The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-03-19
PAID FOR INFLUENCE
COMMERCE eooYs REPORT ON
|. g. Ms GIVING MONEY TO OF.
FIciALS AND LEGISLATORS.
CONTROLS HUNDRED ROADS
Interstate Commerce Commission Tn.
able TO Give Exact Amount of Cash
Which May Have Been Expended In
Political and Publicity Work.

Washington. Feb 27.-The inter
state commerce commission sent TO
the senate it's report on the investiga-
ton OF the finances, rates and practices
of the Louisville & Nashville and al
lied railroads. 1t charged the Louis
Vile & Nashville with acquiring COM
peting lines and with carrying on for
years at cost of millions of dollars
an elaborate political and publicity
campaign 10 eliminate competition and
influence public opinion.
Fer Further l. & NJ. Quiz.
In the report on the Louisville &
Nashville. further inquiry. and If pos
5ible, inspection of the railroads cor
respondence, was said to be necessary
The report was written before the SUI
preme court handed down its opinion
holding that the commission was with
out power to force the company to SUBJ
NIT its correspondence as we'll as its
records and books to scrutiny.
Qualities One Charge.
The commission qualities its declara-
ton that the Louisville & Nashville
has willfully restrained competition by
pointing out that in some instances its
energies were directed to meet the
competition of other large systems.
and passes over the question whether
in all instances the course pursued
was contrary to public interest.
The recital of the alleged political
activities of the roads concerned is
accompanied by little comment. The
commission announces its inability to
set forth all the money which the car
riers may have expended in political
and publicity work, but the items its
investigators discovered, which it has
placed in the report under the head Of
political contributions. run into the
millions
In connection with the Tennessee
Railroad association, formed by car
riers in 1884 to combat adverse legisla
ton in that state. the report is more
specific in it's allegations
Pay Officials and Legislators.
The various payments made on &C.
count OF the Tennessee Railroad as
ISOLATION by the Nashville, Chatta.
nooga e st. Louis railway and the
Louisville e Nashville Railroad com
pany," says the report. were to q
large extent made to state officials
ard legislators of Tennessee, munich
pei officers Of Nashville. politicians
lobbyists and attorneys.
investigation showed that pay
ments made by the Nashville, Chatta
nooga e ST. Louis in this connection
aggregating over $4,000. could be
definitely assigned to persons formerly
or at present holding public Office, but
the total amount paid to such persons
was no doubt much in excess OF this
sum-"
The names of those still holding
public office" were not revealed.
Controls 100 Roads.
The Louisville e Nashville, chiefly
since 1880. according to the report, ha.
acquired controlling interest in more
than one hundred railroad companies
or properties, one of the obvious pur
poses of which has been to restrain
competition.
The report says the S16.000.OO'
shown in the cost of road accounts o
| the Louisville & Nashville does no
represent actual construction costs.