The Irish standard., 1911-01-07
ACTION 10 BROUGHT AGAINST u
LEADING TRANS-ATLANTlc
COMPANIES.
CHARGED WITH BIG CONSPIRACY
Details Of Gigantic Monopoly Are Out
linod In the Complaint
Filed In New
York.

States circuit court under the Sher-
man antitrust law against 13 of the
principal transatlantic carriers, esti.
mated to control 80 per cent of the
steerage traffic, worth $55,000.000 a
year. Twelve officers of the defend
ant companies, all resident in America,
are named as co-defendants.
These 18 companies. the govern
ment charges. entered into an illegal
contract February s, 1908, at London,
England, by which they constituted
themselves the Atlantic conference,
with power to apportion traffic and
impose heavy fines for violation OF
any Of the articles of agreement.
AS result, 1t is alleged, the Russian
volunteer feet, plying between New
York and Libau, was driven out of
business, and the Russian-American
line was forced to enter the confer
ence.
Suit was brought under instructions
from United States Attorney General
Wickersham. In It's petition the gov
eminent asks that the defendants be
restrained from combining to destroy
the business of any person carrying
Storage passengers between the Unit
ed States and Europe. Further. that
each OF the defendant steamship lines
be forbidden to enter any port Of
tho United States or It's possessions,
so long ms they continue to operate
under the alleged conspiracy.
Defendant Companies.
The defendant companies are: Al
len Steamship company, capitalized at
1920, 900, which plies between Liver.
pool, Boston and Philadelphia and
Glasgow and Montreal; the Interna.
tional Mercantile Marine company, the
International Navigation company, the
Anchor Line, the Canadian Pacific
Railway company, capitalized at $780,
100000, which operates between Mont
real and Liverpool. the Cunard Steam
ship company, the British and North
Atlantic Steam Navigation company,
the Hamburg-Amsrican line, the Hol-
land-American line, the North-Gsrman
Lloyd Steamship company. the Red
Star line, the White State line and the
Russian East Asiatic Steamship COM
pany.
In the apportionment Of this com.
merce. westbound, as given by the gov
eminent, the North German Lloyd line
with 1853 per cent has the largest
single share. The other German line.
the neutrality-suspicious., is next with
1851 per cent The Cunard line fol-
lows with 1875 per cent. The others
have small percentage.
In the apportionment Of eastbound
traffic the Cunard line with 1877, the
neutrality-suspicious. line with 1896 per
cent, the North German Lloyd line
with 1879 per cent, and the White
Star line with 15.49 per cent are the
leaders.
Storage Traffic Divided.
Under the contract the lines agreed,
It 10 alleged, to divide their steerage
traffic.
To provide against violations q pen
atty Of four pounds sterling ($20) on
each excess passenger was provided.
The alleged contract exacted from
each of its sisnatories the deposit of
$1,000 (e5,000) for each per cent Of
traffic allotted. Upon withdrawal Of
any member without permission this
deposit was to be forfeited. 1t was
also subject to forfeit II any member
failed to pay his fine.
A further penalty Of G250 ($1.250)
might be imposed on any member who
disobeyed the contract.
ut is charged" said District At
torney Wise, that the lines agreed
to act together to destroy competition
and that for the accomplishment of
this purpose committee Of three
should be created with power to select
steamships to be known as fighting
steamers and to advertise such fight
ing steamers to sail at the same time
as the steamers Of competing lines
and to advertise rates far below those
advertised by such independent line"
The contract has operated, 1t ia
charged, to maintain rates at an arti-
Acial level. monopolize traffic at the
highest return possible and to deprive
the public Of tho benefits that would
naturally result from free competition.
All the competitive devices Of the con.
ferences are alleged to be in full force
ut the present moment against the
Uranium Steamship company, which
plies between New York and Rotter.