The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-01
Plan OF v|RC|N|AN
Blocked [: ( 4 BY RULES

lntcrstate Commerce Commits
sion Will Permit No Advatl-
tagc to New Coal Fields.
10 ADVANTAGE OF C. AND o.
Commission Decides When and
How Through Routes and
Rates SHOULD Be Established.
NEW York. December s1.-Thc
virginian has been blocked by the In.
plan to open It's Kanawha and Red
River coal fields at slight advantage
over competitors and to do 1t at the ex-
0ense OF this Chesapeake and Ohio, with
which II was sought to force through
routes and divisions OF the rates. At
tho same lime the commission In re-
fusing tho plea OF the petitioner has
placed itself upon record on the much
mooted question OF when and how 1t
should or should not exercise the power
OF compelling through routes and
road companies. question that has
given tinfilc executives all over the
country much concern, and concerning
which fle commission In its ruling
says:
Where neither the interests OF the
public nor tho ends OF Justice as be-
tween tho parties directly interested
Will b, promoted by the establishment
Of Though routes and joint rates and
.1fSfufSnu rroa FNr
exercise OF the authority invoked has
rot ieen shown"
ThJ complainant IN the case was the
Lou1 Creek Colliery Company. and the
defeidants were the virginian Com
panS and the chesapeake & Ohio. Al
though an effort to show that the coal
COOPERATION was owned by the Virgin
ian WAS not successful. It was signi-
fcalt that It's claims were backed by
thai railroad company. The complaint
prafed for through rates from Page.
WA, on the Virginian and that they
be The same as the Chesapeake e. Ohio
wa making for all OF the mines in the
kaiawha district to all points outside
ofiFest Virginia.
Charging 10 Cents Ton.
Iage is nine miles from the junction
of the virginian with the Chesapeake
4 Chic. and the coal company is paying
10 6entsa ton to the yirginian to get
its coal to the Chesapeake e Ohio
tracks. Tho theory advanced was that
the Virtinian, owning the mine. was
trying 10 compel the Chesapeake &:
Ohio to pay 1t for delivering to the lat
ter the product OF Its own property.
II WA shown in the hearing that the
through the two districts mentioned.
and thit the road was built for an in
dcpendnt outlet from the coal fields;
also, that the Chesapeake 6. Ohio
charged switching rate to all mines
not ldcated on It's own branch lines.
and that this was to compensate the
read ior taking the coal to its own
track. The Chesapeake & Ohio, how
eyer.itrles to furnish all OF the mines,
Whether located on its branch lines or
not, with cars. but owing to car
shortage is unable to give them their
full quota.
Or the other hand. the Vlrginian has
an sbundance OF cars compared with
the mileage 1t has thus Ear in opera
tior. The coal mines on it's line are,
thscfore. abundantly supplied and in
tnk respect have an advantage over
ths mines on other lines. 1t was FUR
th,r shown that the Chesapeake & Ohio
hiss more than 1t can do to market the
q
Dies not care for the coal mined on the
yirginian. To compel the Chesapeake
|: Ohio. therefore, to pay to have this
foreign coal delivered to 1t when 1t
cannot adequately serve the interests
along it's own line the commission
thought was asking little too much.
Would Reduce Joint Rates.
In Its ruling the commission says
further:
The effect Of granting the relief
sought would be to reduce the joint
through rates from Page on the Vir-
Eiaian to all points on the Chesapeake
& Ohio, outside OF West Virginia, down
To tho separate individual rates of the
latter from points on III line in this
district at the entire expense OF the
chesapeake s. Ohio. and at the same
time to relieve the shipper located on
the virginian OF all expenses In reach
ing the Chesapeake & Ohio"
The commission also specifically
states that to make such O ruling as
the yirginian sought would totally be
10 disregard the long-establlshed prac-
tice recognized as reasonable and just
by legislatures, railway commissions
and the courts. as well as BY carriers
of allowing two or more railroads
which make up although line to charge
somewhat more for the through trans
3 pOrtat1on, Inc earnings soL WINCH iiluSt
be divided among them. than would be
deemed reasonable and sufficient for the
transportation IL performed by a sim
( gle road.
The effect OF this decision will be to
quiet the anxiety and apprehension OF
railroads generally with respect to the
important power the commission now
{ has OF compelling through routes. rates
and divisions OF rates. It had been
feared that the commission would seek
to establish all sorts of through routes
wherever asked for by shippers, IRE.
spective OF their actual needs and pos.
sibly OF some time honored operating
and traffic principles.
Thunderstorm In Baltimore.
Especial to The Times Dispntch.l
BALTIMORE. Md, December 81
Astypical thunderstorm, with rumblint
~ u 6or 1Spo tint I'M ov1ls < Zoe