The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-16
COMBINATION To
GOUGE SHIPPERS
Relations of Refrigerator
Lines and Railroads.
AN INQUIRY is BEGUN
Answer to Interstate Commerce Com
mission of Charges Made Must be
by September. Armour and the
Atlantic Coast Line Among
Alleged Violators.
dBy the Associated Press.)


Washington. August 15.-The In
ter-State Commerce Commission on it's
own initiative, and as a result of COM
plants against private car lines to-
day unexpectedly began an investiga-
ton of the relations between railroads
and refrigerator lines, by which it is
charged that the act to regulate Inter-
State Commerce is being violated in
several specified particulars. The
complaint set forth by the commission
is directed against the Armour Car
Line the American Refrigerator Trans
portation Company, the Santa Fe
Refrigerator Dispatch, and the follow
ing railroads: ST. Louis and san
Francisco; Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe; st. Louis, Iron Mountain
and Southern; Central of Georgia;
Southern; Atlantic Coast Line; Sea-
board Air Line; Pennsylvania; South
ern Pacific, and Kansas City South
ern.
The railroads and refrigerator lines
are made respondents in proceedings
which require that specific answer
to all allegations be made to the Inter
State Commerce Commission by Sep
TENDER.
1t is charged that by way of rebates
or other devices the refrigerator lines
are acting for the railroads as au-
thoTized agents and the railroads, act
i4g 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
shippers. This is held to be in viola
ton of section . and 3 of the act to
regulate Interstate commerce.
Another charge is that failure and
neglect to publish at shipping stations
and file with the Interstate Commerce
Commission, the rates and charges
imposed for the refrigeration of fruits
and vegetables constitutes a violation
of section of the Interstate COM
mercc act.
Unreasonable Rates.
The commission alleges further that
the charges published Jointly by the
refrigerator lines and the railroads for
the refrigeration of fruits in certain
specified territories are unreasonable
and unjust an in violation OF section
/. The territories described are Mis-
SCUM, Arkansas, indian 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 line 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 an
nounced purposod of remedying al
legged abuses Combinations of rail-
roads and private car lines have pre-
vented any wholesale regulations OF
these rates. Charges of discrimina-
tons against small shippers have
poured in on the commission for
number OF years. The matter has
been made the subject Of investigation
by Congressional committees and sew
eral laws have been passed giving in
creased powers 20 the commission IN
an effort to reach alleged combina-
lions said to be prohibitive of the
small shipper entering into COMPETE
ton with shippers leasing by the year
large numbers of private cars.
The action taken by the Interstate
Commerce Commission now indicates
"a belief that certain cases set forth
in the proceedings can be reached
under the present laws. In any event
the proceedings are looked upon as a
test and it is declared they will prove
of inestimable value III informing
Congress what new laws are needed
for national control of private car
lines where combinations are made
with railroads which affect the freight
and refrigeration schedule.