Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-06-01

AA1SF the MhrAslalN N1hshiSAsN N8ns
mission has cleaned up It's inyestiga.
ton OF the Pennsylvania railroad and
Its relations with the coal companies
the next step will be a searching In
y~estisation OF the railroads In the
We Under the TillmanG Gillespie
ressS On the commission In ordered
10 investigate the relations between
the railroads OF the entire country
and the coal and petroleum interests.
So FAR. according TO a member Of the
commission the surface ihas only
been scraped.
Owing to the fact that the wit
nesses, for the most part, upon whom
the commission must rely for evidence
are unwilling" witnesses. all the pre-
naratious Tor extending the inquiry
arc being made with the greatest
secrecy. Az the sensational devei'
opments In the Pennsylvania case
have been made public, the commits
sion has been deiuged with informal
sion from outside sources. But the
men upon whom II win have to rely
to get at the facts Of discrimination
and legal practices win be railroad
and coal officials themselves.
: Chicago will undoubtedly be the
place selected for n Of the most Inn
portant hearings Of the investigation.
During the past few years there has
been a steady movement on the part
OF the railroads to acquire coal LANDS
Primarily this movement was for the
purpose Of assuring themselves an
adequate supply Of fuel for the future,
hut the tremendous profits To De
made IN the operation Of the mines
for the public market, especially
when inside and favorable terms
could be made with the railroads IN
marketing the product. has led to the
railroads, or more correctly speak
ing. the officials and interests In con
troll of the carriers. to get control
Of vast holdings of coal properties.
One of the most notable instances
Of this has been operations OF the
Rock Island and Indiana fields. The
Dering Coal company. owned by the
ROCK Island interests. has N the
past year or two gained control OF
the largest output west Of Pittsburg.
This company was merged with the
Consolidated Indiana Coal company
early In the year, and has been stead
NV reaching out for more properties
In Green and Sullivan counties. IN
diana.
The walsh group, the Indiana coal
company, controlled by the First Ma
tiona, bank OF Chicago: the Southern
Indiana Coal company, and the Dick.
ason.Freeman group are ONT oil
those said to be included In Its plans
The Wabash interests are said TO IN.
clude the Kelly Coal company OF Dan
Vile. with an annual output Of 3,ooo.'
900 tons, q large share Of which has
gone "a the Illinois Steel plant ~
Chicago. and the Standard OIL
al Whiting. Ind.
Tremendous scope OF the Rock
vi coal interests Is said to extend
III the larger properties along the
MOCK Island, Chicago 4 Eastern iii.
nois, and Chicago 4 Alton n Illinois,
and as this movement Is a recent one
II there are any such sores as have
been left In the PENNSYLVANIA field,
the interstate commerce commission
believes they can be easily uncover.
ed.
information Is now In the hands of
the commission on which It hopes 70
establish the proof that by the persis
tent absorption 81 coal properties BY
the Rock island interests. this rail
road and It's officials, together with