Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-30
The House Passes Resolution to
Probe Alleged Trunk
Line Pool
ASK PRESIDENT FOR FACTS
information of Alleged Agreement Be-
tween the Various Roads Competing
for Eastern Business is Requested
by the House = Sensational Case Is

Washington, Jan. 30.-What is con-
taken by the house yesterday in the
adoption of resolution presented by
Mr. Gillespie, calling on the president
to furnish information as to the exis-
tence Of an alleged agreement in viola
ton of the interstate commerce law
between the Pennsylvania, Baltimore
& Ohio, Norfolk & Western, Chesa-
peake & Ohio, Northern Central &
Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington
resolution did not develop until after
it had been declared adopted by the
speaker. At this point Mr.. Dalzell, of
Pennsylvania moved against it with a
motion to reconsider. This motion
was laid on the table with the aid Of
thirty seven republican votes, united
with the democrats, which makes it
impossible to reconsider the resolution
without a two-thirds vote of the house.
The Pennsylvania railroad and its
attempt to control competing roads
leading from the Mississippi Valley
to the seaboard will be investigated
vigorously by order of President
Roosevelt, if he sees fit to obey the re-
quest of the house Of representatives.
For long while there has been ru-
nlors that the government would I'M
dertake to discipline some of the east
ern trunk lines for their notorious
violation of the Sherman antitrust
law. 1t is thought, however, that
pending final action on the railroad
rate bill by congress it would not be
wise to appeal to the courts for in
vestigation of the railway system.
The actual prosecution Of the beef
trust and the rapidly approaching Gull
mination of the inquiry into the
Standard Oil Company have stirred up
the people and congress to a degree
where the passage Of the necessary
resolution became easy, and was a.
dopted this afternoon almost without
opposition.
Long ago news was given to the
world that the interests which control
the Pennsylvania railway system also
had brought under control the Balti
more and Ohio railroad as well as the
Chesapeake and Ohio, thus giving the
same people control Of three compet-
ing lines. No secret is made of this,
but as soon as the actual transfer. was
made it became evident that the three
trunk lines which command PRACTICAL
ly all the southern routes between the
Mississippi valley and the Atlantic
seaboard were being so managed as to
1t was announced on Wall street at
the time of the purchase by the Penn
sylvania of the controlling interest in
it's competing lines it was made with
the sympathy and probably direct as
sistance of the Vanderbilt interests in
the New York Central and its connec-
tons. The purpose was said to be
to them in the Gould lines or Erie rail-
road, between the Vanderbilt combin-
alton on the north and the Cassatt
combination on the south. Gould and
the Western Union fought the Penn
sylvania, and were beaten in the
courts. The Baltimore and Ohio was
used to block the eastward line Of the
Wabash, which was attempting to Sc
cure an independent outlet to tide
water at Baltimore.
Sensational Case Probable.
Since the purchase by the Pennsyl-
vania, the Baltimore and Ohio has
been completely reorganized, and
similar process of change will be OBJ
served in the Chesapeake and Ohio.
Shippers at common points have in
sisted there no longer was even
pretense of a combination between any
of these big trunk lines. 1t was felt
air along that if the actual purchase
by the Pennsylvania of its competitors
and subsequent complete extinction of
all competition could be proved, a case
would be established which could be