The Washington times., 1903-01-29
COAL BARONS MAY BE
HAILED INTO COURT
IN THIS DISTRICT
Leading Citizens Moving to
Invoke the Law.
ANTITRUST ACT SUFFICIENT
Opinion Prevails That Legal Action
Could Be Taken Here More Eff
fectively Than Elsewhere.

At is not improbable that in the near
future information may be placed before
the United States Attorney for the Dis
trict of Columbia looking to prosecu-
items under the antitrust act OF July
z, 1890. Of those engaged in the mining
and transportation of coal The matter
is now under cor sideration by several
representative gentlemen. who are
quietly conducting an investigation with
this purpose in view. Should they sue
ceed in securing the evidence which they
now believe within their reach, events
are likely to move rapidly
The gentlemen engaged are as yet
proceeding quietly, and wish to avoid
notoriety until their plans have ma
tUred and the proceedings are actually
instituted. One of them was present
at the Get Coal" convention at the
ShOTeham Tuesday night, ard found new
incentive % activity in the exchange OF
views.
Stimulated by Speech.
He listened attentively to Col. 0. C.
Staples recital Of how the several as
sociations of business men. the Com
Tnissioners Of the District. and finally
the Senate Committee on the District of
Columbia had undertaken Investigations
with a view to affordiug relief, and how
even the power of the United States
Senate was found to be too dangerous
Iy inadequate to deal with the situation.
It was here that the pertinent ques-
tion arose as to whether OF not the
courts had been appealed to, as in Chi
cago and elsewhere, and the incentive
for the present movement was found
IN Washington. where the Federal
power is pre-eminent. it was declared,
the issue could be more closely drawn
than at any other point.
Despite the fact that the laws OF Penn
syIvania prohibit the control or owner
ship of coal mines by the transpoTta-
tion companies, both President Cassett,
of the Pennsylvania, and President
George F. Baer. OF the Reading. have,
over their own signatures, written to
the committees OF Congress regarding
the mines which their roads control.
The roads have even gone into the courts
of Pennsylvania and pleaded ownership
of the mines in defense of the practice
OF fayoring their own mines in the car
supply.
The violations of the United States
statutes are said to be equally open
and fragrant and the conditions i nat
ter of public knowledge II is an ad-
mitteG fact that there is a combination
TO control the price of coal. certain
companies are assigned to certain Ter
rit0ry, and at any price il is impossible
for the Washington market 10 secure
quotations on coal from mines assigned
by the trust to the supplying Of other
territory. although those mines may not
be able to market their entire output
and have TO close down for time.
Strenuous Action Required.
Although engaged in interstate com
merce It is a matter of public know
ledge thas during the past winter IL has
been impossible for any but the favored
few TO secure cars for the shipment Of
coal O. to have it moved by the rail
roads. Thirteen hundred cars were
held UP in the mining regions Of West
Virginia for weeks because OF the re
fusaI of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road to handle them and il was only
when the attorney general of the State
Of MARYLAND threatened 10 institute TrO-
cecdiDgs looking 10 the forfeiture Of
their charter that an arrangement was
efrected whereby the cars in question
we're permitted TO pass over the tracks
of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from
Cherry Run drawn by private lc~OmO-
fTy-az