Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-02-20

travelling from Nashville, or shipping
goods therefrom 10 Chattanooga, or Uics
rers1, should, IL practicable, be charged
the same prOpOrtiOnally as IL he went or
shipped to or from Atlanta, thus giving
linn the benefit of through rate where
practicable.
Section 3. The explanations to section
apply here, particularly TO combina-
tiOns OF railroads, formed to remove
competition by excluding some roads
from the benefit OF such associations for
through-freight business. The terms
emplOyed-' facilities, benefits, advan-
tages and particular privileges, ;" etc
probably cover every case in which a
railroad company wsuld seek an unfair
disadvantage and prejudice to another.
There are variety Of ways in which q
railroad company can discriminate
against one or more by partnerships
and special contracts with other COM
panies.
Section 4. An arbitrary change, en-
acted against any particular railroad,
could be made an insupportsble burden
and might prevent ali interchange of
business, such as q charge for landing,
hauling or repairing cars. The same
/ burdens TO another railroad would arise
/ from delay or unfairness in handling
cars, in receipt and exchange, and emil
! nently in their return. Many cars sent
! to 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 va
rious preteXts, has been found effective
/ by railroads, and has been used.
| A brief explanation will show the per-
tinency of the clause with regard to
/ collecting or advancing back charges
/ or freight" Through freight sent, say
from st. Louis TO Macon, Georgia, passes
over several roads. Some character OF
way-bill or transferable must pass with
the car or goods from 8 railroad to the
connecting rosds in succession. This
bill, whatever its peculiarities OF form
in different cases, contains substantially
the number and initial (shoWing owner
ship OF the car, name of the cOnsignor
and consignee, marks, destination, arti-
cles, weight, the rate OF freight for the
entire shipment, the charges paid by
each railroad respectively on receipt of
the car or goods, and the proportions OF
such rate that each railroad over which
the car passes is entitled to. The uni
versal custom, enforced by the necessi- !
ties of the business, is for each railroad |
receiving to pay TO the railroad from |
whom it receives all freight or other |
charges incurred or earned up to its place |
Of such receipt of the goods, and the |
next railroad in the connection repays |
all such charges 10 it, plus the freight /
earned on its road, and so on through |
each transfer, until it reaches
the road upon whose line the
point OF destination is located,
which last road collects from the
oil hof ic
burses itself. To force a railroad carry
ing goods from distant points to collect
its share of freight from the consignee,
and 30 of each connecting road through
out the route of travel over many roads,
is to say to it and them: "You must
have an agent in every city, town and
village in the country" 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 collect back charges and
freight for those in the combination,
thus practically excluding all others
from the market and destroying compe-
tition. This would be a terribly sure
weapon in the hands of company of
railroads.
The clause, "placing 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 case like the following: On
freight from Peoria, Illinois, to Chat
tanoOga or Pulaski, Tennessee, the
Nashville and Chattanooga railroad
could, by charging q local rate or very
high rate from Nashville to Chattanoo-
ga, in the one case, and the Louisville,
Nashville and Great Southern railroad,
by charging an arbitrarily high rate
from Nashville to Pulaski, in the other,
discriminate against any other railroad
and prevent It's carrying the freight at
all. Should the Nashville and Chatta-
noOga railroad and the Louisville, Nash
vile and Great Southern railroad COM
biBe, they could exclude the st. Louis
and Southeastern railroad from cOmpet-
ing with them, and thereby control the
business, and make the through rate
higher than under fair competition.
They could do it, as follows: The Lou
isville, Nashville and Great Southern /
railroad would say, "Our rate on such
from Louisville to
Nashville is two cents per one hundred
pounds per one hundred miles; cur rate
from Nashville to Pulaski is say fifteen
cents per one hundred pounds per one
1uO NhSuNlllt ,
and Chattanooga railroad would fix its
rate from M'Kenzie at two cents to
Nashville, but from Nashville to Chat
tanOoga at, say fifteen cents. By re-
ducing 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 the Southeastern railroad
must pass, that the latter road could not ,
name through rate which would not
be in excess Of their rates, and SO could !
not possibly compete.
il 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 com binations of rail-
roads may comprise Tennessee roads
within their schemes and attain COM
plete monopoly. The manifest interest
If the State is to encourage all roads,
1t has generously assisted nearly all; )
The same intelligent policy is continued :
when it fosters and protects all. :
The observations and illustrations used
above apply TO persons, shippers, etc,
Is well as to roads. Their interests CO.
ncide.
John Bright is still one Of the finest !
looking men ever seen; and his thick,
hair, brushed back from /,