The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-13
JOINT RESOLUTION
TEXT OF THAT PASSED BY THE
 SENATE.
Provides for investigation of Alleged Discrimination By Railroads and Their Combination .n Re-
 straint of Trade.

Washington. Feb. I9-The joint res- olutlon passed by the Senate today for the Investigation of railroads is as fol- lows: t s,
 Whereas, Persons engaged or wish ing to engage in mining, in shipping, bituminous coal and other products from one State of the United States to other States of the United States, conn plain that they are treated unjustly by common carriers engaged in interstate carriage in that they being independent, without influence with and in whose business common carriers or their officers have no interest are unjustly discriminated against and undue pref erence given to other persons in whose business the officers of common car riers are interested, or in traffic in which the common carriers is interested either directly or indirectly, and that undue preference or advantage is given by such common carrier to the ship pers of coal from mines in which such carriers or their officers are interested either directly or indirectly; and, Whereas, It is further alleged that the bituminous coal and other traffic l above referred to is controlled by a combination of common carriers by
 
 l lnstrumentalities, directly or indirectly, | thus creating a monopoly in restraint | of trade: therefore be 1t
 Resolved by the Senate the House of Representative concurring in con- gress assembled, that the interstate commerce commission be authorized and instructed to immediately inquire, i investigate and report to congress | from time to time as the Investigation proceeds: T. Whether any common carriers by railroad, subject to the interstate commerce act, they or any of them, own or have any interest in, by means of stock ownership, in other corpora tior or otherwise, any of the com mercial or other products which they or any of them directly or through other companies which they control or in which they have an interest, car ry over their or any of their lines as common carriers.
 "2. Whether the officers of any of the carriers aforesaid or any of them or any person or persons, or any of them charged with the duty of dis tributing cars or furnishing facilities to shippers are interested either directly or indirectly. by means of stock ownership or otherwise, in cor porations or companies owning, operat- ing, leasing nr otherwise interested in any coal mines, coal properties ar any other traffic over the railroads with which they or any of them are connected or by which they or any of thcm are employed
 5 Whether there is any contract. ccmolnation in the formm of trust or osnerwise' or conspiracy in restraint or trade or commerce among the sev- erai states in which any common car Fler engaged in the transportation of bltuminous coal or other products ia interested, or to which it Is a party: and whether any such common carrier HlonopoIizes or attempts to monopolize or combines or conspires with any oth- CT carrier company or companies. per son or persons, to monopolize any part or the trade or commerce in bittfrninous coal or other traffic among the sever al states or with foreign nations and whether or not and if so. to what ex- tent such carriers or any of them limit and control directly or indirectly the output of coal mines or the price of coal.
 "4. If the interstate commerce com mission shall find that the facts set forth in the three paragraphs whatso- ever exist then that it be further re- quired to report as to the effect of such relationship, ownership or interest in coal or other traffic afore- said, or such contracts, combinations in the form of trust or otherwise or con Spll dcy UT SuCH HlouOpOly or attempt to monopolize or combine or conspire as aforesaid, upon such person or per sons as may be engaged independant- ly of any other persons engaged in mining and coal and shipping the same or other products who may desire to engage, or upon the general public as consumers of such coal and otheT pro- ducts.
 5. That said commission be also required to investigate and report the system of car distribution Tn effect upon the several railway lines engaged | in the transportation of bituminous coal or other products as aforesaid and whether said systems are fair and equitable and whether the same are carried out fairly and properly; and whether said carriers or any of them discriminate against shippers or part les wishing to become shippers over their several lines, either in the matter of distribution of cars or in furnishing of facilities or instrumentalities con- nected with the receiving, forwarding or carrying of coal as aforesaid | 6. That said committee be also required to report as to what remedy 1t can s' est to cure the evils above set fol ,.. if they exist
 T. That said commission be also required to report any facts or con clusions which it may think pertinent to general inquiry set forth above. | S. That said commission be reuuir-
 ed to make this investigation at it's earliest possible convenience and to
 furnish the information above requir-