Show pennsylvania OFFICIALS AC committees REPORT CHARGES WERE HOT PROVEN committee says but small pep cent of operators have testified re the distribution of coal cars philadelphia july 2 A preliminary report of the special committee of the board of directors of tho pennsylvania company recently appointed to investigate alleged discrimination in the distribution trib ution of coal cars as revealed at the hearings of the interstate commerce commission was submitted today to the full board of the company after a short discussion the report was unanimously approved the committee after stating that it had been requested to extend its investigation vesti gation to all companies controlled by tho pennsylvania railroad and that it had carefully considered the testimony taken by the interstate commerce commission says that tho testimony showed that of more than operators of bituminous coal mines situated on the lines of the pennsylvania railroad company less than 10 operators in all have testified that they believe themselves to have been unfairly discriminated against alther in the distribution of cars or in the matter of sidings connecting mine workings with tho railroad line fifty one employed Emp loyes examined fifty one of the more than officers and employed emp loyes of the pennsylvania Hall road company the committee says were examined before the interstate commerce commission and of those witnesses twenty one were shown to have acquired in various ways interests in coal companies or properties alleged but not proven to have received undue and unreasonable preferences in the distribution af pf coal cars or in the construction of sidings despite the public impression to the contrary derived from the fragmentary publications of the evidence in the newspapers the testimony of the witnesses examined before the commission does not prove that there have been in fact any undue or unreasonable preferences either in the distribution of coal cars gordn the construction of sidings i the committee has received replies from all officers and employed emp loyes having charge oe the distribution of cars to inquiries by the committees regarding car distribution but until the companies records of the dally movement of cars can be examined the committee v all be unable to know whether alie distribution of cars varied from the rules governing the same expert investigation of the companas comp anys daily reports and other records of car has been undertaken der taken the committee call s attention to many in the distribution of car aarsand sand says of cars there must be a fair system of distribution but whatever be the system there will be inevitably some periods when the demand for cars will exceed the supply of cars because of increased market i prices sometimes by strikes in other territories or some times by industrial development under such conditions priority must be given first to shippers who furnish coal to the companies engaged and next to those whose fulfillment fill ment of contracts will keep other railroads in operation prevent municipalities pali ties from being left in darkness or enable steamships to sail etc it is not to be assumed without proof that any special order was issued by any officer from any improper motive on the contrary the reasonable presumption is that every order was issued only because of a sufficient business necessity the report says that the question of privately owned coal cars is not a new question not one which admits of an offhand off hand solution the greater portion of the coal tonnage of england is moved today in privately owned cars the use of such cars on the pennsyl vanla lines is not peculiar to a few favored shippers they have been used from the beginning of coal transportation por tation must be impartial the report emphasizes the statement that investigation will be made of every report of failure in the performance for mance of his duty of an officer or employed of the company or the performance for mance by the company of its duties to the public anat its conclusions will be reported to the president of the company in the confident assurance that every officer or employed found to have failed in the performance of his duty will be properly dealt with the report in conclusion says that in its early the great problem for the company was development of industrial enterprises in its territory and officers and employed emp loyes were encouraged cou raged to invest in those enterprises as otherwise it would have been difficult to induce other people to invest today the problem is to pro vide adequate facilities or the business of the country under tho conditions of today says the report it Is essential ahat all officers and em aloyes should be absolutely free to discharge their duties impartially applying this to the coal trade as an illustration the keen competition of today requires every officer and employed of the pennsylvania railroad company to part with any in vestments he has in the shares he has in any coal producing company and also to part with any interest which he has in or with any firm or individual mining coal on any of the lines of the pennsylvania railroad system and every officer and employed should be required to refrain from any investments whatsoever which any possibly prejudice or effect the interests of the company or interfere companas comp anys full discharge of its duty to the public |