Mexico Missouri message., 1910-06-09

Generally speaking, the lines are
the only ones for the transportation
Of freight and passenger traffic for
the states of Missouri, Iowa. Mime
sofa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Da-
.kota, North Dakota, Wyoming and
parts Of Montana and Michigan, Wis
cousin, Illinois, Indiana and Tennes-
see. They furnish the only means
OF communication by railroad between
the inhabitants of the several states.
Tried to Suppress Competition.
The petition states that the rail-
roads intending to monopolize the
transportation, traffic, trade and COM
merce between the different states,
did combine, conspire, confederate
and unlawfully agree to organize and
become members in the western trunk
line committee as a means of sup
pressing all competition between said
defendants, in the said interstate
transportation, trade and commerce,
being carried out by the defendants,
as aforesaid
Continuing, the petition runs that
since the date mentioned the western
trunk line committee, unincorporated,
with headquarters in Chicago, is the
instrument by means of which freight
rates have been fixed applicable to all
freight within the jurisdiction Of the
| western trunk line committee. That
the charges now being imposed are
the same by all the defendants and
are so made by agreement The fol,
lowing is the method by which the
petition alleges rates are fixed by
the western trunk line committee:
Each of the defendants is a mem.
Der of the western trunk line commit.
tee. There is a freight committee,
ager or general freight agents Of each
of the defendants. This committee
! meets once every month. Whenever
| any defendant contemplates a change
| in any Of its rates, rules or regula.
| ton. the officers or official represent.
| ing such defendant on said committee
suggests such change to the chairman
of the committee, who then dockets
| the same for consideration and dis
cussion at the next meeting Of the
freight committee.
AT that meeting the matter is
brought up for consideration. If all
agree the proposed change is made
by all the roads, defendants herein
| Unless there is unanimous agreement
the suggestion is rejected, and no
road adopts the proposed change OF
rates"
Advance to Be Simultaneous.
1.-THE petition alleges there is an
agreement between the defendants to
the effect that no rates will be ad,
vanced or reduced except with the
concurrence of the entire body, with
a simultaneous advance or reduction
by all the others agreed upon at o
meeting Of the freight committee. Fur,
Their, it is claimed, by means of mem.
bership in the committee all compe
ton between the defendants is sup.
pressed.
The western trunk line committee
is said to have succeeded another as
ISOLATION of a similar character, the
name Of which is unknown, but the
complainant AYERS that there are 9th.
err associations of similar character
to which portions of the United States
have been assigned and in which
many Of the defendants are members
Part No. 8 of the petition says that
in 1909 or early in 1910 the defend
ants consplred together and deter
mined to make a general advance in
commodity rates to prevail through
out the western trunk line territory
using the same as a means to effectu
ate the advance.
|, Agreed on New Advancements
The freight committee held a meet
ing, the date of which is unknown
l and the commodity rate named in
) 1. C. G. tariff No. lis, and sometimes
called Hosmer's tariff No. / d, were
} gone over and considered at the meet
ing. The conference resulted In an
5 agreement as to new advances to bC
3 made. After they had been deter
mind upon, each of the defendants
a notified the chairman of the western
3 trunk line committee, w. H. Hosmel
I of Chicago. who had printed a SEIZED
e ule Of the advances, called supple
ment No to freight tariff No. 1 D
, nusY,,., n,,oh, q $780, 49,