The Washington herald., 1907-02-01
COAL TRUST PROBED
Hughes and Simpson Report
on Secret Inquiry.
WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
New FiRdiHEs Are Accompanied by
Brief -. Aasissbiiity OF Instituting
Civil suits and Criminal Proseeu-
tions Against Railroads and Their
OGieers-AII Carriers Included.

Special 10 The Washington Herald.
Philadelphia. Pa, Jan SI-In two
books. comprising about 500 pages. Alex
ander Simpson. jr.. of Philadelphia. and
Charles f. Hughes. governor Of New York.
have condensed new findings OF facts con-
cerning the transportation and sale Of
coal by the great railroad systems. and
have attached thereto their report as TO
the advisabnlty Of lnstituung civil suits
and criminal prosecutions against these
railroads and their officers.
The facts which are related in the two
bulky volumes were not revealed In the
hearings before the Interstate Commerce
Commission in this city, Washington. and
Baltimore last summer. Every bit OF
this evidence is new. and was collected
by Mr.. Simpson and Gov. Hughes. or by
others under their direction. and was
carefully compiled. annotated, and in
deXed for the use Of Attorney General
Bonaparte. The whole report is now IN
the hands OF the Attorney General. Had
it not been for his indisposition. pub
licity would have been given to it early
this week
All Coal Carriers Included.
Both the roads that transport ana mine
anthracite, and those that carry
bituminous coal, have been included in
the scope Of the investigation. Besides
the original research condensed in the
two volumes Of newly found facts. Mr.
Simpson and Gov. Hughes have gone over
all the evidence presented before the IN
terstate Commerce Commission. and have
expressed their opinions OF the advisa-
biiity of suits ana prosecutions upon that
evidence
They have been retained by the Federal
Department Of Justice their appointment
dating back 10 April y of last year. For
mer Attorney General Moody made the
appointment it is generally understood.
at The instance Of President Roosevelt
While Gov. Hughes and Mr.. Simpson
have declined TO reveal the sources Of
their information and the nature of the
recommendations. IL is understood that
much of their report is based upon in
vestigatlon OF books and her docu-
ments made under authority of the case
quoted by the Attorney General Hale VS..
Henkel These examinations have been
made principally in this city and in New.
1GEh, anu nave gone deeper tnan CODSld-
Grafton of the rate question.
Many Details Traced.
The favoritism of the private car uues-
don, the rapidity with which cars have
been hurried to some shippers, and the
delays in transit of cars sent to other
shippers; the interests of the railroads
in The mines along their right of ways
the ownership of shares in mining COM
panies by officers of railroads; the prefer
eHces shown by railroads in lighterage
OF coal and in the wharfage privileges
by them; these and many other
details of the vast coal transportation
system have been traced through books
and bills issued by the railroads.
The identity and even the number of
the agents who have made researches
under the direction Of the two fnvesti-
gators. in all probability. win never be
revealed. They are ClOaked in the sery-
ice provision of the Appropriation Act of
February >. 1903 authorizing the gov
ernment to employ agents for just such a
purpose as has been served in this in
quiry