Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-10-27
MORE TRUST BUSTING.
Case Against Anthracite Coal Com.
 binatiOn to Be ReOpened.


 binatfon to Be Reopened.
 Washington. D. C., Oct 27.-It has been discovered that trust busting" may be given additional impetus by the provisions of the new railroad rate law. The latest development of the situation as to the govern ments action in curtailing the power or trusts is that the interstate com merce commission expects shortly to reopen the case against the anthra- cite coal trust which, originally, was instituted by William R. Hearst. Little more than an intimation of the proposed action of the commission has been given, but 1t has been suf- nclent to set railroad and legal cir cles a-futter.
 Careful examination of the testi- mony taken at the hearing of the case has indicated, it is said, that the commission will be warranted in re- opening the case with fair prospect Of putting the anthracite trust out of business. It is pointed out that the opportunities for pressing such an in- quiry to a successful issue are very much broader under the railroad rate law than they were under the Sher- man antitrust act. In combination, the two laws afford powerful lever age on the coal trust, and 1t is under stood to be the determination of the commission to proceed against the an- thracite roads to the limit of the power afforded 1t by the law.
 Under the old interstate commerce act the commission practically had no authority to enforce its orders. Hearings were held and important facts were developed from time to time, but no tangible result ever came of the proceedings, simply be- cause the commission had no execu- tive authority. Had the charges made by Representative Hearst against the anthracite road been proved exclusively, the best the con- mission could have done would have been to order the roads to cease yio- lating the law. If they had not cared voluntarily to obey the order the commission could not have compelled obedience.
 Now the position of the commission Is quite different. It not only may institute an inquiry into the attitude and practices of the coal carrying railroads, but if 1t should find that the roads are violating the law or that their methods are unreasonable or that their rates are unjust, 1t may order a discontinuance of any illegal practice and may prescribe what the roads must do to remedy any evil found to exist If the rates are found to be unjust or discriminatory, other rates may be fixed by the commission. or course, such orders of the com mission are subject to review by the United States courts. but provision IS made Tor prompt hearing of such review cases. Meantime. the orders of the commission are to be enforced.
 The charges of MT Hearst that the ownership and contractural relations between certain railroads and cer- tain anthracite coal mining compan- les were such as to constitute n con spiracy In restraint Of trade and that. through this conspiracy, the rail- roads dictated not only the price of the coal at the mines. but also the points where 1t was sold at retail. were believed to be substantially l but on account of the i'm potency of the commission the facts never were brought out definitely. Important evidence that was needed to prove the case could not be forced | from the railroads by the commits sion. Finally an appeal was taken to the courts and the United States su- preme court ordered that the evi- ience demanded by the commission be produced.
 The case never has been deter mined and. meantime. the new rate law was enacted. The intention now s to reopen the case under the pres mi law. permit both the compIain- mt and ihe defendants to amend heir proceedings to conform to the new statIte and then go on with the n1uiry as if it were an original case. The indications are that the anthra- 'ite roads have some lively times ,head of them.