People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 January 1895 — RAILROADS POOLING. [ARTICLE]

RAILROADS POOLING.

Leaving it to the Discretion of the Commission. The interstate commerce act prohibits pooling (a division of earnings) by railroad companies. The bill passed by the house last week authorizes pooling, provided the contract is reduced to writing, filed with the interstate commerce commission and the commission does not disapprove it. The pool goes into effect twenty days after filing contract. The commission may, after a pool goes into effect, modify the pooling arrangement or cancel it. The bill allows any company to apply to a United States Circuit court to test the leasonableness of the commission's rulings and the court may approve the pool notwithstanding the commission disapproves it. T e patrons of the road and communities affected by the pool are not given a like right to have the commission's rulings passed upon by a court. Pending litigation on the subject and appeals to the United States Supreme court, the commission's orders are in force. When a railroad goes into a pooling contract it can’t get out of it exeep' upon an order from the commission or the court. Pooling means no competition Where there are several companies pulling for the same trade there i: competition, rate cutting, etc. Tinpresent law prohibiting pooling is no doubt directly violated, but the com panies will not be honest with each other and will violate their agreements, and by all manner of scheming each road will get as much traffic for itself as possible. The pending bill compels the com panies, when they agree to skin the public and divide the spoils, to stuff to the agreement. While t'he rate fixed in the pooling contracts must be reasonable in the eyes of the commission, that body is considerable of ; railroad auxiliary and will not likelj consider any rates unreasonable thal failed to yield interest on waterer bonds and dividends on stock that i: all water.—Missouri World.