The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-02-10

D la
WRITES 70 SENATOR TLLMAN
CONCERNING RAILROAD
CONDITIONS IN VIVA
Belos given on interesting letter
no Senator Tillman q South Carolina
lament railroad matters West Wiz
gtnia The governor san
Governor pawson's Letter
n have read with interest and say
tsfadion your remarks 5inshe Senate
a few days ago IN presenting The le:
tier q Mr.. Built, Of the Red Rock
local Company o. upshlr county, this
Estate. You said. That such things
couldsbe IN this State was disgrace
Ito the State. Senator Ellt1s said
that we had a law in this State pro
yfdlng remedy for outrageous treat,
ment Of shippers by railroads. You
are nearer right than Senator Elldns.
we have some law in this State bear.
ling on the subject but It Is made.
quate and We have no means Of en-.
forcing It. l have been trying since
1881 10 get a railroad commission in
West Virginia, but the railroad lobby
would never let US have It. I regret
to have to admit that there Is much
truth In what you say, that this state
of things is a disgrace to West Wiz.
ginia.
1.-THE case You presented To the Sen.
ate Of the said coal company is one
sample Of many. The Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company has been a
great sinner in this respect for many
years. For awhile when tae late John
liz. coRan was in charge Of the COM
pany there wassa good state ofatfairs.
think an investigation would show
that the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
company is interested in the produc.
ton Of coal; not directly. perhaps, but
indirectly and substantially. Itmakes
little difference as to the effect upon
Jour people whether the corporation
Itself is directly Interested in the pro;
duction Of coal in competition vita
other producers Of coal, or whether
officers or directors or controlling
Stockholders are so interested, the re.
suit Is the same.
81 have heard of cases wlerc this
company had attempted to say
Who Shall Ship
local and who shall not, and Wien tley
should ship 1T and where they SHOULD
ship IT and where they should not. II
may be that the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company does not legally own control.
ling part Of the stock of the 0. ap1
10. or that an investigation will sNos
that the Pennsylvania railroad prac
tically controls these great trunk
lines which traverse West Virginia
and which are the only means where;
by products Of this State, lncludlLs
coal, can be shipped either to the
lakes IN the west or other markets in
1.-THE east Hence, 1t is a fact thai West
Virginia today is in the grasp Of a
railroad trust, which practically says
that part OF this State shall be devel.
oped and what shall be shipped out
of this State, to what points or parts
IL shall be shipped and when 1t shall
be shipped, OF course it makes its
own rates ana our people are help.
less.
THE Pennsylvania railroad is very
largely Interested itself in tho proluc.
ton or shipment OF bitumlnous coal:
lt will naturally look after rs own in
~terests and interests Of people along
Its lines in Pennsylvania and else.
where first of all. and therefore TIE
interests Of West Virginia arc subor;
diuate to the interests Of these 9th,
ers, and our railroads, upon which
we are dependent, as before stated.
are compelled by an alien corporation
practically to come into indirect CON.
petition with us. The State authorI.
ties stand ready to do everything in
their power, and are anxious to do
that. to protect our people from these
intolerable conditions.
you will be doing a great public
benefit IL you succeed in having a
thorough investigation made Of the
conditions referred to existing in this
State"
ewssr ,eIonv =, o,ie