The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-24
RAILROADS.

T-bprp Is little prospect that tue T4l-
.,,Js will succeed in forcing the gov
ernment to pay higher rates for the
transportation Of soldiers than the rail-
ro,ds have been in the habit of making
az theatrical troupes, baseball clubs,
mass bands, and similar aggregatlons'
Tho general passenger agents of the
western lines met at Chicago Thursday
and racked their brains in order to de-
Wis, some scheme for forcing the gov
crnmpn, TO pay the money 1t is with
holding from them, but they failed to
reach any agreement as to the course
Tar them TO pursue. Some Of the gem
rr,l Messenger agents talked loudly Of
a ",r.t case" in the United States su-
preme court, but the attorneys OF other
roads have given an opinion that the
general messenger agents had better
settle their claims on the basis pro-
posed BY the government.
II is wen known that at the begin
ming Of the war with Spain the rail-
roads fought among themselves for the
privilege Of transporting soldiers. and
In some eases made rates of only u
fraction Of a cent q mile, says the Chi
cago Inte.-Occan. The western roads
seemed arst to realize that the govern
mant was compelled to transport sol
Glars. so they agreed to stop bidding
against each other for movements OF
troops and unite in rendering only the
highes. tariff rates. They went fur
Their and agreed that no matter which
lines carried troops at thosa rates the
profits should be divided equally among
all the railroads in the pool. Some Of
the best railroad lawyers in the coun-
Try have declared that such an agree
ment was in direct violation Of the
antitrust law, and that the railroads
in the pool also violated the interstate
commerce law by discriminating in
rates between parties OF soldiers and
actors or baseball players.
No; until after the close Of the war
did the treasury department discover
that in scores OF cases the railroads
had charged higher rates for the trans
portation OF troops than they we're en-
titled to. In some cases the extortion
was so plain that the government de-
manded that the railroads refund the
amount In excess OF what the railroads
should have been paid, and the refunds
were made. The rigid Investigation
which was begun by the treasury de-
partment several months ago has
brought to light facts which do not re-
fleet credit on certain railroad and
army officials. About six weeks ago a
committee OF passenger agents Of east
ern lines went to Washington for the
purpose OF securing the payment In full
Of their claims. Some OF the facts in
the possession Of the treasury depart
ment were impaired to that committee,
and It departed from Washington both
wiser and sadder. Since then the cast
crn roads have not talked OF filing
suits in the court Of claims against the
government in order to collect the ex.
cgssiye charges they made for trans
porting troops.
The total amount Of the railroad
transportation claims which the gov
eminent refuses to pay Is not far from
'l0ooO0O. OF this the larger share is
claimed by the western roads. Their
persistent efforts to force the govern
men' to ray their claims may result
tn an Investigation by a committee Of
Congress M the entire question Of mill
taTy transportation. It would be In
teresiing To the public to know the real
reasons why certain military move
menis were made, and why some con-
tracts with particular railroads were
mad" by certain army officials.
u a committee Of Congress does in
FeS'iga,e the general transportation OF
troops By The railroads one result prob
ably VIII be that no law authorizing
RAILROADS la pool their profits will be
enacted. Il is also probable that the
attorney general OF the United States
would ho Instructed to institute n num-
Der Of suits against the railroads.
some changes In both army and rail-
way ofin.als might occur, also.
--s-S-o-