The Washington herald., 1906-11-28
AFTER COAL COMBINE
Interstate Commission VIII
Probe Roads.
INDEPENDENTS FROZEN OUT
They Charge that Railway Conn
sanies Have Pooled to Control the
Output, and that They Are Unable
to Get Cars-InteriOF Department.
Cooperating to Obtain Evidence.


The Interstate Commerce Commission
Is investigating complaints OF independ-
ent coal operators that the railroads.
through combination, control the price
and output Of coal in the Indian Territory.
In its efforts 10 obtain evidence that this
combination is illegal the commission has
the cooperation Of the Interior Depart
ment. whose representatives in the Terri
tory, at the direction Of Secretary Hitch
cock, have been at wo-k for some time
developing the facts.
The relations Of the railroads and coal
companies controlled by them VIII be per-
sonaliy investigated by Commissioner
Clark. who viii hold hearings on the COM
plants Of the Independent operators az
South McAlester in December. He is now
in Salt Lake City investigating the al.
legged monopoly OF the Union Pacific Rail-
road In the coal fields Of Utah. Wyoming.
and Colorado.
He will proceed with this inquiry at
Pueblo and Denver next week, and thsn
go 10 the Indian Territory.
His hearings are being conducted un5a-.
the provisions Of the GiIIespie-Tulmsn
resolution, adopted at the last session OF
congress. That resolution directed the
commission to ascertain what railroads
are engaged in the mining Of coal, and IL
they have built up monopolies.
Independents Frozen out.
Both the Interstate Commerce Co,,-,,.-
sion and the Interior Department have re-
ceived many complaints from indepsnd-
ent operators in the Indian Territorv.
These operators have charged that tbs
Rock Island. through the Choctaw. Okla
homa, and Gulf. which II controls. tbs
Missouri. Kansas. and Texas. and tbs
Frisco. have formed a combination To
control the price and output Of coal IN tbe
Choctaw country.
It has been charged that these roads
operated through the McAlester Fuel
Company, and that Independents are com
pelIed 10 sell their output through thfs
concern. Failing 10 do this, they are IN
able TO obtain cars to transport their coal
and In other ways are placed al a dfsad-
vantage by the railroads.
1t IS understood that a special agent
OF the Interstate Commerce Commission
who Is now in the South McAlester field
assisted by J. George Wright. inspector
for the Indian Territory, has obtained
SF4i0i4Cc SAIPoa llIB lleSe charges. TINS
VIII be submitted to Commissioner Clark
when he reaches the Indian Territory
Prosecutions May Follow.
At the coming session Of Congress the
( Interstate Commerce Commission viii
make report in accordance with the
provisions Of the Gillespie-TlIlman reso-
/ luton. The Investigation has oeen in
/ progress since last summer. Il was in
/ the course Of its inquiries that grating
/ among officials Of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road, and the favoriusm Of that railroad
/ To certain coal companies In PennsyI-
/ vania were disclosed II is believed that
/ as d result Of the Investigation the De-
/ partment Of Justice viii start pr0secu-
/ tons against some OF the railroads. en-
/ gagged in the mining OF coal
/ Little IS known of the 2IcAIester Fuel
/ Company al the Interior Department II
/ holds no Indian coal leases, and. there
/ fore. IL is not under the departments s
/ supervision. officials said yesterday that
/ they did not even know the names Of its
/ officers and directors. They added that
1 they had been informed It was controlled
( By q combination Of the railroads IN the
I Indian Territory.