The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-26
Makes r ep ort TO
U. S. Congress

WASHINGTON, Jan. The Inter.
state Commerce Commission iyester-
day transmitted to Congress It's first
report on its investigation on dis.
ordinations and monopolies under the
joint resolution of Congress of March
u, 1906. known as the rillman.Gillea.
pie resolution. The report deals with
bltuminous coal carried east of the
Ohio river, and in territory bounded on
the south by the Norfolk and. Western
railway. on the south by Canada ana
on the east by the Atlantic seaboarti.
The roads involved are the Norfolk
and Western, Chesapeake and Ohio,
Baltimore and Ohio. the Pennsylvania,
Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg,
Beech Creek division of the New
York Central and Hudson River. Pitts.
burg, shawmut and Northern. Buffa.
10 and .Susquehannu and West yir-
ginia Central (now the Western Mary:
land raiIroad.)
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 only a partial one and
will be followed by another, after fur.
Their investigation. 1t Is practically a
summary of the information cleaned
as result of the investigation thus
far made, together with the presenta.
ton of facts pertinent to the general
inquiry. The report concludes with
recommendations for legislative action
based on the developments thus far
These recommendations are:
"First-That every common carrier
engaged in interstate transportation
of coal be required to make public the
system of car distribution in effect
upon its railway and the several divi.
sions thereof, showing how the equip.
ment for coal service Is divided be.
tween the several divisions of Its road
and how the same in times when the
supply OF equipment does not equal
the demand is divided among the sew.
eral mining operations along such
road, and that the carrier further be
required to punish at stated periods
and at each divisional headquarters
upon its line Of road the system Of car
distribution in effect and the actual
distribution made to each mining op.
Grafton under such system.
"Second-That where the capacity
of the mines is the basis for the dis,
tribution of equipment, a fair, Just and
equitable rating Of the mines be re-
'quired. and that, provision be made
for the representation of owners OF
the mines at the rating thereof.
"Third-That after reasonable time
carriers engaged in interstate com.
merce be prohibited from using indi.
vidual or private cars for the hand.
ling of coal traffic.
"Fourth-That carriers engaged in
interstate commerce be forbidden after
reasonable time to own or have inter.
est, directly or indirectly. in any op-
Grated coal properties, except such as
are exclusively for their own fuel sup
ply, and that ownership, either direct
ly or indicertly. by officers or employ
es of common 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 dc.
vefoped during the investigation, the
interest of railroad officials in corpo-
rations or companies operating coal
mines or engaged In coal traffic. The
details of this information largely have
already been published.
One officer of Tie Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway Company, the report
says, has an interest in five or SIX
thousand acres of coal lands in Ken.
lucky, but there is no coal operation
on the land.
Ownership of stock in coal compu-
MES by officers and employees of the
Pennsylvania railroad, the report says.
has created serious and dangerous
condition on the line OF this company.
These officials and employees are Of
three classes, which the report emu
merates.
AS to the first class, the policy Of
permitting officials and employees Of
railroad companies to hold invest.
ments in coal companies furnishing
traffic to the railroad is, in the opln-
ion OF the commission, mistaken
policy under present conditions, and