Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-07
STRONG CHARGES MADE
COKE COMPANY Ac-
cUsEs PENNSYLVANIA R. R.

Charges of unlawful discrimination, IA
voritism lack of good faith, manipulation
to further It's own financial ends and Of
sitting competition are contained in a COM
plant filed yesterday with the interstate
commerce commission by the Donohoe Coke
Company of Greensburg, Pa, against the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company. in con-
nection with the keystone Coal and Coke
Company and the Huron Coal Company,
corporations of the state of Pennsylvania.
According to the complaint, the Donohoe
company Is engaged In mining and shipping
coal and the manufacture and shipping of
coke to various points in Illinois, New York,
New Jersey and the New England states.
Complainant AYERS that the railroad COM
pany has devised certain ratings of output
of the several mines In the vicinity of
Greensburg, by which the pro rata distribu-
ton of cars is alleged to be made. Although
the petitioner claims to have larger output
than either of the two companies named, 1t
is asserted that the railroad company has
arbitrarily increased the rating OF output OF
the said keystone and Huron companies, by
which they are given increased car faclll-
ties, thus unlawfully discriminating In their
favor.
The charge also is made that further I'M
lawful discrimination is pracuced by the
railroad company against the complainant
and other shippers in the locality mentioned
who do not own private cars, by failing and
refusing to count private cars against the
two mines named in distributing the cars
owned by the railroad 1t is declared that
the railroad company, in the handing OF
cars, especially in winter, when the price OF
coal is high, pretends, with lack of faith,
that it is required to move first the private
cars of the keystone and Huron companies,
and that thereafter the railroad company
sets up the claim that it is unable by reason
of insufficient facilities or capacity Of Its
equipment to move it's own cars.
The allegation also Is made that the rail-
road further discriminates by transferring
or pretending to transfer to favored ship
pers, by lease, sale or otherwise, cars actu-
ally belonging to said railroad, so that I'M
der the system of distribution adopted these
cars are not counted against the favored
parties, thus giving them more cars than
they are entitled to receive. After further
charging that the railroad company has re-
fused to haul or permit to be hauled to
certain localities the kinds of cars the rail-
road furnished. the broad allegation is made
that the railroad company and certain of
it's officers and employees manipulate and
control the car supply by reason of having
a financial interest in the Keystone and
Huron companies, and that the discrimina-
tons complained of due TO said rail-.
road It's officers and employees desiring to
further their own pecuniary interests by
reducing the supply of coal in the market
and thereby increasing the price of the
same and crushing out competition of in
dependent companies
The petition concludes with prayer that
the railroad company be required to an
swer the complaint, as we'll as to cease and
deSist in Its alleged unlawful discrimina-
ton, and that such other relief be given as
the commission may determine upon.