The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-19
Hope for the best. get ready for
fI,e worst. md take what God sends.
RAILROADS AND COAL comPANlEs.

In recent issue of the Baltimore
Manufacturers Record the president
of a railroad company which owned
coal mines was quoted as saying that
the clause in the Hepburn act prohibit
ing railroad companies from owning
and operating coal mines, which goes
into effect on May ist next would work
great hardship on his road. If it did
not. destroy its value. He may be.
right. bat the coal-carrying railroads
brought the trouble upon themselves.
They abused their privileges so out
raseously that legislative action was
necessary to protect independent oper-
ators OF coal mines. They refused to
give the independent operators ade-
quats facilities and as result dis
graceful system OF bribery and graft
sprsnE Up.
IL the instance OF Mr. Logan NJ.
smntt Z Philadelphia lawyer. and
president of the Red Rock Fuel Com
pany. Of west Virginia, the Interstate
Commerce Commission Investigated the
Baltimore and Ohio. the Pennsylvania
and other eoai-carrying roads, and
startling disclosures resulted. 1t was
shown that many railroad companies
owned coal mining companies that
railroad officials accepted as free gifts
stocks in coal mining companies, and
that the companies which made such
IL, ,I,,.
ton of cars, to the disadvantage OF
their competitors who did not Offer
bfihes.
In consequence of these disclosures
the following clause was embodied ii
TIE Hepburn act, which was approved
June 90, 1906:
'Flrom and after May !, 1905, ii
shall be unlawful for any railroad
company TO transport from any State
Territory, or the District of Co
lumbia to any other State Terri
tory, or the District of Columbia
or to any foreign country, any artici,
or commodity, other than timber and tho
manufactured products thereof manu-
featured mined or produced by it, Of
under its authority, or which it ma.
own in whole or in part, or in which
it may have any interest, direct or in
direct, except such articles or com
modities az may be necessary and in
tended for its. use in the conduct o
its business as common carrier.
For each afense against this pro
vision the. acs places penalty o
$1,000.
This gave the oal-carrying road
nearly two years in which to dispos
of their interests in coal mines an,
coal mining properties, and most o
them lost no time in unloading. Thi
relates to roads in the btuminous o
soft coal regions, but the situation ii
the anthracite regions is different TIL
Constitution of Pennsylvania prohibit
transportation companies from en-
gagtng in the mining or manufacturing
of articles for transportation over thei
lines, but the anthracite coal trust ha
existed and still exists In spite of til
law. The Reading Company, whic
was chartered in 1871 has authorit
stocks of other companies. and thi
parent company owns a controllin
interest IN the Philadelphia an
Reading Railway Company, the Phi!
adelphia and Reading Coal ar
Iron Company the Central Raj
road of New Jersey, the Wilkes
barre Coal Company and number
other subsidiary railroad and coal con
panies. AS the Reading Company
not transportation company, it a,
pears that in owning both railroad ar
coal stocks it is not techn
cally violating the provisions either
the Hepburn act or the Constitute
Of Pennsylvania, The question wi
Doubtless be put TO the test after Ma
LIST, and the general public VIII watc
the outcome with keen interest.
==i=--------==-===-=-=-====-
IN DEFENSE OF THE sUFFRA-
GETTES.
What those sunragettes in Londo