Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-01-25
Interstate Commerce Commis- sion Has Something 10 Say
 About Coal Carriers
WHAT THEY SUGGEST
Carriers Should Be Requested 10 10 Make Public inc System Under Which Car Distribution is
 Carried On.

state commerce commission to-day transmitted to congress it's first re- port on its investigation on discrim- nations and monopolies under the joint resolution of congress of March ', 1906, known as the Tillman-Gil- lespie resolution. The report deals with bituminous coal carried east of the Ohio river, and in territory bounded on the south by the Norfolk and Western railway, on the north by Canada and on the east by the Atlantic seaboard The roads in volved are the Norfolk and Western, Chesapeake and Ohio, Baltimore and Ohio, Pennsylvania, Buffalo. Roches- ter and Pittsburg, Beech Creek divis- ion of the New York Central and Hudson River; Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern, Buffalo and Susque- hanna, and West Virginia Central and Pittsburg (now the Western Maryland).
 The report says that all of the above companies own, directly or by stock ownership in other companies, large interests in coal lands.
 The report is practically a sum- mary of the information gleaned as result of the investigation thus framed together with the presenta- tion of facts pertinent to the general inquiry. The report concludes with these recommendation for legisla- tive action:
 First, that every common carrier engaged in interstate transportation of coal be required to make public the system of car distribution in ef- feet upon its railway and the several divisions thereof, showing how the equipment for coal service is di- vided between the several divisions of It's road and how the same in times when the supply of equipment does not equal the demand Is divided among the several mining operations along such a road and that the car rier further be required to publish at stated periods and at each divis- ional headquarters upon its line of road the system of car distribution in effect and the actual distribution made to each mining operation under such system.
 Second. that where the capacity of the mines is the basis for the dis tribution of equipment. fair. just and equitable rating of the mines be required, and that provision be made for the representation of owners of the mines at the rating thereof.
 That, that after reasonable time carriers engaged in interstate com merce he prohibited from using 'in- divIduar or private cars for the handling of coal traffic.
 Fourth, that carriers engaged in interstate commerce Def orbidden af- fer reasonable time to own or have interest, directly or indirectly. ln any operated coal properties, except such as are exclusively for their own fuel supply. and that ownership either di- rectly or indirectly, by officers or em- ployes of cofmon carriers of any coal properties or any of the stock of coal companies along the line of road by which they are employed, be forbid den"
 A summary is given showing. as deyeloped during the investigation. the interest of railroad officers in cor porations or companies operating coal mines or engaged in coal traffic. The details of this information largely have already been published.
 The report says that "a serious and dangerous condition" has been creat- ed along the lines of the Pennsylva- mia railroad by rason of these prac- tices which mo one appearing before the commission attempted to justify"
 Notice is taken of an executive or- der issued by the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad company on July 5 last requiring all officers and employes to divest themselves of any interest. direct or indirect, in stock of any coal companies Or firms.
 As to the Baltimore & Ohio rail- road the report says:
 "The evidence shows that ten ofii- cials of this company own an aggre- gate of HIS shares of stock of coal companies. par value s100, and that these companies have their plants on and are doing business along the lines of the Baltimore ( Ohio"
 Under the general head of con- tract in the form of trust or con- spiracy in restraint of trade the re- port touches upon the various rail- way and freight associations in the territory covered by the investigation and says 1t was apparent to the com mission that "the associations were used for the purpose of agreeing up> On and maintaining freight rates. and that the distribution of tonnage to the several roads vas only main tained in 90 far as the same was ae- couplsshed by fixing agreed freight rates"
 Regarding the various associations these conclusions are reached.
 -In the eastern New York and New England all rail bituminous coal traflc association the purpoees of the s.ociation vas to see that the prices of coal and freight r1tes were main- tasnet- and If any railruad company party fo tke oGrUumonf 6n uo< mnln- ea0m nmrh ur4rw mmM rnfan oRnw