Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-18

exchange, and eminently in their return.
Many cars sent 70 distant points, at certain
seasons Of the year, have to be returned
empty, the business being all one way. A
policy Of systematic delays in such return,
on various pretexts, has been found effec-
/ tive by railroads, and has been used.
A brief explanation will show the perth
nency Of the clause with regard to 'c0l-
Letting or advancing back charges or
freight" ThrOugh-freight sent, say from
/ St. Louis to Macon, Ga, passes over sever
al roads. Some character Of Way-bill or
transferable must pass with the car or goods
from a railroad to the connecting roads in
succession. This bill, whatever its pecu-
liarities Of form in different cases, contains
substantially the number and initial Show
ing Ownership Of the car, names of the
cOnSignOr and comsignee, marks, destina-
tion, articles, weight, the rate Of freight for
the entire shipment, the charges paid by
each railroad respectively on receipt Of the
car or goods, andthe proportions Of sach rate
that each railroad over which the car passes
is entitled to. The universal custom, en-
forced by the necessities Of the business, is
for each railroad TeceiUiRg to pay to the
railroad from whom il receives all freight
or other charges incurred or eTrned up to
its place of such receipt Of the goods, and
the next railroad in the connection Iepays
all such charges to it, plus ths freight
earned on its road, and so on through each
transfer, until It reaches the road upon
whose line the point Of destination is 10
Gated, which last road collects from the
consignee all that is due, and so reimburses
itself. To force a railroad carrying goods
from distant points to collect its
share Of freight from the con-
signee, and so Of each connecting
road throughout the route Of travel over
many roads, is to say to it and them, "HOu
must have an agent in every city, town
and village in the cOuntTy," and the lien
upon freight would practically be lost to
every road except the last in the series.
Obviously railroads, BY association among
themselves, could say they would only col
lect back charges and freight for those in
the combination, thus practically excluding
ali others from the market and destroying
competition. This would be a terribly
sure weapon in the hands Of a company Of
railroads.
The clause, s'placing a greater rate Of
charges for transportation of freight over
one portion Of its main line or branches
than over any other" is meant to meet a
case like the following: On freight from
Peoria, Ill, TO Chattanooga or Pulaski,
Tenn, the Nashville and Chattanooga
Railroad could, by charging a local rate or
very high rate from Nashville to Chatta-
nOOga-in the one case-and the Louis
Vile, Nashville and Great Southern Rail-
road, by charging an arbitrarily high rate
from Nashville TO Pulaski-in the other
discriminate against any other railroad and
prevent its carrying the freight at all.
Should the Nashville aud Chattanooga
Railroad and the Louisville, Nashville and
Great Southern Railroad combine, they
could exclude the st. Louis and South
eastern Railroad from competing with them,
and thereby control the business and make
the through rate higher than under fair
competition. q They could do it, as follows;
The Louisville, Nashville and Great South
ern Railroad would say, sour rate on such
thrOugh-freight from Louisville to Nash
vile is &c. per 100 lbs. per 100 miles; our
rate from Nashville to Pulaski is, say l5c.
per 100 lbs. per 100miles." The Nashville
and Chattanooga Railroad would fix its
rate from Mckenzie at &c. to Nashville, but
from Nashville to Chattanooga at, say l5c.
By reducing the rate on part Of their lines,
and raising it over other portions, they
could deprive the Southeastern Railroad Of
all chance Of getting the business, their
charge being so high over such portions Of
their lines respectively as freight from
Southeastern Railroad must pass, that the
latter road could not name a through rate
which would not be in excess Of their rates,
and so could not possibly compete.
1t is insisted by competent railroad men
that, without such protection as Judge
East's bill gives, the logical result would be
that the strongest road in the State could
absorb or ruin the weaker ones; or, outside
Of railroads may comprise
Tennessee roads within their schemes, and
attain a complete monopoly. The mani
fest interest Of the State is to encourage all
roads. 1t has generously assisted nearly
AL; the same intelligent policy is continued
when it fosters and protects all.
The observations and illustrations, used
above, apply to persons, shippers, etc, as
we'll as to roads. Their interests coin
eide.