Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-03-09
FREEZE-OUT GAME.

FREEZE-OUT GAME.
HOW THE TRUNK-LlNES CON.
Troll TRAFFIC.
Mining Companies Building Spurs Are at the
Mercy Of These Corporations for Switch
Connections or Freight Rates-A Remedy
Proposed by Senator EIkins in the Rate.
Bill-LaudabIe Effort Of the Humane So.
ciety.
From our regular correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, d. c., March 2.
Exactly the situation covered by the
decision of the Supreme Court in the
Chesapeake and Ohio case has come
up under somewhat different guise
before the Interstate Commerce Com.
mission in the complaint of the Red
Rock Fuel Company against the Balti.
more and Ohio railroad. 1t is a case
that involves the right of the road to
deal in the commodity it transports
and it uncovers whole line of dis.
ordinations practiced by the railroads
not only in the case of coal carrying
but in the transportation OF other
commodities, both oil, coal, timber, ore
and other things.
The Red Rock Company happens to
be West Virginia concern and it has
mines that are tributary to the Balti-
more and Ohio road. The complaint
that it has filed with the Interstate
Commerce Commission shows the sort
of discrimination and oppression that
is practiced by a trunk line road
against any company or community
that has q territory that the trunk line
road might absolutely own or control.
The commodity in this case happens
to be coal, but it can easily be seen
how the trunk line operates in any
case to control the territory i. wants
to gobble. The company in question
has mine from which it can get coal.
1t next wants to get the coal to mar.
ket. But the trunk line road reaches
the market and to put it's fuel on sale,
the mining company has TO make
arrangements with the railroad for
switching facilities so that it can con-
meet its mine with the main road.
The company is willing to put in the
branch line to the mine, has put it in
fact, but must have switch to con.
meet with the trunk line tracks. This
the trunk line refuses to grant on any
reasonable terms. If the small road
persists and forces the trunk line to
put in switch, the next trouble that
is met is the refusal of the main line
to make q reasonable rate, covering
the coal, or other commodity, of the
small road over the branch line and
the main line to the market. The
trunk line refuses pro.rate and then
there is more trouble. II this does
drive the small line to surrender or
bankruptcy, the trunk line still has it
in its power to refuse the small line q
reasonable allowance for the traffic
originating on its road and which il
given as . feeder to the trunk line.
Surprising this difficulty is ignored or
forced to an adjustment, the trunk
line still has . means of trouble in
store for the small road and can re-
fuse to furnish it with rolling stock.
If the small road puts in cars of its
own, the big road can hold them on
side track or send them to the utter
most paths of the United States and
deprive the little road OF any means
of reaching the market it has fought
80 hard to get.
This is just brief review Of the i'm
positions and extortions that are prac-
ticed by the trunk line roads on small
roads and the communities they serve.
It may be asked why this is done and
whether the main line does not lose
profitable business by it. The reply
is that the trunk line aims at just one
thing, that is to control the whole out
put of all the country along it's line.
1t does not want to develope business.
It wants to own the country, and if it
can to force the small road into bank
ruptcy or starve the tributary territory
into submission. It owns just that
much more of the territory under its
line.
That is the complaint OF the Red
Rock company in regard to coal. It
is also the complaint of countless
other small companies in regard to
other commodities dealt in by the
trunk lines. II has reached the point
where some provision is going to be
incorporated in the rate bill which
will control the switching and other
facilities and make the trunk roads
give the smaller roads square deal.
Such q measure has been drafted by
Senator Elkins, and while it was not
adopted by committee of the Senate,
it is likely to cause determined fight
on the floor. The amendment is too
long to be dealt with on detail. but it
aims to correct the evils mentioned,
and is likely to form an integral part
Of the rate bill as finally adopted.
The fight of the Humane Society
against the cattle shippers has not yet
been brought to q vote. But it is
nearing that stage. Most people al.
ready understand that the fight is one
on the part OF the cattle shippers to
have the period of % hours during
which cattle can be transported on
the railroads without food or drink,
extended to 36 hours, and Q vigorous
protest has been made on the ground
Of inhumanity against it. The cattle
shippers have won over the Secretary Of
Agriculture to their side and he is
recommending an extension of the
time. It is almost needless to point
out that this is simply scheme on the
part of the shippers to make additional
money out Of the suffering Of cattle
destined for market. The outlook now
is that this Ubiquitous bill cannot be
beaten in committee and:the only way
will be to defeat it.
There is just one way that this
can be done. 1t is almost, although
not altogether useless, to write to .
Congressman about a pending bill.
Such letters and petitions 60 into the
waste basket without reading. But
every Congressman has a manager of
his campaign in his home district and