The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-01-10
ALL ALONG THE line
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COM.
MISSION WILL BEGIN IN.
vEsTIoATIoNs.
DATA FOR SPECIAL MESSAGE
The Inquiry VIII Cover Transportation
of Packing House Products, Dressed
Beef and Grain and the Railway
Merger-The Purpose Is Not to In
flict Punishment but to Get Facts
for President Roosevelt.


fiict Punishment but to Get Facts
for President Roosevelt.
Chicago, Jan. 4.-The interstate
commerce commission will begin a
series Of three investigations in Chi
tago next Tuesday which are said to
have for their purpose the gathering
of data for a special message by Presi-
dent Roosevelt to congress. 1t is said
that in this special message President
Roosevelt will deal with three subjects
as follows:
First-Railway combinations:
Second-The interstate commerce
commission.
Third-Legislation governing inter
state traffic.
Originally it was the purpose OF the
president to cover these subjects fully
In his annual message to congress, but
owing to the inability of the interstate
commerce commission to get all the
facts necessary these subjects were
touched upon but briefly and were left
to be handled in supplementary
message. The investigations which
will be made and which will supple
ment those already made are: Tues
day at Chicago, the transportation of
packing house products and dressed
beef; Wednesday at Chicago, the Bur-
lington- Northern Pacific-Great North
ern combination; Thursday at Kansas
City, grain and grain products to EAST
ern and seaboard points; Friday at
Chicago, packing house products and
dressed beef.
United States Marshal Ames' dep,
uty was busy during the day serving
and trying to serve subpoenaes on rep
resentatives of packing house inter
ests. He had six summonses and sue
ceeded in serving two. Several of the
men sought are said to have escaped
service by leaving the city hurriedly,
one of them missing the deputy by
only few seconds.
While the packing house men are
apparently stunning the investigation
the railroad men are not seeking to
avoid it. Many Of them believe that
anything Is better than the present
conditions and that with stable rates
would come lower rates to the great
Benefit of the Entire Country.
No SuDpOenaeS were issued Tor the
were received from the commission
requesting their attendance at the in
vestigation. 1t Is said that every per
son in charge of traffic on road cen
tering here and known to carry pack
ing house products and dressed beei
has received copy of the letter.
1t is understood that the legal coun
sci interested in the organization Of
the Northern Securities company
James J. Hill, E. H. Hartman, J. P
Morgan, Former President Hays Of
the Southern Pacific, President Burt
of the Union Pacific and j. G. Stubs
traffic director for the Hartman lines
have been asked to attend. None Of
these men were subpoenaed, but Oar
ius Miller said that he expected to re
spond to the commissions request and
It Is presumed that others would dc
the same.
It is also the purpose of the com
mission to inquire into the purchase
Of the Southern Pacific by the Unior
Pacific, and into all that has trans
pired within the last year as tending
to show the workings of the commu
nifty of interests IDEA.
Railroad men have been given tx
understand that the investigation into
rate matters is not for the purpose o.
inficting punishment upon any one
but simply in the line of investigation
| for facts and data. This Is understood
| as confirming the purpose Of the presi
| dent to send special message to con
! press