Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-05-28
Likely That an Investigation
Will Be Made Of Holdings
by Western Roads
ROCK ISLAND is SUSPECTED
Big Chicago Company Said to Be Con-
troIled by the Rock Island Line-An
investigation Of the Matter to Be
Made-Roads Have Grip on Coal
Companies.

Washington, May 2S.--At Chicago N
the near future the interstate COM
meree commission will assemble to in
vestigate the relations of western rail-
roads with coal mining companies and
properties under the Gillespie
resolution of congress. The commits
sion has recently delved deep into the
affairs of several of the eastern rail-
roads and has found conditions exist
ing highly censurable.
Whether as sensational disclosures
cannot be forecast. The commission
will have fruitful field for investiga
ton because at Chicago are the head
quarters OF q number of railroads
which virtually control the coal mines
OF Illinois, Indiana and Iowa, and the
coal fields of the west and southwest.
The tendency of western railroads to
obtain this control was primarily for
the purpose of protecting their future
fuel supply. The railroads, finding the
profit in the business enticing, have, by
going into the open market and by
other means, obtained possession of the
more desirable fields The Interstate
commgce commission has been in
formed that it will find as deplorable
conditions prevailing in the west and
southwest as it has in Pennsylvania
and the east.
Road Grips Two States.
1t is expected that the Chicago hear
i,,,,. Sl,1 TEL, u
thru the Frisco, the Chicago and East
ern Illinois and the Evansville and
Terre Haute, controls the coal fields
of Illinois and Indiana. 1t will be
proved, it is said, that thru the Dering
Coal Company and the Indiana Consol-
dated Coal Company, in which Off
Gals of the railroad are alleged to be
stockholders the Rock Island occupies
the field, and that it's success has been
so great that other large consultations
are under way. In Indiana in Green
and Sullivan counties there are two
groups of mines, those controlled by
the Southern Indiana Coal Company
and the Dickinson-Free Company.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
is occupying the field thru the Vandal-
ia line as the Rock Island is thru the
Dering Coal Company. The Kelly Coal
Company, leading producers in the
Danville district, with an output of
100000 ton annually, is controlled by
the Dering company under the con-
tract. The group of mines in southern
Illinois in Marion county are tributary
to the Rock Island. The Milwaukee
railroad owns large holdings in Bureau
county The Chicago & Northwestern
has large holdings in Macoupin county.
The Frisco & Kansas City Southern
have large holdings in the Pittsburg,
Kas., field.
Largest in the West.
The Dering company has the largest
single control west of Pittsburg, and is
rapidly pushing toward a en-million
ton output per year. The Union Pacif-
ic controls mines in Wyoming, and the
recent discussions in the senate on the
bill disposing of the lands of the Five
Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory
disclosed that the mineral lands in the
southwest are largely controlled by
railroads. The Illinois Central, the
Missouri, Kansas & Texas, and the
Gould lines all own coal mines while
the Southern and the Louisville &
Nashville control fields in Alabama,
Kentucky and Tennessee.
The commission is attempting to
keep secret it's next move because of
the difficulty in securing the testimony
of unwilling witnesses but that it soon
no in, C1ipapn iS Pnrf9in