, 1877-03-23
The Struggles Between the
T5unk.Lines of Railway.
Views Of tho Massachusetts Board
of Railroad Commissioners.
What Mr.. Richard P, Morgan, Jr., Said
on That Topic in 1873.
Fatls and Experiences u 10 lks Control Of Freight
Rates " Competition.
~ nc Editor of Tht TrfbHne.

fub68lOnEIb lul Luz GkAkN VI plHbeNSAA1eIko5 w
Gently given 10 tho public, contains quite .
complete aud Interesting review Of tho
sTHuo0LH FOR hus3HEss
between the great trunk-llnes ct railway OK.
tending from the Atlantic seaboarl to tho Mis-
slssippi Valley, which continued from April to
December, 1876. It will be remembered that
tho local jealousics existing between New
York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore were moro
completely developed during this last "uar OF
rates" than ever before. The Massachusetts
Commissioners conclude their consideration Of
that subject a. follows:
The dnsl solution OF the controversies between
The great through s1nes II. however yet 10 be ar
likely to provo nns ao!ntlnn OF tho Controversies
between The great through lines. for the nlmpIe
so: Y YoIs !: sst
' ron i, ~ - EslI pssassb;s ssa nsf!,sts qaet
10 hardly won. f,ut tho experience 81 the last
tew ysais would seem to warrant eonelaslcn !hat
eons,ae ,o.e Sasns ears
the Interests Of that City must Insist ou abfolutc
tsaeoard eaasltty II th.! ssse. The pretsn. ttnse
III ss ss''s q Tnea ~ ID H su: s
;H: it, re sa sdna nHips e rEs%.a
:s ss q ~ s;
City, AZ recognized part Of any permanent pett1c.
ncat. Undes the eIscumttaneca. howexcs. tAey
Competition IL tic Grand T9unk Railway nay 30
dpGssd t. H. mere ena a,es
active An element In tlo probtM A. ir the paat
Tho Grand Trunk, being hnaaojal!J the weakest Of
the through limos. has apparently suffered In Tho
and 4 continuance OF it would not tnprcbably re.
solt IN plangng that Company more deert1 than at
Ensnd h.ye Fl! hs n
an! hare neither tho means nor tho disposition to
tnduro It longer.
THEIR CONCLUSIONS
arc, that New York can no longer afford to con.
ccdo anything; that those having charge Of that
city must insist on absolute scaboasd equality;
and that, therefore, the compromise recently
concluded between those grcat lines cannot be
permanent, because, "As respects what Is
known rs through business, thc period Of active
railroad-compcttlon has Of Into entered on a
new pt,nsc.-that OF competition between rival
tcr1ntn instcnd OF between rival lines to tho
same tcrminus.n ...
III the COURSE of an ntitlrcss upon The aubiect
oj transportation, which delivered nt Dalvcrs,
MIcsn AL sd dGsSS%t M Fl s III 81 %a'ss EGops
on the I'D Of that month, the sub1olncd extract
OCCURS In connection With through rates, compc-
tition, and local .scaboard Influences, or "r,yal
tcriniht":
20 frequently put Nh Of late, that tue nubc can:
not rely nGon connection between rynl r9soad a.
sss sna su Il stss Rs. 70
often been hascrtod that worry many rcErona have
como to believe IN its truth. and YET con,prc.
hcnsivo examination Of ths fscs will cause you to
iiai'toads atc bnt business enterprises. and sro
r q: NV Wit Nf s ia II
ye, al.o iTae ilat hs aW wy oi esmpsiou A.
4ot tha1a f.titv IL IL n4uff n5A
a!o not ioit only . speculstlons this subject.
Tho experience of thls country den,ous.ratea Tho
r.. T. sar.das f ts Ms 'SpsSs0a a'f :f'e
LINES or COMMUNICATION,
natura! and artificial, ara, which connect foreign
% Tho Upper Mlsslssppl ena ~ tributaries. They
arc tho Great Lakes and tho River St. !Awrencs,
S w e5t daR :faa S s H. Ill., s ss s s
rennsylsans lailrosd. tho liaitIuore ohio Rail.
roatI. With tho various aInes Of road extending
roads tut ns,od; tic ohio scf and IT, eonneetioa
BY The Virginia s5stem OF railroads and eana!a now
Spe:e ss fsrsst stas ou sa Z g. a so &
iarGe Tor the commerce Of itA naryclons valley,
eiyduals' and, iostanses 10! us Tc'!aInr IN iii.
por.lon o. Tho country. tose lines are such a. al.
% thS world, except only ocean: tfansportation.
These natural lines. therefore, which iso free 10
al ra 60
tacial lines which are In coinpet'tion With them.
In spcnking Of these natural lines. tnc New York
tiop. Those canals arc Owned nut w individuals
or corporations. but W one Of the great States Of
tho unlaa. whoso Interests arc Identical with our
Ina addition to the artificial lines before mention,
Cd, there sre tho lines connecting the River ".
iio.t"a chi the NV Ensl.ad siatss, 1i Th"se, "
though now less important than tho four great
i'll. and aso likely 10 become ID the future aiili
posIildn ot tho '''''' ''>' ~ '''''Ds' 'D'
Of railroads north Of tho Ohio River, with their ex.
e s s.sh ssss sssss e; Ss"ss sss ;
Tho vast amount ot capital represented by each
q thcso great lines eeattollet a. It largely "
would fcen, TO forbid the po4.tbi,y Of any con,:
hinston betwecn them hostile z the intorcsts Of
g.; 'tsSG a. q III eaa'9at sss II TT s!sa
sylssnis. tat XII loSl Sy els';ens II NV yofE.
Eo.toa: .ud ihs sTcat stlss ot baltimore Fhita.
dephia. New York and Horton, whose capitalists
have heretofore Gesn careful 20 10 nanaas thoI
biz ths business Of the Northwest.
tho future. and That tho -.--... .....
n1yALRIxs BETWEEN THESE vARtoUs ROADS:
iii; ~ ppe,' sassa fsc.. si.ed - .ns eosnsti
tion 81 tho natufnl lines Of Communication befort
mehtionsl, and the active lealouylcs existing be-
tween tho great seatoaEd cltlss for pro 'cmlntnet
lD thclF contfol OF Western tradsr
u has altcsdy beep a.id TINT through rsses b,
tEesa lines do not adord cause for complaint, =
nat y y Gnl1 where en'npetttto9 doss aat s.i.'
The iocst rates Ars thoae which are Gurdensoms
not here only. bus everywhere, from ohs End o
The land to the other. This Ii but IN addislona
proof thst Lhu
HATES rI1Ep gr COMPETITION
Ahould be tho rates died By law. And 1t IL on1,
necessary th&s the rs,Ioads should b. eompsI!ed !
benefit os competition. to Femass the bnrdens iii
der which wt now audes. sad 10 equalEe 70 th
community lhe benefits which railroads wesu ,u
Gnded " aud should properly confer.
oae ptineiple Of tbs !eGi.lah9u Of ~ stats, 4
soust That Principle W.: e alloy s.iFesas !,
the general regulation Of tho common law. thu
they shuuld not b. excessive, but foF0dliuR th
road TO charge for the transportation Of the ann,
kind Of property . less d.slancc ; pr1cs equal Il
that charged for the greater Ilstaucr., As matte
bf fart IA well ktOkn thAG faE0au. .fhATPf1 10