The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-05-05
JOB PRINTING
SPEECH OF C. B. BROCKWAY,
March Goth ISL. before the Judiciary Committee II
The matter Of the Alleged Charges of Exorbitnn
Rates of Freight, by certain Railroads.

question, | do so without the advantage
of having been able TO see u single lin,
Of the testimony, or single document
put In evidence.
While 1t Is a frequent practice fol
counsel to eXaggerate the importance oi
their case in order to attract to il unusu
al attention, no such necessity exists In
the present instance. The fact that $300,.
100000 of capital has combined to dc
str0y an organization numbering &c, ,00C
men-the fact that for weeks these halls
have been crowded with railroad presi
dents and suporintendents-w noted
millionarleS and their satelites-with
hundreds Of brawny and mlne-marked
laborcrS - with Representatives from
labor associations numbering in this
state over 10000 men the further fact
that for months but few tons ofanthra.
cite coal have been shipped, and that by
an unprecedented raise of freight on the
coal carrying roads, miners could not
resume - furnaces and factories have
been obliged TO stop or pay the unlawful
rates, and millions of people deprived
in midwinter of an article of prime ne.
cessity,-proves the Importance of our
cause without argument.
so great has been the cry of the people
so loud the demands of the Press that
the legal right of these carrying compa-
MES to charge their present rates OF
freight should be examined, that at last
this branch of the Legislature undertook
the task, and your Honorable Committe
has been engaged in the investigation
since March Sth, instant.
Without wishing to be prolix, Gentle
mon, permit me briefly to recall to yout
minds the manner in which this ques.
tiOn came before you. On the 9th of
February last the following preamble
and resolution was offered by Senator
Turner of Luzerne, and adopted:
"WHEREAs,C Cheap fuel and cheap food
are essential to the progress and well
being of the State And 'ohere0S, Cheap
frcights are essential to cheap fuel and
cheap food /; And Where0s, Further, some
of the railroads created by the State
mainly for carrying the anthracite coal
of Pennsylvania to market have ad-
vanced freights so that the cost of coal
is doubled to the consumer, and the
public threatened with the total loss OF
this indispensable article therefore,
Reset tred, That the Governor be and
he is hereby requested TO procure from
the Attorney General of tho Common
wealth and furnish TO this body, at the
earliest possible moment, an opinion
upon the power Of railroad companies to
InpDoc SuNii ldttS VI IlCIShl.
As the resolution demanded haste, the
distinguished Attorney Gohcral wrote Il
report on the following day in which
he stated
"When the wrong referred in the Sen
ate resolution is perpetrated by single
corporation whose charter is dated sub.
sequcnt to 1888, the Legislature can ex-
ercise its power. Whcn two or more
companies conspire to oppreSs the pnb-
lie the officers are indictNhle.
The Governor also volunteered mes.
sage, which, with the opinion of the
Attorney General was transmitted to the
Senate on the 2Sth ult. In it he uses the
following pointed language:
"Ahout the middle OF the present
month an arrangement was effected un-
der which the work Was resumed. After
- few days labor the miners were in.
formed by the operators that the trans.
pOrtatiOn companies had largely increaS.
cd their charges for frnight-in some
instances more than doubled them-in
consequence ofwhich the mining was
again suspended and so continued. The
results are that little or no coal is being
mined or forwarded to market; miners
and laboreys are out Unemployment; the
supply of coal on hand is becoming
rapidly exhausted; fOrges, furnaces and
other manufacturers, which use the coal
for fuel, have been compelled to stop,
throwing large numbers of laborerS out
Of employment to the great loss and
damage of all concerned, to the great
injury of our people, and the generul
prostratlon and arrangement ofall those
important Interests connected with coal
operations. These things ought not 50
to be; and it is considered both the right
and the duty of the Legislature to apply
the proper remedy and arrest the evil"
the message closes with the following
statements
"Time will not allow further investi.
cations; but there is no doubt an eX'
animation of the charters of Other
companies engaged in the transporta
ton of anthracite coal, would show
substantially the same limitations upon
their powers to charge freights, and
similar reservations of power to the
Legislature to regulate the charges, re
sumo the corporate franchise, repeal the
charters, or take the roads for publicuse
by the existing condition of things
miners and laborers, and those depend.
eht upon them, are greatly injured
large classes of our manufacturers arc
crippled in their business, or compelled
wholly to suspend, for want of fuel
coal is vastly increased in price, beyond
the capacity OF the poor TO purchase
even the common nGcessarieS of life
commerce, and other important depend.
AMI Interests are paralyzed and theg good
name Of the State has been made to suf
fer reproach. Chartered privileges were
never granted, or designed to bring
about such results as these and if, n.
represented, the corporations have mis-
used or abused their privileges, or acted
in this matter without authority of law
and thereby entailed upon us these man
ifold evils, public duty, justice and hu
manity, alike appeal to the Legislature
for adequate and speedy redress and il
is earnestly hoped and expected the
appeal will not be made in vainn
Upon the reading of this message ant
the opinion of the Attorney General
Senator Turner offered the following
"ReSo(red, That the message of tht
Governor and opinion of the Attorne,
General on the subject of the power o
railroad companies in relation to freight
charged on their roads be referred to tn,
Committee ON the judiciary General
with instructions to report by bill o
otherwise.
After some discussion the resolution
was modined SO rs to read as follows:
HeSOtced, That the message of tn
Governor, with the opinion of the AT
torney General as to the power of rail
road companies to impose exorbitan
freights on anthracite coal, be referre,
to the General Judiciary Committee
with power to send for persons and M
pers, and report TO the Senate by bili n
otherwise as speedily as possibie.u -
Senator Davis moved to amend n
adding the following:
"And to ascertain if fair and reason
able compromise cannot be effected bt
tween the conflicting interests in tn
anthracite coal region"
To this Senator Turner objected fc
the reason that ID "Vouid be q Httle il
congruOus. / think IL aOould6 be ahO0et
er useless. The resolution refers meySIy
eror0itdnt rates charged by the conan
MES, and refers TO no conflict 6et,Ueen b
carrying c0mpalies and tie operat0r
nor detween Me miners and currvi,
companies"
The amendment was not adopted, an
hence our complaint as to the scoI
tYaxV