Arizona republican., 1910-06-01
RAILROADS
 RESTRAINED From Putting into Effect Today New Western Rates .8Y TWENTY-FIVE LINES Action Was Instituted in Eastern District of Mis- souri - President Ripley of Santa Fe Intimates There Will Be a Fight
|BY TWENTY-FIVE LINES.

Hannibal, Mo, May 31.-Twenty- five western railroads were tempo rarily restrained tonight by United States District Judge Dyer from en- forcing or making a general advance in interstate freight rates. The in junction was granted on d petition filed by the government on an ale gation that the advances in rates were arrived at by the defendants by agreement, in violation of the Sher- man antitrust act.
 The petition says that unless such restraining order were issued the increases would become effective at midnight tonight, to the grave injury of the people of the United States. The petition upon which the injunc- tion was issued was presented to Judge Dyer by Edward P Grosvenor of Washington. special assistant to the attorney general, and by Freder- ick NJ. Judson of St. Louis, acting as special counsel It was signed by George w. Wickersham, attorney gen. eral; William S Kenyon, assistant to the attorney general. and Charles A Houts, United States district a.tor- ney- The Santa Fe is the only Cali fornia Arizona road in, the list.
 The petition says that in I9Os or early in 1910. the defendants conspired together to make general advance in commodity rates to prevail throughout the western trunk line territory.
 The freight committee held meet ing. the dates of which are unknown" continues the petition, and the com modity rate named in interstate com mission tariff A-115 and sometimes called Hosmer's tariff No. 1-D were gone over and considered. The con- ference resulted in an agreement as to the advancements to be made. After they had been determined upon. each of the defendants notified the chairman Of the western trunk line committee which Hosmer. of Chicago. who had printed schedule of the advance called supplement No. to freight tariff No. ID.
 "On April 27. 1910. Hosmer. as agent for each of the defendants. filed separ- ately on behalf of them with the inter- state commerce commission the new schedule to become effective June 1, 1910. unless the enforcement thereof is by this honorable court"
 The petition charges that the ad- vanced rates are the direct outcome of agreements in suppression of competi- tion and of an unlawful combination in restraint of interstate trade arrived at and made effective through the agency of the western trunk line com l mittee and that the acts of the com 1 bination in advancing rates are the re- suit of a conspiracy.
 Further charges are made that the and excessive rates fixed l without competition apply to a vast | number of commodities of prime utility | and daily necessity and that the un- advances in freight charges | lpply to approximately 50 per cent of | he commodities carried and will in- | crease freight charges in amounts varying at from 10 to 20 per cent of t he rate heretofore charged.
 The petition closes by saying that lnless the unreasonable schedule of | 'ates is enjoined it will become. effect we June 1. 1910, and the citizens of the Inited States who ship commodities | through the western line territory | will be compelled to pay arbitrary and i .xcessiye rates