The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-06-03
Shippers Think WiCkerSham
Should Be Aided.
NEEDS BEST LEGAL TALENT.
While Opponents Of Increased Rail-
road Rates Applaud Injunction,
Wall Street Predicts Depressing
Effeet-Wickersham Confident.

New York, June 2.-Because of the
magnitude of the struggle between the
government and the twenty-five west
ern railroads over the proposed ad-
vance in freight rates shippers here
are uneasy concerning the character
of fight Attorney General Wickersham
will be able to make with the availa-
BILE legal talent of his department at
Washington. Eastern shippers hope
that western shippers will engage law
yers of the highest ability to cooperate
with Mr. Wickersham. They say that
the railroads will not only have the
shrewdest lawyers in the country to
present their side OF the case, but will
have the usual horde of lobbyists to
render assistance. 1t was pointed out
today that a judge recently called at
tention to the fact that the attorneys
for corporations usually put up bet
ter case than the salary drawing coun-
sci of the people.
Such a condition, it was said, should
be guarded against in this great fight
against the railroads.
On the other hand the action of At
torney General Wickersham in obtain
ing an injunction restraining twenty
five western roads from making ef-
fective proposed increases in freight
rates and the announcement of the de-
cision of the supreme court in the Mis-
souri, river rate case have aroused Wig
orous protest by railroad officers, bank
ers and manufacturers throughout the
country. Among New York bankers
and railroad men it is generally felt
that considerable recession of busi-
ness will result, though just how Sc
we're this setback will be cannot be
estimated at the present time.
A heavy decline in stocks was the
further response which the stock mar
ket gave to the steps taken by the fed
eral administration in opposition TO
the freight rate advances proposed by
western railroads. Losses of from 8
to points We're scored throughout the
list before the second hour.
Washington, June 2.-That the de-
partment of justice will be able to OBJ
tain a permanent injunction against
the twenty-five western railroads
charged with conspirlng in violation
of the Sherman law to raise rates in
western trunk line committee territory
is the confident belief of Attorney Gen
eral Wickersham.
While the attorney general is looking
after the legal end of the rate question
the charge is made by news agency
that some one i'll Washington leaked"
and that Wall street interests made a
"killing"N by selling short upon ad-
vanced information as TO what the de-
partnent would do.
Attorney General Wickersham did
not jump right into the fight to pre-
vent the proposed higher rates going
into effect without knowing what he
was doing. He did not act on the spur
of the moment or on a few hours no
tice. Instead he had been probing into
the situation for several days before
the bill for temporary injunction was
presented to Judge David Z. Dyer at
Hannibal, Mo. Mr. Wickersham told
the circumstances Of beginning the
suit
The first intimation that i received
upon the subject" he said, "was a sin
gle telegram last Thursday evening,
just before | was leaving the depart
ment | paid but little attention to 1t
because 1t was unsupported. But on
Friday l received a hummer of tele-
grams, and Congressman Z. B. Hub
bard of Sioux City called upon me and
gave me my first comprehensive view
of the situation.
81 at once perceived that the pro-
posed action of the railroads was sub
versiye Of the interests Of the public,
and l Immediately took steps to bring
an injunction suit"