The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-10-16
NESTING THE LAW
REGARDING TRUSTS

, ,ihcr carriers would thereafter conform
| to the Jaw and abstain from illegal prac-
ices How salutary and wholesome the
| effect has been. ask any rair-minded rail-
way manager. who Is now enabled to ad-
Just his business freed from the stress OF
competition with awbreakers. or any
honest shipper upon the defendant roads
II Is believed that, with few exceptions
since the issuing OF these iniunctions,
the open tariffs have been applied and
uniform rates charged to large and small
shippers alike. The small grain buyers
in the West have resumed operations. the
elevators that were closed are doing
profitable business. and the workmen are
again employed.
In u few cases the department has been
infromcd that certain railway officials
who were not enioined have taken ad-
vantage of the restraint placed upon their
competitors. and been led by cupidity to
seek unlawful earnings by according Sc
cret rates to increase their business at
the expense OF roads under injunction.
Several of these officials have been In
dicted already. and more VIII be II evi-
tence of their misconduct can he pro-
cured And in this connection, | take oc-
casion to say that the efforts of the COM
mission TO stop rate-cutting and all SINH
lar offenses will he constantly aided by
the department of Justice and every offi-
cial under it's direction. This nefarious'
business is to he stopped II II Is In the
power of the administration to stop 1t.
Southern Roads Disciplined.
Another direction in which kindred ef
fort has been made TO enforce the law
and prevent the abuse of monopoly de-
serves n word of comment The cotton
interests of the South. growers. buyers
and shippers complained of the hard
ships and injury suffered by them from
the met thods of the railroads In that sec
tion in handling and transporting the cot
ton output These carriers. by combined
action. denied the right of routing to the
hippers--that is to say. the right or the
shipper to prescribe over what route his
goods should pass. and by agreement
with each other determined the lines
which should move this important pro-
duct and the percentage OF total ship
mentS which each line should transport.
In other words, there was pooling ar
rangenent between the railroads IN re-
spect of this traffic. in distinct violation
of the Federal statute.
AS tile result of information. secured
with much difficulty. respecting this for
hidden practice, II number OF indictments
were obtained against the OFFENDING roads
and their principal traffic officers. At
first the indicted carriers showed an m
tentiun to continue their unlawful com
bination. and steps We're taken by the
department tO institute similar proSeru-
tions against the same and other car
riers for like misconduct at o'ner poi"'s
in the cotton section. since una, ti''''
however, lhe Ioh"S "">' ''. III,
their position. They now accord to ship
pers the right to route their traffic. and
avow their purpose strictly TO observe tue
law.
After Beef Trust.
,rha ro,,,r,<.,h,e advance i'm the price of
meats rorpI,d with the disclosures
nlicitad hv the commission r.snecting So
cret r,b,te,. euioy.d by the great packing
h,us.. and other Information obtained
NV tbn d.nurtment of Justice. induced 1t
- I;rar, an investigation into the
,,,o,b,du ,r the so-cuI,e,I Beef Trust" ns
a ras,,I, or ,yI,ich bills were filed under
tha sherman antitrust law and iniunc-