New-York tribune., 1910-06-02
Mr.. WICKERSHAM EXPLAINS
Railroad Suit Handled Secretly
All Increases Not Prevented.

Washington June Attorney General
Wickersham talked somewhat freely to
day regarding the steps which led UP to
the administration move against the rail
roads. The first intimation he had of the
conditions alleged, he said. was in a dis
patch which came from somewhere in the
West last Thursday. but this. being wholly
unsupported by details. did not impress
him very seriously.
Friday more dispatches came, and Rep
resentative Hubbard of Iowa gave him a
comprehensive statement of the situation
This convinced him, Mr.. Wickersham said,
that action ought 10 he taken. He at once
got together. with the assistance of the In
terstate Commerce Commission. all data
available and spent the following two days
in the preparation Of the bill in equity.
The Interstate Commerce Commission fur
nished aff1davits that the tariffs COM
planned of had been filed with that body.
what they showed. and that an agent had
been employed at Washington to file them.
Sunday night Mr. Grosvenor was sent to
ST. Louis with the bill in equity and the
aff1davits in his possession.
Proceedings against the railroads were
brought in the Sth Judicial Circuit, Mr..
Wickersham said, because the antitrust
law had received fits fullest Interpretation
in that circuit. a notable case being that
of the government against the Standard Oil
Company.
Through the secrecy with which the case
was handled the government circumvented
the railroads and obtained the restraining
order without the roads having any chance
TO be heard in oposition TO the application.
Had they been permitted to appear in Op-
position, the result probably would nave
been more or less delayed, and meantime
the increased rates would have gone into
effect. 1t was on this account that al
though Mr.. Wickersham had determined
on course to pursue he purposely re-
Trained from making known his intentions
to the Omaha committee which appeared
before him on Memorial Day.
The rates which were prevented from
becoming effective at midnight last night
by the temporary injunction granted con-
stitute only a part of the advances made
By the Western Trunk Line Association.
The injunction applies only 10 Tariff A n5s
mentioned in the bill filed before the Cir
cult Court by representatives OF the De-
partment of Justice The tariffs filed prac-
tically simultaneously with the Interstate
Commerce Commission by the Western
Trunk Line Association. making advances
in the rates on commodities between Chi
cago and Milwaukee and between Chicago
and ST. Paul and between st. Paul and
Eastern destinations on wool are in effect
to-day.
While these tariffs are not so important
as those making general advances on COM
modities between Missouri and Mississippi
River points. they, nevertheless. are of con-
siderable concern to shippers in Western
Trunk Line territory TO Atlantic seaboard
points. The increase in the rate on wool
from St Paul points to New York and
Boston particularly is OF immense interest
TO consigners. as Il means fat advance of
10 cents a hundred pounds. This increase
applies to all Western wool passing
through Minneapolis or 81 Paul 10 Atlantic
tidewater destinations.
II is not explained why the injunction
sought by the Department Of Justice was
not made applicable to ell the advances re-
Gently made by the Western Trunk Line
Association.
ST. Louis. June l-Frederick y. Judson.
special counsel for the government In the
injunction case against the Western rail-
roads. said tonight that If anything had
been. omitted in the petition filed yesterday
he did not know Of il. The petition was
r1reuarai in Washington