New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-27
SHIPPERS TO BE TRIED
M CRIMINAL CHARGES.
Interstate Commerce Commission to
Begin Prosecutions.
rErom ne rrLbuns Rursaul

washington. March 26.-Criminal prosecu-
.,,,e are 20 follow the Interstate Commerce
commissions investigation into the charges Of
--,srepreseutstion and fraudulent classification
:, freight by New York shippers Just which
thinner viii be the first 10 be brought into court
,snnot be learned at the commissions head
quarters. in fact, the members Of the commits
sion. themselves have not made up their minds
.Bst who are the most fragrant violators Of the
law. and until they sift the evidence and COM
nsrs notes among themselves and with the
srents Of the railroads who acted as informers
and prosecuting witnesses the names Of the de-
ssnGants IN the actions VIII not be known The
arst in1mation OF a decision on this important
polnt VIII be a communication from the com
mission 70 the United States District Attorney
q New York instructing him 70 order the arrest
o. the shippers. The cases viii then be pushed
as vigorously as possible. II convictions are
secured IN the first test cases large number Of
others VIII probably be made. for the commission
h thoroughly IN earnest and hopes 70 put an end
% the peculiar class OF swindling which. accord
fngfo the evidence at the hearing last week nets
the perpetrators something like $4,000 a month
-AHhough the testimony at the hearing shows
nat TIE sums gained by the shippers through
mislabelling and illegally billing their goods are
very small IN each individual case, enough proof
vas presented TO show that the railroads are
beaten oJ1 OF about $1,000 a day" said a mem
Der OF the Interstate Commerce Commission to-
day. Even the largest boxes would not as a
Tule net the sw1ndlers more than, say a dollar
each, but when you consider the number Of ship
nents those big New York concerns make in the
course Of year you may imagine how the
totals VIII pile Up. For instance, one shipper
who appeared before US testified that he sends
out 900 packages day Suppose that he
wrongfully Classics and misbills his packages
50 that he makes only 30 cents on a package, he
VIII defraud the roads out of 81 go a day. and
probably more than enough to pay all the men
IN ms employ. Yet If we bring these same men
into court and are asked for specific proof we
VIII havs 70 ask the jur1es TO convict them on
80 cent or dollar cases, which to the ordinary,
ofhand observer would look pretty small
But We feel obliged TO see this matter through
now that we have taken IL up again. If we do
not IL viii be only a little while before we are
flooded with another grist Of complaints When
we MADE our former investigation into this same
matter three or four years ago we found practi-
csy thu same state OF afrairs existing, but con-
GUIDED not 70 prosecute, contenting ourselves
with Issuing warnings 10 the shippers we found
guilty and making the law known very plainly
by practically ali the business men engaged in
Interstate traffic This warning apparently had
very little effect. II we do not act now. after
The law has been most hagrantIy violated, not
once or twice, but continuously and knowingly
Tor months and years. IL viii be evident that we
VIII never act There is doubt in the minds
q the com -uisslcn that the great majority Of
cases OF Illegal billing and labelling that the
railroads complain Of are done with intent by
the shippers OF course. now and then a man
sending a box from New York 10 some other
pace may make a mistake in classifying the
shipments. but this IS only IN rare instances and
by merchants who DO not make a practice Of
shipping goods Fl large quantities The big con-
Germs who are shipping hundreds Of parcels a
day and many OF this class the most fla
grant and inpuoent violators Of the law, know
just how much they making by the trick
they resort 70, and have II all figured out in
dollars and cents. They are the fellows that the
commission is going 70 Try 10 bring UP with
round turn While the whole country resounds
with the clau1ST for railroad rate legislation, and
everybody ard everybooy's son is pitching into
the railroads, Il is only fair that justice be done
them in one particular. least. We Will do our
best 70 see that they not cheated any longer
by the class. OF shippers that has been bleeding
them"