The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-01-24
RUNNING SMALL OPERATORS.
he Interstate Commerce Commission Sinh
mits Its Annual Report
THEY SCORE SOME RAILROAD PRESIDENTS
Evidence Is Plentiful of Collision to Reduce Freiqbt
NaeeS' winch Fact Helps the Big Concerns
to Freeze Out the Little Ones

Washington, January 23.-Tbe Interstate
commerce commission today transmitted 70
congress Its fifteenth annual report. The
commission renews It's recommendations
for increased powers
Referring to recent Investigations made
into the movement OF packing house prod.
ucts and the movement OF grain and grain
products, the commission said that the
leading traffic officials of many OF tho
principal railway lines, men occupying high
positions and charged with the most I'm.
portant duties, should deliberately violate
the statute law Of the land. and in some
cases agree with each Other to do SO: that
1t should be thought by them necessary t.,
destroy vouchers and 10 so manipulate book
keeping as to obitcrate evidence Of the
transactions; that hundreds OF thousands
OF dollars should be paid In unlawful re-
bates to few great packlng houses: that
the business Of railroad transportation. the
| most Important but one In the country 10.
day, paying the highest salaries ana hold.
Ing out TO young men the greatest induce
ments, should to such nm extent be con.
Quoted In open disregard Of law must bn
surprising and offensive to all rleht.mlndod
persons Equally startling at least is the
fact that the owners Of these packing
houses, men whose names are known
throughout the commercial world. should
seemingly be eager to augment their gains
with the enormous amounts Of these re-
bates which they receive in plain dedance
OF a Federal statute.
The commission says the law should saw
clearly that 6pes for discrimination be-
tween shippers should be imposed on the
corporation. It has been iudiclally ncld
that the agent alone can be punished. The
report says further:
The twentieth section should be amepd
I'd so as 10 open tho books Of the carriers 70
the Inspection Of the commission or its
agents.
we Wish tn still further suggest that
If the powers Of this commission are not ~
be generally enlarged some method sbould
at least be devised by which such orders
as It can make can be enforced within
reasonable time"
The commission reviews the recent in
yestigation Of packing house products az
Chicago, and adds: TIC effort IS 10
give the Eve or six great coucerns an enor.
nous advantage over small competitors 10.
Gated at all other points ALREADY these
competitors have mostly ceased to exist.
These disclosures afford a pregnant Illus
tration OF the manner In which secret rate
concessions are tending to build up great
trusts and monopolies at the expense OF
the small independent operator"
In regard TO relative rates On export
wheat and -four. the commi1Gon says: "a
large portion OF the wheat exported had
originated IN the region which may per. |
maps DC called tributary 10 Kansas City !
MS wheat may be exported through the I
euif p9sts OF Galveston or New orleans
oT through Atlantic ports. The distance 10 !
the gulf ports IS much less than the dis |
rance 10 the Eastern seaboard. Active com
peutlon exists between the lines leading |
IA various directions fran Kansas City, |
and this has resulted In very low rates !
also showed that these rates had nor been !
observed. The open wheat tariff from |
kansas CITY 10 Chicago has been ~ cents |
and the actual rate as low as cents To |
Galvsatsn thu export rates hAs been 10 |