The Washington times., 1908-08-10

| or the purpose or ughJlng the IN
| creased freight rates in Southwestern
| territory. watch went into effect today.
! Senator Culberson, Attorney General
! Pollard. and State Railroad Commits
| sioner Alayaeld all of Teaxs. and COM
missioner Love. of Oklahoma, have pre-
pared a voluminous complaint for sub
mission to the Interstate Commerce
/ Commission.
/ The document names siXty-three rail
roads. ana asks that after due investi-
/ cation the roads be ordered TO cancel
! the rates, that the shippers may be
given reparation and damages, and that
] any shipper affected by the proposed
/ advances in rates De allowed 10 inter
vene as joint complainant.
Texas Statesmen Up in Arms.
For several days the Texas statesmen
| have been laborlng with the con.mis-
sion in the hope that they might get
an order restraining the new tariR
! before IL could be put into operation.
Unsuccessful in this, CuIberson wired
President Roosevelt demanding that The
roads be prosecuted under the Sherman
antitrust act. The President replied
/ that he had referred the matter 10 the
Attorney General for his consideration,
The Interstate Commerce Commission
already has before II complaints against
the proposed increase Of rates in South
eastern territory. filed by large number
of merchants ia the Southern States.
The decision OF the. commission in both
these cases will be awaited with keen
est interest by railroads and shippers
throughout the country, one Of the i'm
portant problems TO be solved being TO
what extent railroads may cooperate
in the preparation Of tariff schedules
without being liable 70 punishment un-
der the statute which provides against
'conspiracies in restraint OF trade.
Burden on Public.
The formal Complaint on behalf of
both Texas and Oklahoma, but signed
By Chairman Mayield5 of the Texas
Railroad Commission, and Attorney
General Pollard, was received by the
commission today, II makes some
startling statements.
Upon information and belief" the
petition reads, the complainant alleges
and charges the fact TO be that the
capital stock Of each OF the defendant
Texas companies grossly exceeds as 10
| the real value and as a basis for rates,
the bonded indebtedness of each OF the
said defendant companies. grossly ex-
| ceeds the fair value Of its property, and
| il is unjust and unreasonable to impose
| the proposed increase in rates as addi-
tiOnal burden to pay dividends on such
! excessive stock and bonds
VIII Cost sa,6oO,ooo More.
| The complaint flied today declares that
the rate increase. If permitted VIII force
| Texas shippers, merchants, and con
| sumers 10 pay at least S2G00,000 year
more for food, staples and necessities.
The charge is made that the Gould
system of roads Is in complete control
OF the Southwestern situaton-that the
Atchison Topeka and Santa owns the
Gulf. Colorado and Santa Fe; the Chica-
20. Rock Island and Pacific owns the
Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf; the Mis-
souri,, Kansas and Texas owns the Mis-
souri,, Kansas and Texas railway of
Texas; the St, Louis and San Francisco
owns the St. Louis and San Francisco
and Texas; the Southern Pacific owns
the Houston and Texas Central; the
/ Houston East and West Texas. the
Texas and New Orleans, the Mallory
line; the Galveston, Harrisburg and
san Antonio, and other connecting
Iires: and that the International and
Great Northern, St Louis, Southwestern
and Texas and Pacific railroads are
owned and controlled by the GOulds.
Competition Repressed.
Through the southwestern tariff com.
mittee. which is said TO have absolute
power TO fix rates on all roads, from st.
Louis and Kansas City and Eastern and
Western markets to southwestern Tex
as. Oklahoma, and Arkansas, it IS al
legged that the sixty-thFee defendant
railroads are banded together to fix and
control al rates. Since the lines are
all competing the complainant declares