, 1874-01-07

'AY, JANUARY 7, 1874.
law, ~ the rates 1t axes nro not Absolute but may
: re!ee,ed by jurln and judges.
seems to Lave been seoptns for soma such sener:
| in tho North American Rerftr for January, 1s7
M and n sTe 5tns wh o
parts Of the article those portions that bear NOR
directly upon this subject, and with this extract 1eav
The consideration ct what has been done, and whu
probably can be done, under this act for the pre-
ven1on Of unjust discrimination and extorion trust
Ing that The law nay he permitted to stand until Al
u1ous whole, Tan be fairly tested BY practical e1
perience.
the Illinois Legislature undertake to deal othe,wis
than Ey general laws with the iunumerabia discretion
questions involved In every railroad system, then
in 40 far tho present discussion is concerned thu
new Constitution ia pfedestined failure. Should It
however, carry on the work In intelligent spirit
CO. creaso IN able and experienced tribunal
| between tho community and its railroads should Il
hs an ns, 1 10 ~ y 9e H.,
ry left somewhere, in the application Of general uws
10 monopoes; should declare It's decisions fual OF
law by consti.utjonaI ri Tght should It then tie steTn1
refer Its railroad corpora ions TO this tribunal and hd
tn whoy from as oo 9a aer
all this is done, and not until that time, shau we know
whether anything ia TO result from the Illinois expert
ueul AAe HAoio CuuAA1J CA4A44ot QOh "atEu ~ Will
eager curiosity. It is the alternative, with State
ownership as The other. The national question is
penaine The whole Of t!at legislation on which
| initiated. It may well depend upon the ex-
pertinent in Illinois whether this, too ot which all
might now le hoped, Is not 10 wallow into the slough
Of special Ieg.atiou. It has many times been tue
brink Of dung. Should this happen, the ma
chine is too cubrous and The interests involved too
enormous for to extricata ourselves. Il Is In
this regard in its bearing tho al problem, that
each experiment now assumes its value Out Of many
present. must eservedy attract the greatest degree Of
attention That great State Inns first recognized in her
Constitution the magnitude and exceptional nature OF
the problem. Under that Constitution she should not
fail 10 be the FIRST seriously and houghuly, perhaps
successfully. to grapple with it,"
| PREPARATION OF THE scuEpuLEs And CLASSIFICATION
! OF FREIGHT.
The work OF preparing the schedules directed by
The eighth section Ut the act OF May 2, 1915, for the
railroad corporations doing business in this SAFE,
together with classification Of freight. explanatory
AMI forming part OF each OF the schedules to Le
prepared W the Commissioners, VISA commenced
e4ry IN the month q August list with The intention
to afford members Of the adjourned eeagiou Of the
General Assembly, before they convene IN January
examine the Sane.
The Commissioners, impressed with the magnitude
and importance OF the undertaking, entering rs we
upon track tlcn unbeatep, aud an1tous &C.
the greatest accuracy possible in schedules
INDUCED tile hope that by thus submitting them, surh
suggestions aud cri is,ns would be called forth as
would lead to the makiu8 Of any NEEDED changes and
to tile correction OF thai might have existed
In tie tariffs and classification At tho time If puhca
ton.
Suggestions OF value from the sources mentioned
have received oi which shall avail ourselves
rected schedules and classification OF freight to bo
completed End published in i supplemental tsriF
sembiy
The chief raluc Of schednle, such as we are now
considering, is the s<ss u IT. rates. To this poiut,
therefore cur laGors lave Lecn tainiy Directed 20
by us likely to aid III arriving at correct conclusions
bearing upon the snbje't Of reasonable maximum
rates for the organized railroads Of the State.
full comparison Of the published tariIs Of the railroad
conpanies Of this and many other States made,
with The view to determine III what particulars ther
agreed or differed when compared with each other.
