Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-30

RAILROADS As COAL NINE OWNERS
Government oficials sometimes
move in a mysterious way their duties
To perform, as illustrated, for in
stance, In the partial report of the In
te- state Commerce commission, which
has been investigating charges Of
combinations between railroads and
coal companies. The report is an in
teresting one, so far as it goes, but it
halts, like a serial story, just when
the situation develops thrilling
features and the indications are that
Que more turn would unmask the viii
lain and give justice her victory. The
commissions report is Ito be con-
,tinued in our next"
The commission reports that it Sc
cured testimony showing discrimina-
ton in rates to shippers, graft among
high officials, entangling alliances be-
tween mine owners and railway au-
thorities, combinations in restraint of
competition and about everything pro-
hibited by the Sherman act, the Elkins
act and the railway rate bill passed
last session. The usual recommends
lions follow. Publicity is urged in the
matter of car distribution, honest rat
ing in the capacity of mines is de-
handed, the use of private" cars by
coal companies is prohibited and
general recommendation is made pro-
hibiting railroad companies or other
common carriers from having any in
terest, directly or indirectly, in the
ownership or operation of any coal
mine.
All this would be decidedly prom
Using of action looking to the abate-
ment of one of the great evils in the
fuel problems of the country were 1t
not for the fact that the investiga-
tons and recommendations apply only
to a soft coal combine in the Virginia
and West Virginia districts. The big
offender the Pennsylvania anthracite
trust, does not figure in the investiga-
ton or in the findings of the commits
sion. The Coal Strike commission ap-
pointed by President Roosevelt to set
tie the strike in the anthracite regions
in Pennsylvania in the winter of 1902
presented a mass of evidence cslcu-
lated to show that the coal combine,
headed by Deacon Baer, president of
the Reading railway, practically con-
trolled every anthracite mine in the
country. The demand was for the imme-
date further investigation and prose-
cution of the combine, but the enthu-
siasm over the settlement of the strike
buried everything at the time, and no
action was taken. Since that investi-
cation the Department of Justice has
been urged to conduct a prosecution
of the anthracite trust, but has init
mated that 1t was not able to establish
positive proof of the combination, al
though convinced of its existence.
Promise remains, however, of ulti-
mate action in this direction.
A member of the Interstate Com
merce commission in discussing the
subject calls attention to a clause in
the railway rate bill which provides
that after May /, 1908, it shall be un-
lawful for any railroad company or
other interstate common carrier Ito
transport any article or commodity,
other than timber and the manufac-
tured products thereof, manufactured,
mined or produced by it, or under its
authority, or which it may own, in
whole or in part, or in which 1t may
have any interest, direct or indirect"
This provision is aimed directly at the
Coal trust. Even II the authorities are
not convinced that the railroads own
the coal mines they are going to abol-
ish such ownership.