Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-02-02
BEGINS PROBE OF
RAILWAY Combine
PRESIDENT CALLS ON COM
MERGE BOARD FOR REPORT
ON ALLEGED TRUST.
EXECUTIVE ACTS ON
HOUSE RESOLUTION
Data in Hands of Commission Regard
ed as Contidential-Discus of
Railroad Rate Bill Is Begun by
Representatives.

Washington, Jan. 81 President
Roosevelt Tuesday called on the inter-
state commerce commission for re-
port regarding the alleged existence of
combination or arrangement among
the Pennsylvania Railroad company,
the Baltimore G. Ohio, the Chesapeake
& Ohio and other railroads, in viola
ton of the antitrust law He acted on
resolution adopted by the house.
Chairman Knapp at once called his
colleagues into conference and the re-
ply is in course of preparation.
Data Regarded as Confidential.
Inquiry at the offices of the interstate
commerce commission disclosed the
fact that the only data upon which the
commission can base it's report outside
matter already of public knowledge is
contained in the reports of the rail-
roads themselves annually supplied to
the commission in accordance with the
requirement OF law. These reports the
commission always has regarded as
confidential, but it is understood that
details of management and ownership
of stocks, bonds, etc, are given in
them which throw considerable light
on the subject in ISSUE Although the
law requiring the submission of these
reports is specific, it prescribes no time
for their transmission, nor is penalty
affixed for failure to do so. With few
exceptions, however, it was ascer-
tanned, these reports are annually sub
mitted, and the belief was authorita-
lively expressed that on their face at
least they are a true statement of the
condition of the roads.
Speaks on Rate Law.
Washington, Jan. 31.-Opening what
promises to be a weeks discussion of
the railroad rate BILL Mr. Townsend, of
Michigan, addressed the house for
more than an hour Tuesday, touching
every phase of the rate-making prob
lem and describing in detail the terms
of the Hepburn bill
Mr.. Townsend advocated the bill as
the correct remedy and predicted that
greater prosperity would come to the
railroads under its provisions. He
strides of a year in the transportation
business in the face of legislation
which the last congress initiated and
which the present one is taking up in
earnest. Like the bill of last year.
which bore Mr. Townsend's name. he
said the present one was the least the
people would accept, yet it confers
wider powers and extends over every |
facility of transportation. In brief rne
bill attempts, he said, to place under |
the supervision of the interstate COM
merce commission every form of inter-
state and foreign commerce and all In |
strumentalities of commerce and trans
portation The most serious COM
plants on the part of shippers, he |
said, have been directed against special
services, such as private car, icing. ele-
vator and terminal charges. Mr.. |
Townsend believes the Hepburn meas
ure provides complete remedy for all
of these alleged evils.
Il When Mr. Townsend concluded, Mr..
Adamson (Ga.) followed in support of
the bill. He gave great credit to Presi-
dent Roosevelt for his course on rate
control, and referred to him as the
t.ablest, most honest and fearless Re
publican president we ever had" He
said the principles of the bill were en-
bodied in the Democratic platform, but
the Democrats were glad to accept such
powerful aid as the Republican presi-
dent has given them.