Ne will not attempt here to exhibit III detail the uif-
ferences that found to exist, amongst
having very muSh the s1me characteristics. 1t
may be mentioned, however, that differences wide
apart, and difficult If explanation. were found by
III this connection. th4, with the tariffs Of most Of the
Principal roads Of the country before use, prepared by
the General Freight Agents u the various roads sa<
III work Of this find-it seemed that valuable pur-
pose wouiA le accomplished by inviting them (hs
General Freight Agents to conference, or to seek
from them Information bcarlng upon the Euhtect OF
taraIa, otherwise tAan in the n.anher mentioned Ly
an inspection OF their published schedules. In the
few Instances uhero they havs been personally con-
tue they hare generally referred us 10 their sched
u!cs as indicating their v1tw in regard to the usuess
Of tariff Of rates for their raEticular line Of road
the correctness Of the principles embodied IL theiE
published rates.
Prominent among the subjects considered in pre-
pairing the scnedules, VIC mention the following;
amount Of capital invested in road and ecuipuaeut
amoaut OF business doue; average proportion Of op-
Grating expenses to the gross earnings, etc. That
which in greater degree, however, contributed soa7
his in this department. of our Labor, the testimu
Of wcinformed shippers from different parts Of ILL.,
State including dealers in grain, iunLer, coal, bur-
son and steel live stock, and merchandise Of almost
every description.
From the representatives Of these various interests
We have received mu:h information that was valuable
in fixing what We trust viii prove to Le equt. .bls
sha reuuheanse passenger anu ifeieat rate TOT al tho
Tatrosd companies Low Organized under the laws Of
his State.
Mention has n1re3dr been made Of our intention to
1aas f,sfs n The ssss and
nissionsrs .from time s to s' time "a and e''. as
,oscr owe to change and revise IT, schedule made by BY
hem, VIC viii, Us Eoon Is relieved Of official duties
n the classification Of freight and asu lie rates OF
TIMBER by the carload for the reads following t,wt:
Toledo, Wabash Western Chicago Alton, Chicago,
3usingsou Il Quincy, Chicago Northwestern. caica-
10, Rock Island Pacific, 1ninos Ceutra1, 1ntianapo-
is st. Louis, Ohio I: Mississippi. ST. Lous, YIN
!s and nefre naate G1sago 1nana
contemplated alterations in the tariffs and c1aas1hca-
ions, other than has been mentioned. hare not yet
nent By this Board, aud wM Ia determined on and
'ubltshed At an early day.
For ine greater convenience OF all, VIC have made
I've dviiious Of the ruaa Of the Safe, and in the Gb-
ence Of any satisfactory reasou for different ar-
angement, VIC hara given to the roads associated tn
heir respective divisions corresponding rate. Tbs
rst division enumerated above. The second includes
uchgan Central, Lake Shore i Michigan Southern,
MI Pittsburgh, Fort WnJue X Chicago. The th:1d
vision, Chicago, Danville l. WILDERNESS; Toledo. !
eoria Warsaw, St. Louis, Alton b Tezre Haute;
ilno,s st. Louis Railroad and Coal Company, and
Western Union. The fourth division, Peoria Pedn
Jacksonville; Peoria Rock laland; Rockford, Rock
slAnd st. LOUIS. aud St: Lc1ss Southeastern.
he nth division includes ali organized railroads In
is State not mentioned in tho foregoing divisions
1oups. 1t will he observed from the following quo
.tlon from the eighth section OF the act Of 6
tuy g 1873. that sepayafs schedule is required for
a.h OF the railroads in the State: The Railroad
nd Warehouse Commissioners are hereby directed to
lake for each Of the railroad COMPANIES doing busi
esq III this State, Practicable, schedule Of
sasouable maximum rates Of charges for the trans
o1taton Of passengers. and freight and cars on each
said railroads" &c.. &c. In compliance with this
Of the law separate schedule has been
sde and published for each Of tho ratroad corporn-
doing business in this State. For the rates fixed
tho several roadx we beg tcayp to refer to tho NIB