The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-07-07
RAILROAD fREreHTs.

Weekly of this week will be found circu-
lar from the Railroad and Warehouse
Commissioners, explanatory Of certain
doubts that have arisen under the new
railroad law of this State The commits
sioners begin by calling the attention OF the
railroads to the language OF the act IN that
il forbids extortion as well as unjust dis
elimination. They then recite the ques-
tons that have been propounded as to the
construction of the law, and proceed to
answer them. The points which their
answers establish are, briefly, these: |.
The law applies to freights coming IN and
going out of the state the same as to local
| frejghts. 2. Railroads may make special
rates to shippers who handle large quaint
ties 8. When two or more roads owned
by separate companies are connected so as
to form continuous line, the same rate
may be charged as if one road owned the
entire line. 4. 1t is competent Tor rail-
roads to issue excursion, communication,
and thousand.miles tickets.
The railroads, in preparing their new
freight schedules, put different construc
ton on the provision containing the words
like quantities, and insist that no COM
mutation in favor of heavy and regular
shippers is permissible, only, perhaps, on
certain quantities of coal, mined on the
company lines The object of this
stringent construction of the law by the
railroads is apparent. 1t is done, doubtless,
as are many other things BY them in re
gard TO the new law, to make 1t odlous
with the people, in order to create opposl-
ton, and ultimately secure the repeal OF
the law. The Illinois Central, and other
railroads, propose to commute on the
article of coal mined along the com
l pany's lines. Now. if they make special
r. rates for 500 tons of coal to regular ship
) pers, under the law, they can for less and
like quantities. All that is necessary
for them TO be sustained, in court, is to be
i prepared to furnish good and sufficient
!, reason for such rates.
# The railroad and warehouse commission
c ers have given this very important poln
e long and careful consideration, consulting
a the attorney general and other legal mind
It and have determined that the proper anC
S legal construction of this clause of the Law
" permits railroads 10 make special rates TO
e carryiHg freights 10 henry and regHLa
J. shippers. This action of the commission
ers is commendable and proper, and vii
check any opposition to the law which tn
> railroads may en6eavOr to manufacture OF
this point.
Gov. Palmer, in his Fourth of Jul
Il, speech, at Springfield, said;
III THE last Legislature enacted law fd
lie the government of railroads in this State
N which is monument OF the reasonablenes
Pc and patience of the people. 1t merely de
elares that the railroads shall not charg
3 for their services more than fair an
ir reasonable rate that they shall make n
" unjust discrimination in their charges fC
II. any kind of service that to charge grea
er sum for services rendered to one persu
ai than is charged to another for greater Sc
IN vices, shall be presumptive evidence of el
" tOrtion and the whole law merely ASSUME
10 that the relation of the railroads and the
a customers shall hereafter exist and contii
" ne lpon the footing of equality and justic,
and that like services shall be presumed {
be be worthy like compensation. regr,
TO be compelled TO say that the railroa
ch managers have as yet shown no dispositiC
an TO accept this law in the just spirit in whiC
an it was enacted. On the contrary they hay
NJ, found in Its passage new pretext for e.
t0rtIOn.
lu They assume in the first place tn
so they must have 10 per cent net profit t
de the nominal capital invested in their road
,;s and the large sums furnished to them |
the people is part of the aggregate up,
nS which the same people are required To .;
he them the interest. Such a claim is mo
in unreasonable. Their capital was investC
n in railroads, subject to the fluctuations al
casualties Of business, and that is all tn
nc will be conceded to them. They must al
submit the cost and methods of their ma
agement to the scrutiny of the juries of ii
State, and must account for all unnecessa,
lr- expenses incurred in efforts to countera
II rivals, or to force business into unwillil
ON channels. In their pretended obedience
:" law, it is manifest they are merely acting
III part, intended to test the frmness of t
he people
nd They no longer discriminate they sa
az They now apply the knife to the root
:: every branch of industry. / have Sc
40 the proposed tariffs of many of the road
lst and they are avowals of distinct purpo
Tor TO crush out every interest with the utmc
ad impartiality. Theyintend to compel the ne
ID. LEGISLATURE to repeal the railroad law
:. last winter; they mean to make war up
loO every effort to curb them, and to use t
let people as the agents of their own undoine
lis ---=---
! Summer drawers summer uudershir
vi white and fancy shirts. at A T,oah's :