The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-06-03
THE FIGHT AGAINST THE RAIL
pOAnS

The Western railways have been en-
Joined by the Federal Court in Mis-
souri, against making the increase of
rates they had agreed upon. The in
junction was issued upon the petition
of the Government at Washington.
The restraining order was signed by
Judge Dyer, at Hannibal. Missouri,
where Mark Twain spent so many of
the happy years of his youth, and If
he were here he would probably be
able to show the amusing side of the
situation, for it has a very amusing
side, it apparently being the purpose
of the Government to make the rail-
roads work for nothing and find them
selves
Twenty-four of the Western roads
tAre covered by the injunction which
was granted on the allegation that
the advances in rates were agreed
upon by the defendants without COM
petition and in violation of the Sher-
man act The lines affected are the
only ones for the transportation of
freight and passengers in Missouri,
fSouth Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming,
parts of Montana, MichiE gan, Wisconsin,
Illinois. Indiana and Tennessee. 1t
is alleged in the petition of the Gov
ernment that these roads have been
encouraged and assisted by the United
States and by the States and Terri
tories through which they run, and
n II IN "a vfl1l IN, ITO,
conspiracy, agreements and under
standings made between them, they
would be engaged in competitive bus
iness with one another to the advan-
tage of the business public. 1t is fur
Their alleged that the conspiracy
among the railroads has resulted in
establishing and maintaining unrea-
sonable and arbitrary rates greatly in
excess of what the rates would be
but for the unlawful combination of
the railroads; that the unreasona BILE
advances in freight charges apply to
about go per cent. of the commodi-
tics carried by the roads and will
increase the freight charges from 10
to 90 per cent. of the rates hereto
fore in effect
The New York Evening Post says
that there are two points in the pres
ent controversy-frst, the question of
the reasonableness or unreasonableness
of the new rates, and, second the
nature and character of the combina-
ton said to have been made by the
railroads party 10 the suit The first
issue will not be difficult OF settle
1nent. as it will depend upon the ability
of the roads to show that the new
rates are not unreasonable. The second
issue Will depend upon the decision of
the courts as TO the meaning of the
law forbidding cor+b1nati9ns in re-
straint of trade. we do not believe
that the proposed rates are unreason-
able, nor do We believe that the al
legged conspiracy among the defendant
roads has been in restraint of trade; on
the contrary, we have no doubt that
it will be shown to the satisfaction Of
the courts that but for the agreements
among the roads the traffic conditions
in the West would have been SO un-
settled and so constantly changing as
- in'eiisi @i'N
usi'iess ....se..s'.S
go s"'h' - .l-r :.
~ what the Government is now en-
dining" says the Springfield Repub-
licAn, is what the railroads have been
doing for years What they have been
doing for years has been done openly
and with the implied sanction of the
Government. Indeed, the fixing of
adifferentials on the export traffic of
.ns 80 .'ss -,
-. =, a.,.a,s,o -
a.a, ~ ,.a.as ,,.a,,.,,o,,,
.s..,,a ,,,,,a,
a.,n,,,.ta., !, oo,xo -,
,,,ahI a..
-, ,oa.,,,,,,
o,,,i,. o,,.o,,, r,,,at
I'D, s.,a,a,ro,, !, t,o c.se c.n
R3g,