Show GOING AGAINST GIANT MONOPOLY Interstate Commission to In Investigate Investigate Investigate Methods of Ham Company COMPETITION IS STIFLED CHARGES IN THE BILL OF COM COMPLAINT COMPLAINT V PLAINT Washington June 10 The interstate commerce commission to ay decided to institute a proceeding of or Inquiry and in investigation into the affairs of ot the Ham HambUrg bUrg Packet company com pan which is charged by Peter Wright Sons general agents at Philadelphia of or the Cosmopoli Cosmopolitan tan Shipping company compan and the Cosmopolitan itan ian lines with wih pooling and maintaining monopolies monopole in restraint of ot trade The in inquiry inquiry is expected to be one of the most stupendous ever undertaken and of a character different from any an that ever before has engaged the attention of the commission The hc inquiry will 1 have to deal with an alleged combination between railroads in inthe inthe inthe the United States and the German shin ping concern and therefore Interests every ever American producer manufacturer or shipper aspiring to introduce his hi goods to foreign consumers Complete Monopoly According to the tile complaint on which ac action acton action tion ton was taken token by b the commission the tho Packet company has ha built bui up a complete monopoly of or the thc east eastbound eastbound bound traffic originating in Chicago St StLouis St StLouis Louis Kansas City Omaha Minneapolis Duluth Cleveland and other manufacturing manufacturing turing centers of or the United States In Intended InI Intended I tended tende for interior ports or places on the continent of Europe The he complaint re reviews r reviews I views what It 1 claims to be unfair methods in n stifling competition I The e Cosmopolitan Shipping company com pan of Philadelphia which figures ft ures as the com corn complainant complainant operates lines to Rotterdam Leith and Copenhagen The charges al allege allege lege legI that an ironclad trust in transAtlantic transAtlantic lantic freight carrying c exists exist between the Packet company the th North ican lean line and thi th Wilson Vilson lson Hull huh lne and lne Hul that this pool apportions the volume c II f traffic each of its members shall carry and from what port or orts each line lne shall make its sailings thus involving the apportionment of or traffic originating in western cities both as a to character and amount between the cities of the north Atlantic An International Int Question Queston In charging that the can Packet company in its Is almost absolute absolute lute control of eastbound and westbound traffic between interior points of the United States and Hamburg is a monopoly in restraint of o trade the complaining company compan raises rises an international question The allegation is made that foreign cor corporations corporations backed by b the German Gennan govern government government ment meat dictates terms routes rutes and rates to shippers all al over the United States who forward forrd goods to Baltic ports diverts to and from American ports at its It own will wi without regard to the natural flow of trade and uses use coercive and unlawful methods to crush competition The statement filed tied by Peter Wright Sons says s s the tha Cosmopolitan freight ser services vices vie have no desire to suppress legitimate competition and adds We Ve therefore do not seek to t have ameliorated any of the conditions which I fair competition may impose We e do bs be b bleI behoVe hoVe leI however that peeling oln combinations and intimidations the latter in certain instances approaching blackmail even een un under under under der the semblance of competition are not legitimate forms forme df of competition Pooling combinations and intimidations in their worst wort forms have been encountered re recently rec recently c nty by the Cosmopolitan services These are arc the unlawful conditions mas mae masquerading masquerading under the guise of or competition which it I is our purpose purpose to endeavor to before your our honorable commission in a concise and chronological form Charges Summed Up The charges are summed up as follows First That the Packet Pack t company is a monopoly in re restraint restraint restraint of trade exercising through its Is contracts the power to control traffic both eastbound and westbound between Hamburg and interior cities in the United States State and to determine rates and routes of such traffic Second That th Baltic pool of which the Packet company compan is the controlling factor is a combine in restraint of ot trade dictating the percentages of or traffic from interior inter o cities cites of the United States State to Baltic ports which shall flow fow through each of the north Atlantic ports mentioned to the end that each of the lines composing the pool may ma receive its ts allotted proportion of the business and no more I I Four other charges arc made as fol follows follows follows lows That the effect ef ct of the differentials which place American ports pers on an equal equality equality ity iy is nullified by b the pools pools arbitrary arbitral di division division division vision of o the traffic that the acts act corn com complained of are in violation of the laws of or the United States State that efforts to rehabilitate tate the tho American merchant marine marino are arc hampered and rendered abortive by this monopoly and finally that tIt there theft is little use In efforts for the benefit of American shipping if at the same time we w allow alo our present laws to be violated by an unscrupulous foreign corporation in its is effort to suppress American competition on land and sea Rebate Form of Contracts In connection with the tho complaint the Cosmopolitan line lne submitted copies of the combines rebate form for of contracts and it itis Itis itis is alleged that these show that shippers shipper are bribed and squeezed to them to submit to the monopoly Tt it 1 Is charged that the tIl Packet com compans pans monopoly begins with the stat owned railroads in Germany German which give gin the corporation rebates and that the com corn company compan pany pan forces all al European shippers to sign an ironclad contract providing for liberal rebates in return for exclusive shipments by its Jines Jines It I is Js charged that Uit under th existing contract which European ship shippers shippers shippers pers have to sign they must ship ev ever every ry pound of or freight frel ht for Boston New York Philadelphia Baltimore Norfolk and Newport News by trust trus lines lne whether they go through German Gennan Belgian or Dutch ports or the routing of which can cn be in any an way controlled d by b the mer merchant merchant merchant chant Further it I is I charged that the merchant who ships one consignment by byan b ban byan an independent line lne cannot ship any at all al by a line lne in the combination The complaint on which the Interstate commerce commission acted alleges that when the Cosmopolitan established its service last lat year the combine demanded its withdrawal The Cosmopolitan refused and it is de declared dared cared that an nn attempt was then made male to drive the line lne from the field and it I is be because because because cause of this attempt that an appeal was made to the interstate Intestate commerce commis commission commission commission sion for an investigation |