The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-01
At the Eleventh Hour Uncle Sam Steps
i'm to Prevent Increase of Freight
Rates by twenty-five
Western Roads
UNLAWFUL COMBINATION AND CONSPIRACY
IN VIOLATION OF ANTITRUST LAW CHARGED
Made That Increase as Scheduled Will
Subject Shippers to Arbitrary and
Excessive Rates

DeS Mones railroad tile Fort Dodge. the
Des Moines & Southern railroad. the Ell
gin, Joliet & Eastern Railway company.
the Chicago. Milwaukee IL Gary Railroad
! company, and the Minneapolis. st. Paul
Sault Ste. Marie as later becoming
members of the western trunk line COM
mittee and parties to the unlawful COM
bination and conspiracy.
Rates by Agreement.
Continuing, the petition says since the
date mentioned the western trunk line
committee, unincorporatcd, with head
quarters In Chicago is the instrument by
means OF which freight rates have been
fixed and that the charges now being i'm
posed are the same by all the defend
ants and are so made by agreement.
The following is the method by which
the petition alleges rates are fixed by
the western trunk line committee:
Each Of the defendants is Il member OF
the western trunk line committees. There
is a freight committee, composed OF the
freight traffic managers or general
freight agents OF each of the defendants.
This committee meets once every month.
Whenever any defendant contemplates
change in any rates. rules or regulations.
the officer or officials representing Sucl
defendant on such committee suggests
such change TO the chairman OF the COM
mittec, who then dockets the same TOR
consideration and discussion at the next
meeting OF the freight committee. Al
that meeting the matter Is brought up
for consideration II all agree upon the
roads defendants herein. Unless there is
unanimous agreement the suggestion is
rejected and no road adopts the proposed
change OF rates
Unity of Action.
The petition says there is an agreement
between the defendants TO the effect that
no rates will be advanced or reduced eN-
cept with the concurrence OF he entire
body. with a simultaneous advance or re-
duction by all the others agreed upon at
| Il
ther, 1t is claims by means OF member
ship In the committee, all competition
between the defendants is suppressed.
The western trunk line committee is
said to have succeeded another associa
tion of q similar character, the name cf
which is unknown. but the complainant
ayers that there are other associations Of
similar character TO which portions OF the
United States have been assigned and in
which many OF the defendants are mem
bers.
The complainant charges the commit
tee was organized and is maintained In
violation OF the sherman antitrust law.
Part three of the petition says that in
1909 or early in 1910 the defendants con-
Splred together to make a general ad-
vance in commodity rates 10 prevail
throughout the western trunk line terri
tory.
| ing. the dates OF which are unknown ~
continues the petition "and the COM
modify rate named in the interstate COM
| mcrce commission tariff ALB. and some
times called Hosmer's tariff No. I'D.
was gone over and considered. Tine con-
| ference resulted in an agreement as TO
| new advancements 10 be made. After
| they had been determined upon each of
! the defendants notified the chairman of
| the western trunk line committee. w.
! H. Hosmer OF Chicago. who had printed
a schedule OF the advances called supple
| ment No. to freight tariff No. I'D"
| On April 81. 1910. Hosmer. as agent for
| each of the defendants, fled separately
on behalf of them. with the intersta te
TO become effective June /. 1910. on the
lines OF all the defendants, unless the
enforcement thereof is restrained by this
honorable court.
Unlawful Combination.
The petition charges that the advanced
rates are the direct outcome of agree
mentS In suppression OF competition and
OF an unlawful combination iu restraint
of interstate trade. arrived a and made
effective through the agency OF the west
ern trunk line committee. and that the
acts Of the combination in advancing
rates are the result OF conspiracy.
Further charges are made that the
unreasonable and excessive rates fixed
without competition apply to a vast num-
bcr OF prime utility and daily necessity,
and that the unreasonable advances In
freight charges apply to approximately so
per cent OF the commodities carried and
Will increase freight charges in amounts
varying from 10 20 20 per cent OF the
rate heretofore charged.
The petition closes by saying that un-
less the reasonable schedule OF rates Is
cnJoined il Will become effective June l.
and the citizens OF the United States who
ship commodities through the wcstein
compelled to pay arbitrary and excessive
TatcS.