The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-26
REPORT ON MONOPOLIES
 IS FILED BY COMMISSION
Deals With the Ownership of Coal Lands by Rail roads Which Haul the Product Eleven
 Big Roads Arc Implicated.

Washington, Jan. 25--The Interstate Commerce Commission today transmit ted to Congress it's first report on it's linvestigation on discriminations and monopolies under the joint resolution of Congress of March T. 1906, known as tn Tillman-Gillespie resolution The report deals with bituminous coal carried east of the Ohio River and In the 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 Involved are the Norfolk and Western, Chesapeake and Ohio, Baltimore and Ohio, Pennsylvania, Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg; Beech Creek Division or the New York Central and Hudson River, Pittsburg, Shawmut and North
 ern, Buffalo and Susquehanna and West Virginia Central and Pittsburg, (now the Western Maryland Railroad) The report says that all of, the above companies own, directly orl by stock ownership in other companies. large in- terests in coal lands.
 The report is only partial one, and
 will be followed by another after fur ther investigation. It is practically a
 summary of the information gleaned as result of the investigation thus far made together with the presentation of facts pertinent to the general inquiry. The report concludes with recommend ations for legislative action based on the development thus far. These re-
 commentators are:
 First that every common carrier en- gagged in interstate transportation of coal, be required to make public the system of car distribution In effect up-
 on it's railway and the several divisions
 thereof, showing how the equipment
 for coal service is divided among the txxfgi A ff1 nd how
 the same in times when the supply of
 equipment does not equal the demand,
 is divided among the several mining
 operations along such road, and that
 the carrier farther be required to pub
 fish at stated periods ana at each di-
 vision at headquarters on its line or
 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 ofstrss
 button of equipment, a fair, just ana
 equitable rating of mines be required,
 and that provision be made for the rep-
 resentation of owners of the mines at
 the rating thereof.
 Third. that after reasonable time, carriers engaged in interstate com
 merce be prohibited from using in dividuaI' or private cars for the handling of coal traffic.
 Forbid Coal Land Ownership.
 Fourth-That carriers engaged in in- tererstate commerce be forbidden after reasonable time to own or have inter
 est, directly or indirectly, in any
 operated coal properties, except such as
 are exclusively for their own fuel sup ply and that owenership, either directly
 or indirectly, in any operated coal prop
 critics, except such as are exclusively
 for their own fuel supply and that
 ownership either directly or indirectly,
 by officers or employees of common car
 riers of any other coal properties or
 any of the stock of the coal companies
 along the line of road by which they
 are employed, be forbidden.
 A summary is given, showing, as developed during the investigation, the interest of railroad officials in corpor- rations or companies operating coal
 mines or engaged in coal traffic. The details of this information largely have already been published.
 One officer of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company, the report
 says, has an interest in five or six thous- and acres of coal land In Kentucky.
 but there is no coal operation on the land.
 Ownership of stock in coal companies by officers and employees of the Penn sylvania Railroad, the report says, mas created serious and dangerous condi- tion on the line of this company. These officials and employees are of three classes, which the report enumerates. As to the first class, the policy of | permitting officials and employees of railroad companies to hold investment in companies furnishing traffic to the
 railroad. is. in the opinion of the com | mission, a mistaken policy under pres | ent conditions and is responsible for