The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-02-07
Gillespie Causes Diversion.

Diversion was caused at this point by
decidedly animated remarks regarding
railway mergers by Mr.. Gillespie of Tex
as, author of the resolution, answered by
President Roosevelt yesterday concerning
an alleged merger of railways with the
PENNSYLVANIA system as the important
factor.
Mr. Gillespie of Texas declared that
the answer was an insult; that with the
great machinery at hand. complete In
vestigation of actual conditions should
have been made He said such an In
vestigaton should show: That the rail-
roads carrying bitumlnous coal to the
Atlantic ports are the Pennsylvania, New
York Central, Baltimore and Ohio Ches-
apeake and Ohio, Norfolk and Western
and the Reading He recited the facts
developed concerning the relations OF Tour
of these roads which were named in his
first resolution In regard to their having
the same stockholders and directors
He asserted that an investigation would
show that there had been allotted
to each coal carrying road certain ter
ritorv to prevent competition In markets
by means of rate adjustments, agree
ments and combination. Also that the
Pennsylvania and New York Central by
means of their stock ownership arrange
ments have prevented coal from the ter
ritory Of the Norfolk and Western and
Chesapeake and Ohio being offered any
where above the Virginia capes; also that
the Pennsylvania company has the power
to curtail shipments from territories
served by the Baltimore and ONO ana
Chesaneake and Ohio and Norfolk ana
western; also that the Baltimore ana
ohio declines to allot a fair proportion
of cars to independent shippers or TO al
low indeuendent companies to open up
new mines and become shippers on the
line of the Baltimore and ONO, also thae
an investigation would show thal ihe
pennsylvania railroad and It's officers
were Interested in coal companies snip
ping over its lines.
Mr.. Gillespie has prepared resolution
which he will Introduce requesting lhe
prasidant "a direct the interstate conf
merce commission to make an Immediate
investigation of all these charges.
Would Submit Eight Queries.
The investigation provided for In the
Gillespie resolution consists OF eishl
queries to be made by the interstate 0o'ii
merce commission:
whether the roads carrying coal nave
anv ownership or interest in the mines.
Q whether the officers of these roaus
are Interested personally In the mines.
2. Whether there is any contract pc
tween the mines and the roads amounting
to a restraint of trade, or creating
monopoly In bituminous coal
4. If such above facts are FOUND TO eX-
ist then the commission is required to
report the details of the relationship, ana
sci forth the agreements or terms OF
monopoly or ownership interests.
4. The commission is to report as to the
system of coal car distribution.
g. II is to suggest a remedy
I. To report facts and conclusions IL
may deem pertinent
3 To make the investigation at its
earliest opportunity.
Defenders Come From East.
Mr.. Stanley of Kentucky. said that the
men who came to the defense of the
railroads in the House were all from the
east. He referred. he said Ito the three
wise men of the East Mccall. Sbiey
and IAttIeield. and added that all other
sections Of the country wanted the legis-
lation. But these three men admitted the
roads did not come with clean hands.
They admit" he continued. that the
roads have been guilty Of secret re-
bates, OF private car abuses and more
than one of them has said that such
offenses should be punished by lmprison-
nent and the felons stripes"
The private car evil. he said, had its
inception about thirty years ago. when
| a "shrewd" Connecticut Yankee named
| Swift conceived the idea"
The only defense the carriers made.
| he said was stealing or the other fei-
| low would have got our trade" tAp-
| plause)
why" he continued. "the gentlemen
| rom Maine, Pennsylvania. and Massa-
husetts show anger, aerimoniousness or