New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-23
Anthracite Reads in COntfOI.


Nearly all the important anthracite
fleets on the North Atlantic coasts. the
Commissioner says. are owned 10y lew
great anthracite railroads. \ number 'i
the principal canals of the country nave
been abandoned or fallen into dlSuSe De
cause Of railroad influence. The report
goes on.
The conditions here set forth cannot
fail TO command attention. 30 lar as l'le
EASTERN part OF the country is concerned
water lines have 10 large extent De
come auNiliaries or subsidiaries OF ran
Dads These conditions force coHslutla
ton Of the policy TO be ADOPTED Iomdau
such water carriers Since water cOilpe-
titioO has in considerable measure Dtel
restricted By railroad control oil Watel
lines this fact must be taken account ol.
Tbs Interstate Commerce COMMISSION
has bv recent legislation secured a CON
siderable increase in jurisdiction over
Joint rail and water trafhc particular!
with respect 10 the establishment OF JOINT
raif and water rates and the equltable ~
vision of such rates between Inc rlG JUr1ol-
riers This is a matter or vital liilp1r
rance IL there is 10 he any successIu III
attempt TO increase competition IN 90
mestic water traffic il seems certain thdt
such ioint rate arrangements should Do
far more generally established imam az
present. .,,,,o.. l.,
since Joint through rates are almost IN,
Variably less than the sum or the IoCa1
Yates, A steamship HE deprived on tne
advantage Of joint rate arTanSeineit
with railroads OF an equitable OASIS Is
practically unable TO compete WIN II
val enjoying il.
The report saws that twenty railroads
~ the country control steam vessels and
harges OF $1,000 gross tonnage engaged
exclusively in domestic trade, and con-
t.nues;
The tonnage OF the New Haven system
rs the lersest. aggregatine a llttie over
20 on gross tons Next In importance
is the Union Pacidc-SOuthern Pacihc'
with a grand total excluding tonnage en-
saged I'm foreign trade OF over iVoy
gross tons Tie Pennsylvania Rdiiioad
S.Srnuany's water lines have bS,JeJ gross
TONS IN steamers and 500 tons in barges
the New York Contra, over oOyn gross
tons, and the Central OF Georgia fahWaN'
over sO.OD0 gross tons.
The total capitalization or water mes
controlled by these railroads Unis not
covering holding companies ana several
very important unincOrpofatcd SerNlCes)
aggregates &3539.S'5 In stock ana S5li-
2t8 Ss7 in bonded debt. OF the stock
sO223. 100 and Of the bonds SlSZl1%i are
owned by eighteen railroads or their SUD
salaries In most instances railroads
own practically all the stock or the sep
arately Incorporated water lines when
they control.
Chief Combinations Named.
OF the traffic not dominated by rail-
roads along the Eastern seaboard, the
great bulk. adds the report is controlled
bv two important steamship consolida-
tions-the Atlantic. Gulf and West Indies
steamship lines and the Eastern Steam
ship CORPORATION With a few exceptions
the constituent companies OF these con-
solicitations were formerly subsidiaries Of
the Consolidated Steamship Lines. organ
ized by Charles w Morse and which col
iapsed IN 1901
While there appears TO be no inter-
ownership Of stock between these two
steamship consultations, Mr.. Conant
adds, they have several directors in com
mon. indicating considerable community
of interest.
on the Great Lakes all the important
through passenger and package freight
lines, II is declared, are owned by rail-
roads. In the local package freight traf-
lic there are a large number or indepen-
dent water carriers. Several Of the prin-
cipaI lake fleets handling ore. coal and
lumber, il is said. are under the control
~ important industrial concerns. the
largest being the Pittsburgh Steamship
Company, controlled by the United States
Steel Corporation.
on the Pacific Coast the commissioner
found Independent steamship lines form