, 1873-04-01
TIE RAILROADS AND THE TRADE OF
rHIHAHn

CHICAGO.
There Ia well-founded apprehension that II tho
Donahuo Railroad bill becomes law, as it ia
likely to become, its enforcement will seriously
afroct the trade Of Chicago. Tho point which
this bill covers moro completely than any other
Ia that Of discrimination On accoent OF COM
poting lncs. Under tho Donahuo bill this will
no longer bo possible. Tho Supreme Court de-
cision holds that competition alono will not
justify diacriminative ratos,-that iB, the CHI
cago, Burlington L Quincy Railroad, for instance,
may not charge u less ratio from Quincy to Chi
cago than from nearer station simply because
it finds competition in business at Quincy. This
feature Of the decision is embodied in tho Dona-
huo bill in tho strongest possible terms. The bill
makes it pn:ima Jacie evidence Of unjust discr1m-
ination and oxtortion for any railroad to chnrge
the Bame or larger ratio for tile transportation
Of the same amount Of goods for shorter dis
tance than another distance for which like or
loBa rate is o1actod. Tho effect Of this clauso
will inevitably be to break down tho competitive
ratos between Chicago and junction points. At
tho Same tlmo, the low rites On tho competing
roads, Which arc mainly under the Jurisdiction
Of other statos, will DO retained.
Tho effect Of thia upon Chicago trado is OBJ
vious. Tho stations on tho Chicago railroads
that have direct communication by rail or water
with other largo markets. will undoubtedly avail
thcmaolyes Of tie lower rates Of freight which
will bo offered them, and will transfer thoir bust
nau from G1tinnftr rf,r TINT }Gan mn
Of Bloomington. At Bloomington, the Chicago
l. Alton Road is crossed by tho Toledo, Peoria
l. Warsaw Road, and tho inhabitants of TINT
town will, Of courae, patronize Toledo Whenever
the st. Louis / Alton Ia Inhibited from carry
ing their property to and from Chicago at hs low
rates as it can DO transported to and from To-
1edo. Tho samo will DO true Of all the junction
stations Oh tho Burlington l. Quincy, St. Louis
l. Alton, 1llinois Central, and Rock Island Roads,
when another market OF about tho game ailya1.-
cago. More or less of tho Chicago trade will
thus DO lost, unloBa aome Offset eau be dis
covered. How much Of 1t will be sacrificed will
dopond altogether upon tho enterprise of
our Chicago merchants In affording bottcr fa-
cilities and greater attractions for thia trade
from junction points than tho other cities can
offer over at lower rates Of transportation.
Tho question is: Should tho possible disad-
yautago to Chicago exert an influence agaiust
tho Donahue bill? The answor is: Decidedly
not. Chicago must stand on Its own mcrita. It
will retain all OF the trade which Ia naturally
tributary to 1t. It may bo ablo by fair meana to
acquire other trado that would naturally 20 to
Toledo, Or st. Louis, or Cincinnati. But it has
/ no right to domnnd that undue or unfair means
should be employed for it's exclusive benefit. It
has no right to demand that small towns should
be injured and their business prostratod In ordor
that 1t may control trade. That thiH
! has boon the result Of unjust dis
| elimination in Massachusetts haa boon
Clearly shown by Mr. Charles Francis
Adams, Jr., III his railroad reports. Capitalists
have aometimea been forced to abandon their
works and remove their factories to othorpointa
communities Of laboring people have boen
broken up, md great loBs and suffering Aavo
ensued by reaBon Of unjust discrimination IL,
freight charges. The same general result would
bo felt in the WoB II tho practice should 10 tol-
Grated for any length ct time. Tho eventual