Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-17
ARMOUR LINES A MONOPOLY.
President Of the Concern Admits Pr
nato Car inas HAVE MnnnnnIu

President Of the Concern Admits Pri
vate Car Lines Have Monopoly.
Washington May 17.--Beforc the
senate committee on interstate COM
merce, which is investigating railroad
rates, President George r. Robbins of
the Armour car lines yesterday admit
ted that the company had twenty or
thirty exclusive contracts with rail-
roads for fruit transportation business
and acknowledged a monopoly of that
traffic in parts of the west and south.
Wherever these exclusive contracts APP
piled, he admitted the producers and
shippers of fruit had to accept the
rates laid down by the Armours. He
claimed that his company was pri-
vate one and therefore not subject to
the interstate commerce laws.
Mr. Robbins, who was the star witt
ness of the day and appeared to con-
tinue his testimony of yesterday, was
closely examined by committee re-
garding the operation of the Armour
interests. These exclusive contracts
with railroads he said. were generally
private contracts though exhibited
when requested. He asserted that the
Arlnours do not get any advantages
over other shippers in these cars Re
plying to Chairman EllSins, the wit
ness said that his company did not
want to be subject to the interstate
commerce laws. 1T seems" interject-
ed Mr.. Elkins, that you take all the
advantages and none of the RESPONSE
bilities of common carriers
According to the witness. the Ar
mours have 200 articles known as
packing house products which are
transported in Armour cars.
you control the transportation OF
these products in the private cars!
remarked Senator Kean.
mot control, but the Armours ship
their products in these cars"
Mr.. Robbins admitted that on roads
where they had exclusive contracts
like the Pere Marquette line, the roads
could not engage in the shipment OF
the products covered in the CONTRACT.
in other cars. Those who complained
on this matter he added, were mostly
receivers and commission men, ana
not the producers and shippers
Senator Foraker examined Mr.. Rob-
bins as to the cost of icing car from
Michigan to Boston and the latter hg-
ured that it would cost $50 per car.
isn't it a matter of fact" asked the
senator. chat ice costs only about va
pc. carr"
Mr.. Robbins would not admit that
this was true. The Pere Marquette
line, he suggested, had reduced rates
from $3.50 to $500 per car and the Ar
mour line had made like reduction.
Senator Dolliver asked Mr. Robbins
regarding the business of the Armour
car lines and it's earnings. Mr. Rob-
bins insisted that the company is
private one and ought not to be COM
PEELED to expose its books or earnings
any more than any other private COM
pany.
"Unless we should consider that you
are public carrier the same as a rail-
road company remarked Senator
Dolliver.
Armours Not Interested.
Mr.. Robbins denied that the Armours
were interested in any of the fruit
companies in California, or that the
Armours had monopoly of the trans
portation Of California fruits, acknowl-
edging, however, that his company had
a monopoly of the fruit transporta-
ton in the Pere Marquette region, and
in Georgia and Florida. The Armours,
he admitted, had exclusive contracts
with all the south Atlantic coast states
railways, exclusive contracts in east
Tennessee and on certain roads in Mis-
souri, and Arkansas and on the South
iern Pacific road. The Santa Fe was a
competing line in the fruit business in
California Fruit producers and ship
pers on these exclusive lines had to ac-
5cept the rates of the Armour company
but Mr.. Robbins said they satisfied 80
per cent of the shippers. Senator Clapp
asked number of questions as to the
position Of Mr.. Robbins in acknowl-
,adging an absolute monopoly and yet
withholding information as to their
business and claiming immunity from
the interstate commerce laws. Mr..
Robbins maintained that his position
was justified.