Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-02-20
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Reports are to the effect that the Wis
consin Central is securing a through route
between Chicago and Winnipeg by the
way of Duluth.
The management of the Pennsylvania
road has issued instructions that wher
ever possible business shall be transacted
by train letters instead of telegraph. The
order is in the interest of economy and
has resulted in reducing the daily num-
Der of messages sent from the Broad
street station, Philadelphia, by nearly
1900.
On New Years eve eliminated a
unique movement for Industrial temper
ance when pledge of total abstinence
signed by $4,000 employees of the North
western railroad went into effect 1t
started among the employees after it had
been made known that the management
was selecting the drinking men for dis
missal in reducing the force.
The railroad companies doing business
in Missouri have about decided not to con-
test the State 2-cent fare law, because
they are now confident that the reduction
of traffic shown by their figures since the
law went into effect will satisfy the courts
that it is inequitable and confiscatory. A
Missouri Pacific official said the receipts
had declined 30 per cent in the last ninety
days. and a Wabash man said that the
combined loss to all the roads in passenger
traffic alone was $6,0O0,0OO.
1t is estimated by members of the car
service committee that between S760,OO0-
900 and S1,0O00O0,O00 worth of equip
ment is idle in the country and that it
is therefore costing the railroads nearly
100000 month in interest charges to
maintain it in idleness. There are 375,-
600 freight cars standing idle on side
tracks throughout the country. 1t is stat
ed that for every thirty freight cars which
have become idle an engine has been put
in the shops, which would mean that fully
1900 locomotives are without loads to
haul.
Attorney General Bonaparte has COM
menced action under the Sherman anti
trust law to dissolve the merger of the
Hartman interests in the Southern Pa
cifc and the Union Pacific railroads. This
is in pursuance of an investigation and
report made by Special Attorney Frank
Il. Kellogg, on behalf of the interstate
commerce commission. Mr.. Kellogg, with
Mr.. Severance of st. Paul, Mimi, will
have charge of the prosecution of the suit,
which will probably be begun in Utah.
The proceedings will be similar TO those
brought against the Northern Securities
Company by the government some years
ago.
In the United States District Court at
Kansas City, Mo-, George L. Thomas,
freight broker of New York City, and
L. b. Taggart, his clerk, pleaded guilty
to the charge of conspiriny to pay re-
bates to railroads, and were nned $1,000
and $1,000, respectively, the jail sem
tence being omitted. They were found
guilty on June %. 1906, and were fined
$4,000 and $4,000, with several months in
jail Upon appeal the verdict was re-
versed on a technicality, but the case was
prosecuted to its present conclusion 1t
derived considerable prominence from be-
ing one of the most important rebate
cases ever decided in this country, and
the first where sentence was imposed.