Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-16
COMMISSION STARS SUITS
Refrigerator Car Lires and Railroads
20 he Probed for viola
ttons OftLaw.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.-The Interstate
Commerce commission on its own initiative
and as a result Of complaints against
private car lines today unexpectedly began
an investigation OF the relations between
railroads and refrigerator lines, by which
It is charged that the act to regulate
the interstate commerce Is violated In
several specified places.
The complaint set forth by the commits
sion is directed against the Armour Car
line, the American Refrigerator Transporta-
tion company, the Santa Fe Refrigerator
Despatch and the following railroads: St.
Louis & San Francisco, fAtchison. Topeka
& Santa Fe; St. Louis tIron Mountain &
Southern; Central OF Georgia: Atlantic
Coast line; Seaboard Air Line; Pennsyl-
vania; Southern Pacific, and Kansas City
Southern.
The railroads and refrigerator lines are
made respondents in proceedings and re-
quired that specific answer to all alega-
tons be made to the Interstate Commerce
commission by September 5.
1t is charged that by way of rebates
or other devices the refrigerator lines are
acting for the railroads as authorized
agents, and the railroads. acting through
the refrigerator lines are collecting and
| receiving for the refrigeration Of fruit and
vegetables lower rates from some shippers
than they are contemporaneously receiving
for similar service rendered TO other snip
pers. This is held to be in violation Of
sections two and three OF the act to regu-
late interstate commerce.
Another charge is that failure and ne
! glect to publish at shipping stations and
file with the interstate Commerce com
mission, the rates and charges imposed
fpr. rEe .,F
tables constitutes a violation Of section
six of the Interstate commerce act.
The commission alleges further that the
| charges pursued Jointly by the refrigerator
lines and the railroads for the refrigera-
| tion of fruits i'm certain specified terri
! tories are unreasonable and unjust and
| in violation of section one. The terri
tories described are Missouri. Arkansas In
dian Territory, Texas, California to eastern
| points, Louisiana and Kansas and Georgia
| South Carolina and North Carolina to New
| York.
| Complaints against the private car lines
| extend over the entire life of the first
| act to regulate interstate commerce and
/ all acts amendatory thereto. Hearings have
/ been had in various sections of the country
and not infrequently have changes in the
| schedules been made for the announced
1
| binatiOns of railroads and private car lines
! have prevented any wholesale regulation
! of these rates Charges Of discrimination
| against small shippers have poured in on
| the commission for a number of years
! The matter has been made the subject
! of investigation by congressional commit.
| tees and several laws have been passed Civ
! ing increased powers TO the commission
| in effort to reach alleged combinations
| said to have been prohibtive of the small
shipper entering into competition with ship
pers leasing by the yeaF large numbers OF
private cars,
| The action taken by the Interstate Com.
merce commission now 3l,dieetes belief
| that certain cases sci 9Dr.h n the pro.
| ceedings can be reached under present law
| In any event the proceedings are looked
upon as a test and it is declared they
| will prove of inestimable value in in.
/ forming congress what new laws are needed
! for national control of private car lines
where combinations are made with rail
roads which affect the freight and re-
| frigerator schedules.