The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-01-09
SPECIAL MESSAGE
SAID ROOSEVELT MAY PREPARE
ONE FOR CONGRESS.
II viii Deal With Railway Combinations.
Interstate Commerce Commission and
Legislation Governing Interstate Traffic
Interstate Commission Making lnvestjsa.
ton for Data.

Chicago, Jan. 4.-The Record. Herald
says:
The Interstate commerce commission
will begin series of three investigations
in Chicago next Tuesday, which are said
to have for their purpose the gathering
OF data for a special message Of President
Roosevelt to congress. 1t is said that
in this message President Roosevelt will
deal with three subjects as follows:
First, railway combinations; second, the
interstate commerce commission third,
legislation governing interstate 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 LETT to be
handled in a supplementary message.
The Investigations which will be made
and which will supplant those already
made are:
First-Tuesday, at Chicago, the trans
portation of packing house products and
dressed beef; second, Wednesday, at
Chicago, the Burlington Northern Pacific
Great Northern combination; third,
Thursday, at Kansas City, grain and
grain products to eastern and seaboard
points; fourth, Friday, at Chicago, pack
ing house products and dressed beef.
United States Marshal Ames' deputy
was busy today serving and trying to
serve subp9nas on representatives of
packing house interests. He had six
summonses and succeeded in finding
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.
Letters to Railway Men.
No subpoenas were issued for the rail-
road men, but in their stead letters were
received from the commission requesting
their attendance at the investigation.
~ 10 Soiu th~e ONViy POiSoh Shnik kO
of traffic on a road centering here and
known to carry packing house products
and dressed beef has received a copy Of
the letter.
1t is understood that the legal counsel
interested in the organization of the
Northern Securities Company, James j.
Hill, f. f. Hartman, J. p. Morgan,
former President Hayes of the Southern
Pacific; President Burt, of the Union
Pacific; and j. G.. Stubbs, traffic director
for the Hartman lines, have been asked
to attend. None of these men were sub
poenaed. but Darius Miller said that he
expected to respond to the commissions
request, and it is presumed that the
others will do the same.
1t is a purpose of the commission to
inquire into the purchase of the South
ern Pacific by the Union Pacific, and
into all that transpired within the last
year, as tending to show the workings of
the community of interest idea.
Railroad men have been given to un-
derstand that the investigation into rate
matters is not for the purpose Of infiict-
ing punishment upon anyone, but simply
in the line of investigation for facts and
data. This is understood as confirming
the purpose Of the president to send
special message to congress.