, 1874-03-28
THE M'CRARY BILL,


road Commissioners, who are to ascertain and
declare what arc fair and reasonable raloa for tho
transportation OF freight and passengers moved
from ono State into or through another. This
Board is to declare such rates for each and every
road doing through business or engaged in
"commorce between tho states." Tho bill has
many details. but this ia It's general purpose.
We think tic bill is q mistake, and TINT those
who will suffer most by It aro the farmers Of tho
Western statos There haa never been my
serious complaint Of tho rates upon through
freigAts from tho West to tho Atlantic. 1t
has beon no uncommon thing for grain to
bo moved from points On the Mississippi
River 1900 miles to New York ut tho rate
Of one cent per ton per mile, and 1t Ia not likely
TINT any Railroad Commission will ever fix the
ratio for that distance at ~ low figure as now
prevails. Tho trouble has all beon concerning
local ratcs,-the rates from tho place OF
growth to the first market or ontropot where the
product could be sold. Tue nun living from
400 to 5oO miles from Chicago could always havo
his grain delivered hore for about the samo price
"a waR demanded Of the man living within dis
tnnce Of 200 miles. Tho man at Council Bluffs,
Kansas City, Iowa City, Davenport, or Chicago,
sending grain to Now Yo1k, or Philadelphia, or
Baltimore, evsr felt the severity OF railroad ex-
actions as did the multitude living at intertne-
diato stations, ho Ind to sond their grain to tho
nearest market, whore 1t could be sold and thence
shipped to the Inst. It Is relief from this local
extolton thas tho people Of tho Western States
have boon seeking.
It is q settled thing that no Western products
will DO sent to the East by rail unless tue rate
Of transportation, allowing for timo and all
other simiar considerations is as cheap as the
sumo transportation can bo secured by water,
We havo Now York, Philadelphia, ind Baltimore
seeking this business by competing lines Of rail-
way. In time there will DO other competing lines.
What rates shall this National RailroM Commits
sion fix for freights from Pennsylvania aud Now
Jersey to Now York? What from Ohio7 What
from Michigan and 1ndinna, and what from 1lli-
uois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, aud Kansas2
Shall this Commission dl1ow the Pennsylvania
Railroad u rato supposed to .be zeusou-
able for the local traffic between Harris
burg 10, jersey City, md then extend
TINT rate per milo and per ton west
to tho Missouri Riyor7 Take tho rate from
Syracuse or Harrisburg to New York Or Phiia-
iephia. II tho Commission fix tho rate
for transportation botwoon these points ut any
thing like fnir md reasonable rato, and thon
oxtend that rate westward to the Mississippi
Rivor aud Missouri River, then, If tho Inv is
really enforced, tho Western States will be as
effectually cut off from the Eastern market aa
it tlcro wore no railroads at all. Frcights on
grain per 100 pounds By rail from Chicago now
stand: To Boston, ,46 cents; to New York, Accents,
Philadelphia and Baltimore, 35 cents. Nov,
what rates shall the Commission fix per 100
pouuds between Now York and Albany? Put
ting 1t even Us low as 10 cents por 100 pounds,
and charging pro rata por milo from New York
to Chicago, what would bo the rato from this
city to Now York or Doston2 What would it he
from st. Paul, Council Bluffs, La Crosse, Dnyen-
port, Dubuque, or Kansas CIty7 Compared
with such rate, the existing local rates in the
Wost which have caused no much complaint
would soem merolful.
It will bo idle to aav that the people of Penn
sylyania, New Jersey, Western New York, or
Ohio will quietly submit to pay local rates on
f4elghss passing from Que Of these statca to the
other, aud permit tue people Of Indiana, Illinois,
Kansas, ana Minnesota to hnye their freight
| hauled at less than proportionate ratoa. They
,vtI1 ankr,it n1t1,;u0 n TIM bind mil ovnrt,,.
ally wa will havo statutory ratio per mile for the
several classes Of freight passing between the
several Statoa, md when this il done It will coat
| $1.50 Her bushol to baul grain from Chicago to
New York, aud so much por milo in addition
| f,om oil points further Weat. There can bo but
one outcome TO any such attempt by Oongress
| to regulate tho rato of froightB on tho great
| through lines. The States nearer the Beaboard
will refuse TO pay moro pos ton per mile than ls
| charged for longer diBtunces, and tho present
will ho levelod up to point that
| will ruia the West entirely. Tho sAruors and
| Bsook-1aiHerr In the 8ta:os Of Now York, Penn
sylyania, aud Virginia will rojoice at tho passage
| Of law which will otfectually cut OF Western
competition and doub!o the value Of tho psoiuo-
tiops close to the mnrket 1tnow coats hut a trao~
tion noro II anything osond cattle ald Aoga from
Chicago to the seaboavl than it does from Went
orn Nav York and ro,naYlvania. Now ii tho
rates per milo aro to 10 oquallzod, and tho Same
rate per mils il to be ehargsl from au po!uts,
tAs Went will ks Ahls 10 aspd no mora grain, PRO.