The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-05-04
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Cen
eraI Topics from
the Capital.
April %, 1906.

CATION into the combinations and
monopolies of the coal and oil
carrying roads has been continued
in Washington this week. 1t Is
true that the commission man
aged to steal a march on some
of the officials of the coal carry
ing roads in the Philadelphia
hearings and it looked then as
though the investigation which
was begun in response to a joint
resolution from Congress might
turn up some interesting data.
But the hearings of officials in
the present session has been more
or less of a farce. 1t is true that
deplOrable state of affairs was
shown to exist, but the officers of
the roads questioned answered
with their tongues in their cheeks
and said when it was all over
that the commission could have
learned just as much by an intel
/ ligent perusal of the annual re-
ports of the roads in conjunction
with copy Of the railroads man
ual, One instance was the case
of the Buffalo, Rochester aud
PittSburg Railway which was
under investigations There were
two officials of the road up for
examination. One was the Gen
eral Freight Agent, Mr.. Davis,
and the other the General Super
intendent, Mr.. Noonan. Between
them they explained that the
Rochester and Pittsburg Coal
and Iron Company was the prop
erty of the Buffalo, Rochester and
Pittsburg Railway. The Jetfer-
son and Clearfield Coal and Coke
Company was owned by the same
group of officials, and these two
coal companies owned. mined and
shipped more than 10 per cent.
OF the coal that passed over the
Buffalo, Rochester and PittSburg
Railroad, which was primarily a
coal carrying road. OF course
this is in distinct defiance of the
ruling of the Supreme Court
which holds that railroad must
not have any interest in the CON
modltleS 1t transports. But that
is small matter to the roads.
They own the coal companies or
the coal companies own the rail.
roads, which ever way you prefer
to put it. The officials come mn
and testify to the fact and then
say privately that the Interstate
Commerce Commission knew AZ
much as they did before the in.
veStigatiOn began. The Buffalo
Rochester and Pittshurg Railway
has been used merely as an ilIns-
tratlon of the things that are
coming out in the investigation,
not III any spirit of malice or dis
examination. The officers of the
road and the co il composites thar
1t owns are no better and no
worse than a lot of other rail
roads and their officers that will
he shown mp in the Investigation.
Inc question is whether Con
greSS will make any use OF the
Information when it has the
papers transmitted to it. The
chances are that it will not. But
any critics who have the spirit
or charity left within them and
VINO do not want to be clasSed
as muck rakerS can wait for the
facts to develop and then form
their judgment.
There is one direction in which
IL would seem that Congress is
dong a good work. That is in
the Purifying of elections. The
Senate this week reported favor.
ably the resolution making it a
crime for corporations 10 contrib.
ute to the election funds. Now.
OF course, the contribution Of any
amount to an election fund by
ANYBODY Is wrong in principle
and ought to he suppressed. But
II nobody had any election fund
/ then tie man with the biggest
oanE account would be able 70
go on the huStings and make the
biggest show and get his ideas
the better put before the people
SO people who nave a personal
or an ethical interest in candi.
date contribute to help him in his
campaign. Then the other Side.
seeing that there is money being
spent, starts out to collect money
Tor Its candidate aud it ends in
the party in power which natu.
rally has 8 he whip hand, landing
more contributions than the
other side and presumably con
timing its candidate in office.
But the anti contribution bill
Just reported is designed to change
this. 1t prohibits national banks.
corporations, engaged in Inter
State and foreign commerce and
corporations organized under
Federal laws from contributing
1unds TO any election. The pen.