New-York tribune., 1908-01-01
BALTIC POOL ASSAILED
Cosmopolitan Line Insists On Jur1s-
dictiOa at Warrington.

Washington. Dec. u.-~A brief asking for dis
mssal OF the demurrer IN the complaint against the
various steamship lines composing the Baltic pool
was filed to-day with the Interstate Commerce
Commission by the Cosmopolitan Shipping Com
pany. of Philadelphia.
The brief. prepared by Ward W. Pierson. counsel
for Peter Wright & Sons general agents for the
Cosmopolitan Shipping Company, was hled in an
swer to the demurrer interposed BY the defendant
steamship companies 10 the jurisdiction Of the In
lersta.e Commerce Commission.
The complaint OF the Cosmopolitan Shipping Com
pany charged the Hamburg-Amertcan Line the
North German Lloyd. the Scandinavan-American
Line and thes Wilson Line composing the Baltic
pool with maintaining monopoly In restraint OF
trade. pooling. discriminating between shippers and
localities and giving rebates. Such important
questions raised in this proceeding as whether
ocean carriers acting in conjunction with inland
carriers through the joint issue of through bills
of lading at through rates from interior points In
the United States 20 points IN Europe are subject
TO the provisions OF tine ect 20 regulate commerce
and the Jurisdiction OF the Interstate Commerce
Commission.
The original complaint OF the Cosmopolitan Line
iied June 19 1907 asserted that the various
steamship companies named defendants had or
ganized the Baltic pool and were trying to drive 1t
out OF business because of its refusal TO withdraw
its services from Philadelphia to Copenhagen and
Rotterdam and its refusal TO submit its business to
the jiCtatiOn of the Baltic pool 1t alleged that
the pool is engaged in carrying through trafc from
and to interior cities OF the United States incud-
ing Chicago. St Louis. Kansas City, Omaha. Min
neaPOlis. Cleveland and other manufacturing
tres to and from foreign ports by of through
arrangements with the trunk line railroads OF the
United States. Furthermore the complainant
offered to produce evidence showing that the pool
guilty OF rebatinS discriminating between
shippers and localities and giving preferential rates
and pooling
In its brief. urging the intervention OF the Inter-
he COSmOpGtan
Shipping Company gave many for its petit
ton, among which the following:
An American corporation indulging in such p-ac
by water similar to that OF the defendants. on the
Mississippi River the Great Lakes or carrying
prisonment or both. Are there two classes Of cor
laws OF the United states must not discriminate
must not rebate. and must, not pool in the nit,d
laws Of the Tinted States NAV dfscriminate may
rebate may pool in the United States. because II
performing all and every one OF those functions
that could be performed by domestic corporation7
The brief takes up the plea of immunity ad-
vanced by tho defendant companies and gives many
data concerning the growth OF TIE Hamburg
American Line and its alleged monopoly Of trade.
This clause says. ir part:
legal freedom Of the The COSMOPOLITAN Ship
asserting that certain Of the defendants aErA@d
shipping company, to wit the Cosmopolitan Line.
The defendant companies in the Baltic pool case
are all represented by individual counsel. The
local representatives declined yesterday discuss
the brief Of the Cosmopolitan Line. Emil l. Boas,
director and general manager Of the Hamburg
American Line IN this city, said the company was
German Lloyd Line is represented by Joseph H.
Choate.