Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-06-01
The Railroad Injunction Suit.

Washington, June l.-Ths story OF
how the Injunction HuIt was brought BY
the government sgsiDst the 25 railroads
composing the West,rn Tlunk Associa'
lion 10 time to prevent the proposed To-
creased rates from going into effect today
was tod this morning BY Attorney Cen
eral Wickersbsm. 1. sppears that the
government did not wait until the llth
htu, to take action as did the committee
OF shippers from Omaha but Jumped int9
the breach at the frat intimstion which
reached the department that there was
complaint Of the suggested RATS To-
cressiDg.
"The first intImttion that [ re-
ceived upon the suit set" said Attorney
G sneral Wickershsm today, "wss q
single telegram last Thursday evening
iu before l was leaving the depart
ment. 1 paid tui little attention to II
because it was unsupported. Bot on
Friday received a number OF kilograms
ard Congressman E. II. Hubbard, Of
Sioux City, love, called upon me and
gave me my fret comprehensive view OF
the situation. at once prsceived thst
the proposed sction OF the railroads vas
subversive OF the interests of the public
and / Immediately took steps to bring
an Injunction suit l engaged Mr.. Jud'
SOD, OF ST.. Louis, as special counsel By
wire. He is we'll qualified as an expert
10 interstate commerce. law aud has writ
ten books upon the sui ct. | spent
Friday evening ard s. turdsy and part
OF Sunday In preparing bill OF psrlieu-
lars asking for the irjauctioo and 10
proving from the I. O. o. afidaviIs 10
show that the proposed tariffs bad been
filed and that esch OF the railroads bad
designated Mr.. Hosmer as their agent
to ale them with the commission. With
,hess documents 10 hand found that
the government had good foundation
upon which to base the suit. There
fore l dispatched Assistant Attorney
General Grovenor on The midnight train
on Sunday to 81. Louis with 10.
stu tons to bring the suit immediately.
When | received the delegation from
the Omaha convention on Monday l
could no! tell them OF the seton which
had already taken. Nor could | In
dIc.ts at what point l expected 10 10.
stitute the suit. wss afraid that some
r. prtssntatives of one of the railroads
involved would fpprOsch the Judge aud
argue with him t. the effect that this
was novel procesdiog and that hear
ing should be held before the iDjunc-
ton was granted. Secrecy was sbSo-
lutely essential 10 my opinion for the
success OF my canpsIgn. That the
news leaked ont as early IS it did yes
terday was due TO the fact that Mr..
Grovencr and Mr.. Judson filed the suit
ia st. Louis abou. nom and then with
drew 1t on finding that the judge was
in Hannibal holding court"
Efforts will DO made by the govern
ment to expedite IS quickly IS possible
the hearing before Judge Dyer to make
permanent the injunction granted By
him yesterday to prevent the Increased
rates OF the twenty FIVE railroads involved
from going into effect. It Is expected
that the hearing Will be held before the
end OF this week. The attorney general
said today that he had chosen q court 10
the eietl judicial circuit in which to
bring the suit because 10 that ci'tult the
sheEMan anti tIu,t Law has received Its
fullest Interpretation in the Standard
Oil and other cases.