Evening star., 1960-01-07
JuTChOsen
In $50 Million
Trucker Suit
C-S THE EVENING STAR
~ Washington, D. c.
ThUrSdoy, JonUoFy 7, 1850
BY CARL IRVING
star sian Writer


mony in a $50 million case
aware that theywill be listen
ing for more than half a year.
A Kansas City trucker is
suing % railroads, four railroad
associations and a public rela-
tionS firm, claiming they con-
spired to run him out of
business.
The bitterly contested case is
expected to amaSs large VOL
umeS of arguments and testi-
mony and Judge John j. Sirica
made clear he expected it to
continue on this summer. The
case, which involves 43 lawyers,
may become the longest ever to
be. tried here.
The II jurors and two sub
stituteS we're picked near the
end of the second day, yester-
day, to the surprise of court
officials. They had expected a
much longer search for jurors
willing to spend so much time
on a case.
Takes Unusual Step
Because of the expected
length of the case, Judge Sirica
took an unusual step and sum-
married what he considered the
main arguments between the
plaintiff, Riss and Co., and de-
PENDANTS.
Riss, a firm which operates
in % States and the District
with more than 800 trucks and
more than 1000 employees, con-
tends that nine years ago the
defendants set out to destroy
its business. 1t claims the rail-
road is trying to monopolize in
terstate transportation by har-
aSsing it in different ways.
RisS claims that the railroad
solicited, with the aid of front
organizations" such as citizens
groups and auto clubs, officials
at State, county and community
levels to pass laws which hurt
the trucking firm.
A false" publicity campaign
was used to turn the Interstate
Commerce Commission proceed
ngs against the firm, Riss al
leges. AS a result Of this, Riss
contends it suffered loss Of rep
Wation, impaired operations.
and had to spend large sums of
money to fight the alleged har-
aSsment.
RisS also contends the rail-
roads conspired to reduce rates
for the transportation Of ex-
plosives in 1855 to exclude RiSs.
The defendants answer that
the new rates were adopted
without conspiracy at the re-
quest of the Defense Depart
ment after approval by the ICC.
The railroads allege that
RisS violated transportation
laws with unsafe and made
quate operations, disregarding
the safety and welfare of 9TH
ers on the highways and in
communities, thus prompting
laws to regulate the trucking
operations.
The defendants contend they
we're doing a legitimate service
by publicizing RiSS' alleged vio-
lationS Of the law because the
publicity was beneficial to the
public.
Some Of the railroads have
countered that Riss began a
campaign of unfair competi-
tive practices. with false state
ments about railroad trans
portation, that has caused a
loss of business on some West
ern railroads.
A counterclaim Of some of
the roads charges that Riss
conspired with other trucking
firms to injure the railroads
by seeking to monopolize inter-
state commerce transportation
with fixed rates.
Defendants Listed
The defendants from whom
Riss seeks $50 million are the
Association of American Rail-
roads, the Association of West
ern Railways, the Traffic Ex-
ecutive Association of Eastern
Railroads, the Eastern Rail-
roads Presidents Conference,
Carl Byoir & Associates, At
lantic Coast Line Railroad Co..
the Atchison. Topeka g. Santa
Fe Railway Co.: the Baltimore
& Ohio Railroad Co., the
Chesapeake & Ohio Railway
Co., Chicago, Burlington g.
Quincy Railroad Co.; Chicago.
Milwaukee. st. Paul & Pacific
Railroad Co.; Chicago g. North
western Railway Co.
ALSO, Chicago, Rock Island &
Pacific Railroad Co., Erie Rail-
road Co., Great Northern Rail-
way Co., Illinois Central Rail-
road Co., Missouri Kansas
Texas Railroad Co., Missouri
Pacific Railroad Co., New York
Central Railroad Co., Northern
Pacific Railway Co., the Penn
Sylvania Railroad Co., St.
Louis-San Francisco Railway
Co., Southern Pacific Co., Union
Pacific Railroad Co., Wabash
Railroad Co., Minneapolis-St.
Paul & Sault ste. Marie Rail-
road Co, Southern Railway Co.,
and Seaboard Air Line Railroad