Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-01-10
COMMISSION HITS
the COAL TRUST
Report of Interstate Commerce
Body Says There IS a Con-
spiracy in Northwest.
RAILROADS NOT INVOLVED
Alleged Conspirators. II Is Said. Agree
Upon Prices and Boycott All Out
siders-Conmission is Not
Ready to Suggest Remedy.

Washington. II. g.. dan. 4.-Pr"-
ceedinss under the sherman anti-trust
law Will be instituted against the com
bination of wholesale and retail coal
dealers. whom the Interstate Com
merce commission has found conSp'r-
ing to control the price If coal and to-
boycott ali dealers who do not agree
to keep it up. In the report made Dyi
the commission on the subject Of car
shortage in the northM est II Is stated
that the commission gained "indis-
putahic evidence of the combination.
il WAS found to be operating I'm North
Dakota. Minnesota and Wisconsin,,
and it is expected further inNestiga-'
ton will disclose effects of its opera
ton in South Dakota. No evidence
was found to connect the railroads with
the conspiracy. The evidence UNI
earthed by the commission Will be sent
10 the department ot justice.
Causes Of Car Shortage.
The causes. but not the cure. for the
car shortage iii the northwest ANA lh'
consequent coal famine in North Da-
kota have been determined by the COM
mission.
Franklin *. Lane. wh" served as
chairman of the Investigating COM
mittee. today filed his report with the
full commission and sent it I" Pres'-
dent Roosevelt. VII" ordered the IN
,iuiry. He finds. H..
lit is :, fair Inference from all the
testimony that the real cause of the
coal scarcity in North Dakota Was
such I'm abundance of Westbound tr:lffle
at the head of the lakes that ears were
10, available in thu congesied state
of that terminal for the carrying of
coal to North Dakota. a comparatively
short haul for IL low class commodity.
In his letter OF transmission &" the
president Mr.. Lane says the report VIII
be followed in due course by the spe-
ciai recommendations of the commits
sion rs Il whole as To what legislation.
II any. MAY be deemed advisable.
Referring to the report that the coal
shortage Was due tn the presence of n
trust or combination between dealers
I'm coal. who fixed prices in the north
west and refused to sell To am out
slider and 'irreguiars. the report
says:
The commission has gained indis-
putable proof of an agreement between
coal dealers to maintain prices and to-
boycott all who do not so agree, but.
there is no evidence at all justifying,
the contention that this combination is
chargeable with the coal shortage pre-
vailing. nor that the railroads We're
a party in n way to such n con
so!racy.
Many Questions Involved.
Mr.. Lane in his report sum ~, the
conclusion of the commissioners in the
following words:
The problem is Que that r much deeper
and much broader than a mere lack OF
cars and engines. II IL one in which is
Involved every factor in railroadins. the
construction. operation. maintenance and
financing of the railroad. The inability Of
a shipper to secure Il car MAY only be a
syrnptom OF a deep seated and oreanin
trouble. The real cause of the car short
age may lie in the too conservative char
acter Of the management of the road or in
the unfitness or Incompetence of its OPP
Grating officials. 1t may flow from AN In
comprehension on the part of the directors
OF the full duty imposed by law on a com
mon carrier. it may arise out of II policy
In railroad operation which gives prim-
AIRY consideration TO speculative stock OPP
eratiOns. 1t may come from AN inability
to secure funds 50 to fit itself that it can
discharge it's duty. 1t may follow in =
time of prosperity from an increase OF
traffic which could not have reasonably
been anticipated. 1t may have arisen from
Inability to secur. labor or materials
necessary to the proper enlareing Of IA
/, %ctlttics.
This enumeration, II causes * no, ox
haust1ve. 1t could not we'll b" complies
without giving considcrati ton to many eco
nomic factors which at first glance woulo
appear remote and unrelated. Clearly TN
problem of transportation is so closely in
erwoven with the fabric of our CONNER
i, cia( system, and so closely Related and -
inter-dependent arc The various activ:tie:
of our Industrial life that one may no
lightly say what are the mult:tudinou
Considerations which necessarily ente
into so important II question as the rensol
why the railroad car is not Forthcoming
when SO ordered.
The enactment OF IL reciprocal dcmur
rage bill will not build railroad track
equipment. enlarge and simply terminals
: nor transform incompetent operating Off
i cials into first class railroad men: bur
might stimulate. energ.Ze and in som
cases revolutionizc he methods of delin
1nent railroads 50 that they would ren
der the service whicn they were created t
Fender. This is tn theory OF reciproca
demurraGe. Bur tllt of itself il will 'r
able the railroads T. render adequate ser
vice - not demonstrated by exper'enc"
New Legislation Needed.
Tie need for additional Legislation {
reach the seat of ,ht trouble Is shown b
the conclusion of II, report wherein II
said:
If the Interstate commerce commissio
Is to be vested with power To make rule
under which railroads shall be require
on penalty to furnish cars to shippers. TN
commission should also be empowered |
make rules under which free interchang
Of cars shall be effected. or to require RAJ
roads engaging in Interstate commerce
make such rules f.: their own prote"tio
and provide for Their enforcement.
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II = WEIGHT 400, Is
# STEERAGE PET.
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