The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-13
Text of Resolution.


 rasol,,tion passed by the Senate today TOT fine investigation of railroads IS as Aoi- lows: ...,.ht,o "xvbereas Persons engaged or wishing ! to engage in mining, in shipping pltu- 1 minous coal and other products rom one state of the United States to othei states of the United States complain that | fbev are treated unjustly by common car rlers engaged in interstate carriage, Tn | that +hey, heinz Independent of, without | influence with and in whose business con- l mon carriers or their officers nave no 1 interest. are in traffic in which the eoll- | mon carriers is interested either arectS | or indirectly, and that undue preierehce or advantage is given both such conlihoil l carrier to the shippers of coal from mines | in which carriers or their officers are m l terested. either directly or indirectly; and .yVhereas It is further alleged that the hituminous coal and other trainc aDoNe l referred to is controlled by complna- tion of common carriers by means or stock ownership and other instrumentah- ties. directly or indirectly, thus creating a monopoly in restraint or trade; ehere- fore be it
 "Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring. That the in- | terstate commerce. commission be author ized and instructed to Immediately ln- | oujre. investigate and report to Congress l from time to time as the Investigation proceeds:
 "1. Whether any common carriers | by railroad, subject to the interstate com merce act, they or any of them own or | have any interest in by means of stock | ownership in other corporations, or other | wise any of the commercial or other products which they or any of them dt- rectly or through other companies which | they control or in which they have an | interest, carry over their or any of their | lines as common carriers
 '2 Whether the officers of any of | the carriers aforesaid or any of them, or | any person or persons or any of them l charged with the duty of distributing cars | or furnishing facilities to shippers are in | terested either directly or indirectly by l means of stock ownership or otherwise | in corporations or companies owning, l operating. leasing or otherwise interested l in any coal mines, coal properties or any | other traffic over the railroads with | which they or any of them are connected, | or by which they or any of them are em- | ployed
 "3. Whether there is any contract, com | bination in the form of trust or otherwise or conspiracy in restraint of trade or | commerce among the several states in | which any common carrier engaged in the transportation of bitumnous coal or other | products Is interested, or to which it is | a party; and whether any such commerce carrier monopolizes or attempts to monop- | olize or combines, or conspires with any other carrier, company or companies, per son or persons to monopolze any part of the trade or commerce in bituminOus coal or other traffic among the several | states with foreign nations, and whether or not, and if so, to what extent such car | riers or any of them limit and control di- rectly or indirectly the output of coal min CTS or the price of coal.
 Shall Report to Congress. "A. If the interstate commerce commis- | sion shall find that the facts set forth | in the three paragraphs whatsoever exist, | then that it be further required to report as to the effect of such relationship, own ership or interst in coal or coal and other traffic aforesaid, or such contracts. com | binations in the forms of trust or other wise, or conspiracy or such monopoly or | attempt to monoplize or combine or con | spire as aforesaid upon such person or | persons as may be engaged Independently | of any other persons in mining coal and | shipping the same or other products who may desire to so engage, or upon the gen | eral public as consumers of such coal and other products.
 "5. That said commission be also re- | quired to investigate and report the sys- | tenn of ear distribution in effect upon the seNffdi ThiiWdy mes eHBhBeu m the tfanS- | portation of hftuminous coal or other products as aforesaid and whether said systems are fair and equitable and | whether the same are carried out fairly and properly; and whether said carriers or | any of them discriminate against ship pers or parties wishing to become ship | pers over their several lines, either in the | matter of distribution of cars or in fur | nshing of facilities or instrumentalites | connected with the receiving. forwarding or carrying of coal as aforesaid. "6. That said commission be also re- | quired to report as to what remedy it can suggest to cure the evils above set forth | If they exist
 v. That said commission be also re- | quired to report any facts or conclusions which it may think pertinent to general | inquiry set forth above.
 'S. That said commission be required to
 make this investigation at It's earliest pos sible convenience. and to furnish the in- formation above required from time to time, and to see that 1t can be done con | sistently with the performance of it's pub | lie duty.''