, 1873-01-01
THE MERoHANTg FREIGHT UNION.

declaration OF their purpose "to use overy
meanu to tlispcrso and abolish, theso freight
uniona and associations. They further declared
TINT tloy would not, under any circumstances,
give to such organizations Of merchants any
rateH for freight but tho regular printed tariffs
agreed to by all tho railroad agents. That robatos
or othor allowances given toporsons not members
Of Buch union Of merchants shalt not DO given
under any circumstances to any mombor Of such
union. This formal declaration Of war ia Hgnod
by tho Genorat Freight Agents. and by tho man,
agers Of tho Fast Freight, Dospatch Transporta-
tion, aud "colorod " lines, rs follows:
j. Rutter, Now York Contra1 4: Hudson River
Railroad: G. Il. blanchard, Eric 1sat1road; 8. ..
Kingston, Pennsylvania Railroad Addison Hills, L.
s. Il N. s. n.y.; John u. Carson, r., " i " n.y.;
1acicn Hills, G., c. G. h I. R'y.; II. ". Ilbbard, Vhn-
daa Limo; a. L. schraeder, =. G. II. r.; j. H. o.
born, 4. g. ". n.y.; II. O. 1Inman J. II. l. I. II. H.
". Duncan. Q. {. n. R'y II. @. Diohl. l. q. ". n'y
f. II. Waldron, supt. U. L. h G. Il. r.; John cramp-
ton, trcat Western Hallway of Canada; John O.
Noyea, I. +. st. L. II, It.; H. II. Smith, l.. Il NJ anil E.
s. 1: n. g. H. 1sa.; Gcorgo Dar'i1g General Manager
'Whito Line !" n. g. Tilaa, General Manager Great
Western Despatch Company; o. .. Skinner, General
Manager Merehnuts' Despatch transportation Conl-
pany d. +. Smith, General Manager Red Linz : ].
". Smith, docra! Manager Eric 4 North Shore Line
J. D. Hayes, dencral Manager Dl1lo Limo.
It will be acon that this combination includos
every trunk railway from Chicago to tho East,
except the Baltimore l. Ohio Nairoad an! It
includes all tho foolored " lines and trnnBporta-
ton companies. 4 subsequent meeting, held
| In New York on tho 18th Of December, hns rati-
1 G,t1 H., TyrH.1
| orders have boon ssucd to enforce this combine
tion !" to disporso mud abolish tho unions OF
merchants.
This proceeding proyo!tos the inquiry, What
constitutes an honost and legitimate ratio OF
freight, aud also who receive the tux collected
OF shippers for freight ovor railroads? In other
words, whom man pays 800 freight chargoe
| for tho transportation of merchandise, to whom
docs tho money go, ind for what iH 1t paid
Tho annual atatomenta by railroad companies Of
their groaa receipts for tho trans
portation Of merchandise, and Of OK
penditurcs thereon, do not toll tfIs
wl4o1o story; they artfu1ly conceal the
fact that tho public is robbed. and the stock
holders arc robbed of cortain percentage OF tlit
money paid for froightB; mud 1t is notorio'sf
that tho money thus taken ia divided among
mon who perform tic executive duties of tht
railway companies.
An illustration Of this is furnished by tht
coutso Of proceeding oyor ono Of theao trunl
railways, which may DO described thus: ship
merchandise from Chicago conBigned to Z il
En- Eastern city. Tho car goes diroct to ita dos
tination; but on tho books Of tho company til
merchandise in consigned TO "Z l. Co.." a
somo intermediate station. z & Ga
aro q myth; they haudlo and receiy
and forward nothing; but included in til
rates Of freight collected Of tho shipper or con
signco Ia commission of to 3 per cent paid t
q &; Co. In tho courao of q year, tho comtnia
sions thus credited to z l. Co. amount, gay, t
$4,000 z tb Co. hayo q treasurer who RI
ceiycs 900 yoar salary and Lis pri,lcipa,
ir not solo, businoaB is to divide tho $780, 00f
For this 100000 z l. Co. perform no soryics
mako no expenditure, have no capitnl Thing
lavo ronchcd tho point that tho only monns c
occurring transportation for merchandise is
employ aomo "coIored" Or other transportatio
company. Applicants for transportation goncl
ally find that to got dozen cars, Or oven on
car, they must 60 to tho Office Of ono Of theF
private companies, which afono aoo
to havo any cars or other facilitit
for transportation. Shippers, therefor
aro frequently unable to aond morchandit
over railroad unless they employ sono pr
vatc corporation, or outside organization, to lie
!, tho railway constructed for tho uaoB Of Il
publIo. Tho "Yollow limo doea not work will
out prot1t, ind ovory cent that sucl line rocniv
for freight, oyor and above what 1t pays Il
, railrond company, is 80 much money takon il
. properly from the public or tho company. 1t
commonly beloved TINT these colorol lines q
4 owned by officers Of the railway companies, b.
n upon this point we l,ayo no knowledge. I'll
n only thing certain about it IT, that mysterio'
! organization, known, for instance, aa tho 20
Grcon limo, stands between the shipper and Il
railway company. They hire Of Il
a railroad company 1000 OF Its froig
y cars. at q poininal ront; thoy ent
i into contract with tho rai}road company
a which tllo lattor agreos to furnish brhkom
l. and motive powor to haul those cars, at Civ
d sum por cur from Chicago to Now York,
Whatever tho Eastern terminus mny be. An a
j. picant for transportation is told by tho Gonel
" Freight Agent that lo iB short Of cars, and !
~ fors him to the manager Of tho Pea Groom. 7
L manager Of tho poa-0reen furnishes all tho OF
y that arc needed. It has beon estimated tlat,
It tho lowost, 10 por cont Of tho gross payment
ly troigh. is paid in tho way OF bonus or dyid
d among thoHo parasitic organizations for no Ii
10 yioo that ought not to ho performed by tho RI
70 ways directly. Why capnot q trunk railway fr
o. Chicago to Now York Or Philadelphia do lts o
O. freight businoaa2 Why oannot 1t have rolll
q, stock OF Its own, upon its Own road, to perfo
Of tho business now done through tho lntormo
IN ato Agency Of tho rainbow limos Wo unl