West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-03-08
The Case Of The Red Rock Fuel Com
pany Against The B. & 0.
Railroad, Shows up the
HIGHWAY ROBBERY TACTICS
OF THIS BIG CORPORATION.
The Fight in Congress Between The
Humane Society And The Cattle
Shippers Should be Locked
After by the People
Regular Correspondent, OF The Argus.

Exactly the situation covered b,
the the decision Of the Supreme
Court in the Chesapeake and Ohio
case has come up under some.
what different guise before the In.
terstate Commerce Commission in
the complaint of the Red Rock Fuel
Company against the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad. 1t is case tha,
involves the right of the road to
deal in the commodity it transports
and it uncovers whole line Of dis.
crlminatlon practiced by the rail-
roads not only in the case of coal
carrying but in the transportation
OF other commodities, both oil, coal,
timber. ore and other things.
The Red Rock Company happens
to be West Virginia concern and
II he's mines that are tri ributary to
the Baltimore & Ohio road. The
complaint that it has filled with the
Interstate Commerce Commission
shows the sort of discrimination
and oppression that is practiced by
trunk line road against any COM
pany or community that has a ter
ritory that the trunk line road
might absolutely own or control.
The commodity in this case happens
to be coal, but it can easily be seen
how the trunk line operates in any
case to control the territory It wants
to gobble. The company in ques.
tion has mine from which il can
get coal. 1t next wants to get the
coal to the market. But one trunk
line road reaches the market and
so to put its fuel on sale, the min
ing company has TO make arrange
ments with the railroad for switch
ing facilities so that it can connect
its mine with the main road. The
company is willing to put in the
branch line to the mine, has put it
IN, in fact, but must have a switch
to connect with the trunk line tracks.
This the trunk line refuses TO grant
on any reasonable terms. If the
small roads persists and forces the
trunk line to put in switch, the
next trouble that is met is the re-
fusal of the main line to make rea-
sonable rate, covering the coal, or
other commodity, Of the small road
over the branch line and the main
to the market. The trunk line re.
fuses prorate and then there is
more trouble. If this does not
drive the small line to surrender or
bankruptcy, the trunk line still has
1t in its power TO refuse the small
line reasonable allowance for the
traffic originating on its road and
which is given as a feeder to the
trunk line. Supposing this diff
Guilty is ignored or forced to an
adjustment, the trunk line still has
a means OF trouble in store for the
small road and can refuse TO furnish
it with rolling stock. II the small
road puts in cars of its own, the big
road can hold them on side track
or send them to the uitermost paths
Of the United States and deprive
the little road Of any means OF reach
ing the market it has fought so hard
to get.
This is just bnef review Of the
impositions and extortions that are
practiced by the trunk line roads on
small roads and the communities
they serve. II may be asked why
this is done and whether the main
line does not lose profitable bust.
ness by IT, The reply is that the
trunk line aims at just one thing,
that is to control the whole, output
Of all the country along It's line. It
does not want to develope business.
1t wants to own the country, and IL
it can 10 force the small road into
bankruptcy OF slarve the tributary
territory into submission, il owns
just that much more Of the territory
under its line.
That IS the complaint Of the Red
Rock company in regard 10 coal.
Il tls also the complaint Of countless
other small companies in regard to
other commodities dealt in by the
trunk lines. II has reached the
point where some provision is going
to be incorporated in the rate bill
which will control the switching and
other facilities and make the trunk
roads give the smaller roads a square
deal. Such measure has been
drafted by Senator Elkins, and