The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-06-10

Twenty five Western railroads were tenn
porarily restrained tonight by United
States District Judge Dyer from en-
forcing or making a general advance
in interstate freight rates. The iniunc
ton was granted on petition filed by
the government on the allegation that
the advances in rates were arrived at
| by the defendants by agreement in vio-
! lation of the sherman antitrust act.
| The petition says that unless such a
restraining order were issued the rate
advances would become effective at
midnight tonight, to the grave iniurv
of the people of the United States.
| The petition upon which the injunc-
! ton was issued was presented to Judge
| Dyer by Edward ?. Grosvenor of Wash
| ington, special assistant to the attorney
| general and by Frederick n. Judson of
! st. Louis, acting as special counsel. It
was signed by George W. Wickersham,
assistant to the attorney general, and
| Charles \. Houts. United States district
attorney.
| The roads restrained from increasing
their freight rates tomorrow are tho
! Missouri Pacific; Chicago and North
western; Chicago, Burlington and Quin-
cy; Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific;
Wabash; Chicago, Milwaukee and st.
Paul; Illinois Central; Chicago ana
Alton; Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe;
| Chicago Great Western: Missouri, Kan
sas and Texas; St. Louis and San Fran
cisco; Quincy, Omaha and Kansas City;
st. Paul and Des Moines; Minneapolis
and st. Louis; Iowa Central; Fort
Dodge, Des Moines and Southern; Chi
cago, st. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha;
Elgin, Joliet and Eastern: Chicago, Pc
oria and st. Louis; Chicago, Milwaukee
and Gary; Minneapolis, St Paul and
Saulte Ste Marie; Kansas City South
ern; Chicago, Indiana aud Southern; the
Western trunk line committee.
Seek Early Decision.
The restraining order declared it was
issued upon the statement of the coun-
sci for the government that they would
Immediately file an eXpediting certif-
cate under the act Of February II 1908,
providing for speedy termination of
the issue in contention.
The title of the suit is, ''The United
States Of America, Complainant, vs.. The
Twenty five Defendants, Restrained in
Injunction 1t alleges "unlawful com
bination and conspiracy
The petition says the railroads, gen
orally speaking, are the only ones for
the transportation of freight and pas
senger traffic for the States Of Missouri,
Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska.
South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming
and parts of Montana, Michigan, Wis
consin, Illinois and Tennessee.
Referring to the unlawful combina-
ton and conspiracy alleged. the petit
ton says: 1.-The construction and
maintenance of the lines of railroad
has been encouraged and assisted by
the United States Of America and by
the States and Territories and by the
people of said several States and Ter
ritories, by franchises and by grants
and donations of large amounts of land
Of great value and of money and Sc
curities for the purpose Of securing to
the public and to the people engaged
in trade and commerce throughout the
United States, competitive lines of
transportation and communication.
''But for the unlawful combination,
conspiracy, agreements and under
standings between the defendant rail
roads. the defendants would have con
tinued in the said interstate transport
tatio trade and commerce, in competi-
ton with each other, as to rates and
charges to be collected for the inter,
state transportation Of freight and
passengers and as to the facilities and
advantages to he offered to the travel
ing public and to shippers Of com
modities in interstate commerce, and
would now he competing in said inter.
state transportation, trade and com
merce.'
Charge of Conspiracy.
The second part Of the petition
states that on December 6, 1906. the
defendants, with the exception Of five
u g.I,