Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-09-19
MONSTER RAILROAD COMBINE.

The Cleveland Leader of the 13tI
says:
"a financial alliance has been form
en- by the two great factors in th,
Eastern railroad field, the VANDERBILT
interests and the Pennsylvania sys
tenn. The working agreement has beer
close in the past, but it has never COM
to an allotment of territory and dis
vision of property.
1.-THE eastern field was threatened b.
an invasion first by the Clouds an(
later by the Grand Trunk Railroad
and these big financial interests wrnt
ed to preserve the territory for them
selves. Thus the ties that had beer
formed by the coal deal were strength
ened in the endeavor to protect thu
eastern field.
"a shory time ago, just before W
K. Vanderbilt went abroad, A. j
Cassatt, president of the Pennsylvania
Railroad, went to New York city tt
call on him. BIT that time it was
agreed to form an offensive and defen
sive alliance in the east to completely
control the situation and exclude al
others from the field.
1.-THE combination of interests makes
one of the biggest eeals that has evel
been seen. The vested rights of the
two big systems east of Chicago, tC
say nothing of their property west oil
that point. gives them capitalization
of over $4,000, 10000 and over 10000
miles of railroad.
1.-The organization promises to be the
most dOmineering that has ever been
formed. The aim of it is to absolutely
control transportation facilities in the
territory between Chicago and st.
Louis, the Great Lakes and the Ohio
river. and the Canadian boundary and
the Potomac river, through to the At
lantic coast.
I'm that territory they will be sub
ject only to the interference of the
Interstate Commerce Commission, land
it Is their aim to block the progress of
of every other road which tries to in
wade that territory. They also control
the coal mines, many of the steel mills,
and all of the elevators for the export
and trans-shipmento of grain.
"The roads included in the combina-
ton are the New York Central, Penn
>sylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, Chesapeake
q Ohio, Norfolk g. Western, Philadel-
phia and Reading, Lake Shore, Big
Four, Michigan Central, Nickel Plate,
Boston & Albany, Baltimoae & Ohio
Southwestern, Pere Marc uette, Hook
ing Valley and Lake Erie & Western. :"
It is not all certain that this combi.
nation has not existed for some time.
The details may not have been work
ed out as fully as now, but there has
been 0mbination to shut all others
out of what is known as the Trans.
Allegheny field for some time. 1t is
not easy to close the west, but the
eastern field is less difficult. This
combination owns every road which
crosses the Alleghanies, and an agree
ment can :place the public at their
mercy. 1t is costly to build over the
Alleghanies. Only corporations with
vast capital can do it, hence the i'm
rOrtance of these roads getting TO-
gether. In the west where the ground
is level roads can be built, so that only
the cities can be guarded. If they can
shut a corporation out of the large
cities good deal is gained.
The Clouds have been credited with
a determination to 60 to the seaboard.
This has caused fright, hence the com.
pact. OF all the trusts yet formed a
railroad trust is the one which can
reach more people and infiict it's blight
in more ways than any other. It is
really trust which should be scanned
more carefully than any other, because
1t will be harder to legislate against.
No reduction of tariff can affect it, and
1t can buy and own both houses of
congress and the president and still
have funds for other purchases.