The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-08-16
RAILROADS. MUST
ANSWER . CHARGES: II. I: ! [: !! !:
Interstate Commerce
Commission Begins
Investigation.
CASES WILL TEST
EXISTING LAWS
Expected to Indicate What Ad.
itional Steps BY Congress Are
Necessary to Control Opera
ton Of Private LinesList
l4of Roads and Com
panies Involved.

fBr Associated Press.l.

(By Associated Press.) #
WASHINGTON,A u August 15.--The In
terstate Commerce Commission, on It's
own Initiative and as q result Of COM.
plants against private car lines. to-day
Unexpectedly began IN Investigation Of
the relations between railroads and re-
frigerator lines. by which It is charged
that tho act to regulate Interstate COM
merce is being violated in Several spe-,
clfced particulars The compliant set
forth by tho commission Is directed
against tho Armour Car Line, the Amer
lean Refrigerator Transportation COM
pany, the Santa To Refrigerator Dis
patch and the following railroads:
v St, Louis and 4 San &Franclaco
rs Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe; II
st. Louis, Iron Mountain and South
ern: 3Jf S#Si ft sll35 " 2 a&S
& Central OF Georgia; 5s
Southern; i 5is}
Atlantic Coast Line; "a
seaboard Air Line; &
pennsylvania; 5{5s
Southern Pacific; 35gs q 8,yf 5a
@ Kansas City Southern s5 NJ 81 4
THE railroads and refrigerator lines
are made respondents In proceedings,
which require that specific answer to all
allegations be made to the Interstate
Commerce Commission by September.
Alleged Violation.
~ is charged that by way Of rebates
ar other devices, the refrigerator lines
are acting for. the railroads rs nuthor-
slzed agents, and the railroads acting
through the refrigcruto tor lines. nre 4 COLI
iecting and receiving for the refrigera-
tlon OF fruit and tables Iwer$ rtttes rates
from some shippers than they are s con 8, :.
8tenporan neously eving rs: for siInilar li y.
service rendered to other ~ % 3
is held to be In violation Of $sectlon - 3,
"a q ~ thc net to regulate Interstate
commerce. s. J.s ). ,,,,,,o y, !, !,
,n,orlect t to publish at shipping stations
and file with the Interstate 4CorlIiler"ce "
aC,ommlsson the rates and charges I'M 7 :,
nosed for the refrigeration OF fruits and
vegetables constitutes a Vlolatioh gu st''- 7
tion 6 OF the Interstate commerce w. -,
The commission alleges furtner i.f tliu. ltt'' :
the charges published jointly py ing ~ y
frlgerator lines and the railroaus an -. ,nS
- reratlon Of fruits in certain spec,tiled re,
ta,.rit : cries are unreasonable and unjust
md In violation Of section ]. The terri
tories described arc Missouri. Arkansas.
indian Territory, Texas, Calif 70
gEastern points Louisiana ana hnnsas,
and Georgia, South Carolina and North l'L
Carolina, to New York.
Cases Will Test Law.
comnlaInts against the private car lines
4extcnd over the entire life Of tho first
~ TO regulate Interstate commerce ana
nll acts nmendatory thereto. Hearings
have been had In various sections otHth
country, and not infrequenty nave
changes In the schedules been made for
the announced purpose Of remedying al
jo1ed abuses. Combinations OF railroads
md private chr lines have prevented any
wholesale regulations of these rates
charges of determinations against small
SINNERS have poured In on the commits
sion for number of years. Tho matter
has been made the subject Of investiga-
tion nv congressional committees. and
several laws have been passed, giving
Increased powers to tho commission In
an effort to reach alleged combinations
snid to bo prohlbitive of the small ship
per entering into competition with ship
pers leasing by tho year large numbers
OF private cars, 3sst FL sl
Tho action taken by tho Interstate
Commerce Commission now indicates q
belief that certain cases set forth In tho
proceedings can pe reached ulder tho
present laws. IN any event, the pro
ccedings are looked upon as q test, and 1t
is declared they WILL prove Of nestima- :
BILE value in Informing Congress what
new laws are needed for national control
OF private car lines where combinations
are made with railroads which affect tho
freight and refrigeration schedtlle'