, 1873-07-02
SPECIAL RATES UNDER THE RAILROAD
LAW

an opsorved tendency OF tho now Ratlrohd INV
[s to defoat competition It tonds toward cut
Ting of tho advantages poaaossod by competing /
points, and is intended to givo full play to tho
natural advantages Of ncnrnoss to market, leav-
ing those places which havo less favorable To-
cation to tako caro- Of themselves, Tho COM
plaint TINT oomcs from Springfield, thas tho opo-
ration Of tho now law will cut OF tho coal mines
Of tho eontra1 and southern portions OF tho State
in favor Of the Indiana and Wilmington minos,
Ia oaso in point. In the application Of this Law,
tho railroads mndo up thoir tariffs on common
basin in order to avoid cutting oach others
throats. So long % they Ind tho privilege Of
oach would control tho buainoss naturally
belonging to 1t, independently Of the othors.
Tho policy Of solf-proaorvation undor tho new
Inv, however, suggested uniform action "a the
only practicable mcans Of conforming to it's pro-
Visions. Now TINT tho regular tariffs have boon
constructed, tho question ariscB whether special
ratos nro allowable. Tho 8tase Register rocontly
printed On article Which Ia understood to agree
with tho Railrond Commissioners construction
Of tho law with regard to largo and regular ship
monts. Tho Register held that, as the low OK
pressly limits tho application Of larger ratio for
the creator distance to-" like quantities." chip
porB of largo quantities may lawfully enjoy
special ratoa, and that 1t is only necessary for
tho railroad making such special ratos to
bo ablo to produce evidence Of thoir
roasonabloncBa. Thin is certainly COMMON
sonRo construction Of tho law, and, II tho Rail
road Commissioners adopt It, tho railroads will
undoubtedly avail themselves of tho privilege in
their own mtorost. It would likewise roEiove tho
law Of whnt now threatons serious oppression, II
not determination, Of como Of tho most im-
portant intoresss in tho State.
Tho present hardships Of tho situation may DO
illustrated by tho case Of N1osers Mnthioson l.
ziogley, who manufacture zinc at Lasalle, Iii.
As tho now tariffs have been mado up, their in
duntry would DO attnched in every direction.
They manufacture zinc from what is called tho
"dry bono," or tho refuse material Of the
Abandoned load minos at Mineral Point, which
contains q proportion Of zinc. This material
they have to transport by rail to LaSalle in large
quantities. Thoy have horetofnro enjoyed aspe-
calrato, which Is cut off by the rev tari. Anth1a-
cite coal il also necessary to the smolting pro-
cess, though tho bituminoua coal mined at Ln-
sallo Is used in still larger proportions. Tho
anthracito coal is takon from Chicago to Laaallo
by rail, aud Mosars. Mathieson & Zicglor have
heretofore had special rate on this. Aftcr the
zinc is manufactured, 1t muat be sont to market,
which it flds either by wny Of Chicago or st.
Louis. In either caso, special ratcs on
account Of tho amount Of business furnished
has boon cut OF by tho now thrift as il
stands. The increaao of transportation rates On
the raw material, on Tho lard coal, and On tho
hnished article is 20 larga, IN the aggregate,
tint MoBara. MathioHou d Ziegler would
have to abandon o large share Of their
present business If thoro woro no moana Of pro-
yiding rolicf. Tho Illinois Central Road might
mako special classification for. freight on zinc
II this woro tho only manufactory. But there
aro two zinc furnaces at Laaalle, and one
ut rorn, tho luttor On tho Rock Island
moro zinc than tho Rock Island, 1t could afford
to mako lowor rate. But this would DO cut
ting under, and tho Rock Island might retaliato
by milking separate classification on cartain
articles Of freight in which it Inns tho advantage.
In this way war would DO inaugurated which
would provo injurious to tho intorcsta Of both
roads. Tho only judioious oourse for tho rail-
ronds to pursue, therefore, is to construct their
separate classihcations and special ratos on a
mutual understanding, as they have done in the
caec Of their general tariffs.
It Ia probable TINT tho railroads will adopt this
policy in reference to large and rogular ahippers
Thoro ia evidently nothing in tho law to prohibit
1t. A construction Of tho law which should
exclude this privilege would DO prejudicia1 moi
only to tho interests Of tho railroads and Of The
large shippors but to tho intnrests Of tho oon
munitY III general. AL tho buaineas sacrificed
because special rates are prohibited will have
tho offect'of increasing tho ratoa on the buHluoHt
that romaius. IN incrcase OF business dmlu
iBtos tho ratos, aud utcc ucrsa It Is tho duty o.
tho railroads, therefore, to mako special ratos
OF separate classification for freight trans
ported In large quantities for long distances
ANY doubt as to tho meaning Of the lar
Oh this point should at onoo bo set at rcst b,
tho Railroad Commissioners In their official con
atruoton Of tho law hut, If thoy fail to do this
tho railroads mood have no apprehension, as tht
law now stands In making special rates for large
shipments Or exceptional articles Of freight
whom tloy arc prepared to show thcso specia
rates to bp fair and reasonable.
Tho New York Times, OF recent date, state
TINT many OF tho Italau padroui OF that city
who hold tho llttlo strolling italian minstrels Il
soryitude, having discovered that the Now Yorl
market is'gluttod, layo gone to Chicago to os
tabllBh aa;oncios, md that tho arrivals to COM
during tho noxt two or tAreo wooks aro tlestine