The New York herald., 1873-09-10

his business was TO ''interviewu MN on the
Granger movement and learn his opinion OF Its
probable eject on the great competing railroads.
s'what the devil is thatY'
.The farmers movement out West" responded
.weIl, don't know anything about it. Haven't
at Is movement against the railroad corpora
tons, C9mmodore 20 n%t and should think you would
''But don't. never read one OF their articles
They are down on the railroads, are theyY"
ut seems so. They complain generally OF high
amd e4aC,ing !arns too muca special rafoaa
legislati0n, ana OF various privileges enjoyed Dy
rairoaGs ana used Tor purposes OF extortng Unfair
"Tney do eh?" said the Commodore, knocking
the ashes from his cigar. ''Well, as to
SPECIAL LEGISLATION,
only general railroad laws III be willing to back
lem. Further than that, / don't care what the
devil they do The Central can hold it's own"
meat even II the farmers succeed in all their de-
mandss'
~ might subsist somehow But as to general
railroad legislation, III be willing to do anything
the other railroads have to do. NO special egisa-
ton is my cry we'll as the farmers They have
already specially legisated me into carrying pas
sengers ior Two cents mile when other roads
yous" ''''' ''0'' ''''' '''''''
'Oh. suppose there are reasons. The Lord
you understand. But don't Know anything about
this-what do you call tS-Granger question. You
see DON'T. l can be Of no service to you there,
sir.'
'Then pray tell me If prices have been anected
any by the movement; prices Of transportations"
81 don't know, really The farmers complain Of
charges for local transportation or something or
other OF that sort. But ! hardly ever attend very
closely to railroad matters nowadays. II the
farmers are opposed TO special legislation all right.
THE CENTRAL
can stand anything the other railroads will. Let
that don't care what they do SO, you see, don't
know V, enough q. M h to be OF any service to YOU"
modore: Good morning."
'GoOd morning, SIR"
And 1t being one O'Clock the reporter departed,
leaving the Commodore just knocking the last
ashes of his cigar preparatory to dotng the cares
OF business and repairing to the joys OF lunch and
the afternoon drive.
Views OF MIR. Blanchard, OF Eric.
Mr.. Blanchard Vice President of Erie who ia
the Official authority transportation and tariffs
was found busly engaged at his desk In the paa-
tial Erie ofilces and readily consented to give his
views on the subject, surmising, however, that
they were only his own convictions, by no means
the authoritatlvely expressed views OF the Erie
Board on the subject, and that they were OF neces
sty crude views at best, as the movement had not
matured sufficiently to render the future OF it q
matter of any certainty
''wrTH THE ERIE,n
said he, "the effect can hardly be felt. We have
really all the transportation business that we can
well master. The roads further west which feed
the Erie and, the other competing lines doubtless
Will iee it, and, as We have to bear share OF the
through rates which these roads contract for, we
may feel 1t indirectly here"
"Has 1t been felt at all as yet ~
mo, not at oil by us. Some months ago, in or
der chiefly to get the immense store OF grain
through that has accumulated at the great West
ern depots, we lowered ireights without any refer
bic
But
Low FREIGHTs
do not meet the difficulty, for l have here tele-
81 am from the agent oil our steamer lines across
the lakes, and 1t indicates one q the most remark
Cured; and 1t Will show you, moreover. that low
freights Will not meet the difficulty. This agent
telegraphs that he has contracted to carry from
Chicago, via the lake steamers here, some %, 900
bushels OF wheat, at 80 cents bushels, while all
rail lines charge only 27 cents: This price, you
understand, has been offered by the producers; not
asked tor by Well the inference Is that greater
means of transportation are needed, and 1t indi-
the great development OF the country"
''Ihen more railroads are needed ~
"Undoubtedly. But first
MORE SHIPS
are needed. we cannot carry away the grain
Of Spa ast
| stored There is demand enough for 1t in Europe
and we can carry 1t here, II the merchants want
US TO-"
| the price OF transportation ?"
ali bese se w 81 pp ana demand
| than the Pennsylvania or the Central because we
would lose our customers. At the ssme time We
cannot refuse relght at twenty-nne cents to carry
Irelgnt for farmers ., Certainiy sneTe
sass sns sns Pc no HS psss
e " nn raise sv O1 e %
producers SO much as we cripple ourselvC~ ~. We
same time, n we make the rates so low tina.
bed to up u mes PAY or be
establish new connections, we will run down. lose
our credit, and in the end cripple the people along
the line as well as ourselves.
must be established"
swell, is this happy mean establishedYr
Eyes, subject, OF course, to the law OF supply and
demand which is an immutable law, obeyed readily
by farmer and railroads alike"
"Then what Is
THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF coMpLA1NTYr
"ln Illinois 1t was the difference between through
succeeded in securing law that the tariff for
freights between way stations shall be the same
per mile as the tariff for through reghts. 1t is the
same as asking drygOOds man to sell at tail as
low as he would at wholesale. The result has been
that the railroads being compelled to accede to
the law, have raised through frelghts, thus doing
no good to the way producers and almost crlpplng
the through freights."
''Does this hurt the railroad or the farmer most9
at evidently does the farmer no good and 1t is
likely to hurt the railroads very little-certainly
less than II the way freights mad been reduced ;
the question now raised OF unconstitutIOnality by
reason OF the righS OF Congress to regulate inter
state commerce, Is admitted because railroads
through other States may be compelled to shut of
all freghts into Illinois in consequence
Views OF Mr.. F. e. Thurber.
A HERALD reporter called Mr.. Francis b.
Thurber, OF the firm OF II. X. Thurber & Co., i'm.
porters and general dealers in all kinds Of gro
ceres, to ask his views on the transportation agi
tation. The merchant sat In his saesroom sur.
rounded by customers and clerks discussing goods
and prices while he perused o telegraphic
despatch involving close computation OF figures.
AS he talked with the reporter, his subordlnates
frequently came to him with trade propositions,
which he settled promptly with the air OF one
thoroughly conversant with the details Of busi.
ness embracing wide range Of commodities and
covering great extent OF territory. He required
solicitation or prompting to elicit for the benefit
Of the public hts ideas on this important topic,
which substantially are that the entire country is