
also be affected II the joint traffic agree
Hient is declared to be Illegal is composed
OF twelve lines of railroads. as follows
Baltimore and Ohio. Jersey Central Che;a-
peake and Ohio. Lackwanna. Erie, Grand
Trunk, l4ehigh Valley. New York Central
Pennsylvania. Philadelphia and Reading
and the West Shore. The territory of the
Trunk Line Association includes the terri
tory west of New England traversed by
the companies represented in the associa-
ton. and east of and including Toronto
Suspension Bridge. Niagara Falls, Tona-
wanda, Black Rock. Buffalo. East Buffalo
Buffalo Junction, Dunkirk Salamanca
Erie, PittsburG. Beliairc, Wheeling Par
kersburg and Charleston. W. Va