Smyrna times., 1910-11-09
CHARGES AGAINST
LACKAWANNA
Accused Of Daring Plot to De-
strOy Coal Company.
TRUST ALSO ARRAIGhED
Marian Company Alleges Rate Dis
elimination, Attempt to Burn Prop
erty and Dictation,

erty and Dctation,
sweeping denunciatiOn of the Della |
ware, Lackawanna & Western railroad. |
in which it is charged with repeatedly |
attempting to drive competing com |
Lany out of business. and an arraigh- |
ment of the so-called anthracite cCal |
trust" are contained in a complaint |
filed with the interstate commerce
commission at Washington by the Ma
rian Coal company. of Wilmington
Del Reparation in the sum Of $55,239
because of alleged excess charges. is
demanded.
The statement sets forth allegations
of one of the most remarkable series
of business embarrassments ever figur-
ing before the commission. 1t not only
attacks the alleged unjust and dis
criminStive rates to which the Marian
company has been subjected as based
on a monopoly maintained through tho
device of the Temple Iron company,
the directors of which are the presi-
| dents of the railroads, constituting tie
anthracite coal trust" but charges at
tempted dictation of production, inter
ference with prospective purchasers of
the plant, diversion of water supply
and heaping of fuel on a fire that had
| threatened destruction TO the Marian
| companys washery at Taylor, Pa.
The Marian washery is on Lacka-
wanna division switch, which also
serves three collieries alleged to be-
long to the Lackawanna interests. The
complaint sets forth various acts as
preventing equality of conditions a.
between the Marian and alleged ia
yored competitors who constitute the
trust" Some of the acts charged
against the company are:
That it attempted to compel the
Marian company to sell its product
to the LaCkawanna on an agreement
as to output restriction that would
have driven the Marian company odt
of business.
That the Lackawanna refused to
quote rates, local or interstate.
That the Marian company finally Of
fered it's property for sale, and the
Lackawanna having obtained, in conf
dence. the names of the bidders. no
tilted all bidders that if they bought
the Marian property they would buy
a law suit.
That the Lackawanna deliberately
routed the Marian companys produc s
over longer hauls at higher rates tina
were imposed on favored shippers.
That the Lackawanna deliberately
built two dams to divert water from
the Marian's coal washery.
That connecting carriers refused tC
put into effect through joint rates that
would absorb the prohibitive switch
ing charges of the Lackawanna
That in 1906 the Lackawanna, w eT
notified that a fire on it's culm ball
threatened destruction to the Marian
property, not only sent word to the
Marian people that, as it was on n,
: Lackawanna's land 'it was nobC -
business" but deliberately dunn e,
new fuel on the fire. causin- destcuc
ton of $4,000 tons of the Ma as val
liable material and costing $1,000 ex
pended in saving the Marian's culn
bank from destruction
That the Lackawanna charged tn
Marian company 80 cents a ton 70
hauling it's coal 5000 feet from til
washery to a Central Railroad of NJ
Jersey connection so as to equal e>
actly the additional price for coal Tn
Marian company might have obtaine
along the Central's line. Other shiI
pers had a much less rate.
The Marian company asks that
z
ceeding Is cents a ton on rice an
barley coal be set by the commissio
and that existing discriminatory pra
tices by the railroad company be abu
ished