Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-05
All the Railroads are Using
Their Influence to Defeat
the Measure
STRIKES BLOW AT RATE CUTTING
Provision for Punishment of Roads
That Favor the Big shipper-An
Immense Lobby on Hand at the Ma
tionaI Capital to Make a Fight
Against the Measure.

\ Chicago, Jan. 5.--A special to the In.
ter-Ocean from Washington says:
Practically all of the great railroads
In the country are massing their forces
against the Hoar antitrust bill, which
aims a vital blow at preferential rates
to the trusts. Seldom has such activ-
fty been noted in the way of opposition
to any congressional measure intro
duced in recent years. As the rail-
/ road influence in the senate is very
1 strong, there is where the hardest fight
will be made against 1t. This, it is be-
lieved, will be led by Senator Quay.
In this connection 1t is said in certain
quarters tina tthe Pennsylvania senator's
first interest in the statehood bill is to
use it as a stumbling block against the
Hoar antitrust bill. 1t is we'll known
that Mr. Quay threatens to hold up all
legislation until the statehood bill is
passed as he wants it,
The fight will practically open on
Tuesday, when Senator Hoar will adj
dress the senate on his bill. It will be
the first speech of the session on the
question OF trust legislation, and by
lawyer of Mr.. Hears reputation it will
attract more than ordinary attention.
1t is now predicted that the fight will
be made In the senate and that the
house Will wait the result of the issue
there. The senate is a conservative
body, which hesitates over radical de-
partures from the existing law, and the
Hoar bill, while not radical in it's
changes from existing law, would, If
enacted, enable the department of JUS
tice and the interstate commerce COM
mission to bring about a radical change
in the enforcement OF old laws which
have been dead letter on the statute
books.
Section 8 of the Hoar bill strikes at
the root Of the evil of trust organiza-
ton and manipulation, according to the
views of some Of the most astute legis-
lators. This section among other things
requires, as a condition for engaging
in International and interstate COM
merce, that all trusts and corporations
must file with the Interstate commerce
commission a statement OF all stock
owned by 1t in any other corporation,
and the amount of its stock held by
other corporations, or held IN trust for
it, specifying the corporation, compa-
MES, or other association. The same
section provides that the attorney gen |
eral may at any time require of any I
any statement he may /
think fit in regard to the conduct of its
business. And he may especially re-
quire any such corporation TO give a list t
Of all contracts or transactions entered /
into within the twelve months preced-
ing such requisition in which it sold
any article or product or carried any
article or product at rate less than
he ordinary market price, If such arti-
lies or products had been sold or car
led by any other person than the party
% such transaction.
These two provisions of the Hoar bill
would make effective the Interstate
commerce law prohibiting preferential
'ates given by the railroads, as 1t
would place in the attorney generals
lands ample power to secure the evil
lence in regard to such transactions.
rhe first provisions would enable the
department. of justice to secure the evil
Ience as to whether railroads were en- .
nd whether manufacturers or other ..
PRODUCERS owned controlling interests {.
n railroad corporations. The second !
rovision would enable the attorney !.
eneral to secure the evidence of pref J
rental rates and the reasons for Civ !
ng them. {.
The interstate commerce act prohib- {.
IS the giving Of preferential rates, but I
he difficulty has always been to secure J,
he evidence showing such preferences :!
ither by lower rates or by secret re- :
ates. 1t is held by those who have .
tudied the question that this combi-
alton or cooperation between the
ailroads and the manufacturers or
Their producers is the one great evil of
'ust organization, because 1t enables
he trusts to secure such preferential
,tes as to destroy all competition. The
ase of the Standard Oil Company is
ted, wherein 1t secured by secret con-
acts with all the railroads touching q
lie oil region such preferential rates as
enable it to utterly destroy all COM
etition. 1t is claimed that the steel h
ust, the sugar trust, and other great y
ordinations of capital would be prac-
cally harmless, If they had the same
cations to the transportation compa-
hot ofh Law