The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-21
Independents Join It's
Attack on Big Cor
poration.
IMPORTANT ISSUE
INVOLVED IN CASE
4 ictory for Plaintiffs May Re-
suit i'll Countrywide Fight for
Lower Freight Rates on All
Low Grade Commodities.
Trust-Buster Ellis Ono
Of Attorneys.
Especial to Tho Times-pispatch.


Washington, January 20.--CompIatnta
fled to-day before the Interstate Com
merco Commission by tho Pittsburgh
Steel Company and all other independ-
ent producers IN the Pittsburgh dis
trict are regarded al among the mosh
important ever laid before the com
mission. While only the Independent
steel producers of the Pittsburgh dis
trict appear as ccmplainants, all of
tho Independents of tho United Staten
arc behind the compia Int. which con-
stttutes concerted move against the
United States Steel Corporation. Tho
complaints will afford test case on
the rates oil orc from tho lakes to
points OF consumption and on the
finished product from points OF manu-
facturo to the marketing places.
While the question involved In tho
ore rates and rates on finished stool
products alone Is of far-reaching Inn
portancc to the railroads and the coun-
try at large. there is a larger issue
involved In the case
The complaints arc regarded az cha1-
longing tho present rates on low grads
commodities, and IL sustained may give
the cue to producers ana manufacture
er5 OF low grade commodities general
~ to bring up the question of excess
SiVe freight rates. Lawyers ropresont-
Will contend that low grade commodi-
ties, which include both the iron ora
and many OF the manufactured articles,
are bearing an unusual and unjust
proportion of the transportation
charges. OF course, II this contention
was sustained In the Pittsburgh case
Its application generally would BIO OF
far-rcaching effect upon tho railroads
of tho country
Result Of Years of Effort.
Tho complaint filed to-day IS tho
elimination of several years OF effort
oil tho part of the Independent steel
producers TO get together and fight
the United States Steel Corporation
which. az the owner and controller
OF railroad properties. has, It la
charged, been able to monopolize the
profitable markets OF the country and
| leave TO tbs independents the most I'M
desirable fields.
In one OF the complaints the rate
OF 90 cents ton on ore from Ashta-
oula Harbor to the Pittsburgh district
IL attacked as unren sonabIe and dis
criminatory and characterized as 1oO
per cent too high. 1t Is charged that
the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad.
running from the lake to the Pitts-
ourgh district, and owned by the United
states Steel Corporation, practIcaIIv
established the rates. Attorneys repre-
senting the independents will point out
that this road serves practically only
! the Steel Corporation, while tho other
consumers use other carriers and nav
the same rate. II will be alleged thar
the Steel Corporation in paying these
eileSeu excessive rates on ore, IS mere
~ shifting money from one pocket 70
another, while the independents arc
Obliged 10 stand loss. In the case
| OF rates on finished products also ths
hn fhot
reasonably high, aud operate In favor
of the Steel Corporation
In the complaint on iron ore tha
| Lake Shore and Michigan Southern
| hallway Company. the Pittsburgh and
| Lake Erie, New York Central. tho
PcnnsElvania Company and the Penn
sylvania Railroad are named as de-
PENDANTS.
In the complaint ms regards finished
products all of tho above are named
as defendants, and in addition, tho
Baltimore and Ohio. the Cleveland,
Cincinnati, Chicago and st. Louis Rail-
way Company, the Pittsburgh. Cincin-
natl Chicago and st. Louis Railway
COMPANY and others.
Trurt- Hustler In Fight
Wade ii. Ellis. former trust buster
OF the administration, Is one Of tho
attorneys in both complaints. Mr..
Ellis. 1t Ia understood, has had sx-
rerts quietly at work compiling sta
tistics and the figures. il is asserted.
VIII show some interesting facts In
regard to tho rates OIL ore and finished
products when compared with the rates
on other commodities OF much creator
value. In the case Of sugar, Il i.
said il will be shown that q carload
lot can be shipped cheaper from New
York to Chicago. for instance. than a
carload or coal. Observation-Disclosures that
the carload or sugar Is many times
| moro valuable than the coal. Attor-
| neys In the case assert that 1t Will be
proved In the proce adines that the
time has arrived for readjustment of
fro ght rates on Love grade con,modl-
ties, and that they have been bearing
an unjust burden for many years.
! Protest IS made against the rates to
numerous points in the United States
OF iron and steel products finished
md semi finished. such as bll'ets. bars,
| hoops, bands. nails. wire, staples wtro
fence. cotton ties and other similar
| articles 4 series of tables was fled
with the complaint contrasting tho
difference In rates and inferentially
charging discrimination against inde.
pendents In favor OF the United States
Steel Corporation.
This complaint sets forth that tho
rates are excessive, unreasonable and
unjust. and In violation OF the pro-
Wis ons of tho act to regulate COM
mercc. and that said rates arc discrImf-
natory and constitute an undue prefer
cnce and advantage TO tho shippers OF
steel products OF other localities over
those of tho said Pittsburgh district
Tho complaint on freight rates on
finished and semi-!lni5hcd producta
adds:
That said rates from Pittsburgh
dlstEiat ta the points namsd MeEs eel