The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-29
THE NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT SUNDAY DECEMBER 49, 1878

. sary SO to do, In the interest OF the govern
ment OF the United States, to secure prom
Y transportation for Its own wants and for tt
], public and to protect the actual capital IL
! Tor guarantee OF interest made under this &C
Icali upon Senators to scrutinize thi
language, and think they will agre
! with NE that 1t Ia intended to secur
: high rates for transportation instead O
cheap rates. In the first place, it relate
only to through freights and passen
gers. Fair and reasonable rates TO
the transportation OF through freight
and passengers shall be agreed upon be
tween this and connecting companies
and Congress shall have the right tt
regulate rates for the transportation o
such freight and passengers. and fo
postal and telegraphic service, etc.. ant
may exercise general supervision ane
control-for what purpose? To secure
prompt transportation for it's own wants
and for the public and to protect the
actual capital invested, and all liabili
ties OF the government for guarantee oil
interest made under this act. Now, two
things are to be here observed: Con.
gress is given no power whatever to in
terfere to regulate rates on local
freights; and the right given to Con.
tation OF through freights and passen.
gers is given for specific purpose, and
that purpose Ia to protect the capital in.
vested and the liability Of the govern
ment for guarantee of interest, and the
power Of general supervision and con-
troll given to Congress Is to be exercised
Tor two purposes; one Is to secure
prompt transportation for its own wants
and for the public, and the other is to
protect the actual capital invested.
| There is not even semicolon between
the grant OF the power and the specific
definition for the purpose for which it
is granted.
What Is necessary to protect the cap
ital invested? Or course the operating
expenses Of the road must first be de.
Quoted from its earnings. Then inter-
est must be paid on ell its interest bear
ing obligations, and sinking fund
must be created to pay the principal of
the company's bonds when they ma
ture. Now, ask IL the language of this
bill does not imply a consent on the
shall be permitted to fix rates that will
produce revenue enough to enable the
company to respond to the several de-
mands which have enumerated !? And
II, as is charged, rates on other Pacific
railroad lines are exorbitant and OBJ
pressive, this bill gives this company
also the right to make the same charges.
because 1t says, rates shall not at any
time be charged to exceed those charged
by competitive railroad lines to the Pa
cific for similar business" This is a
permission on the part Of Congress to
charge as much as the Central and
Union Pacific roads do, especially il
such charges are considered necessary
to protect the capital invested and se-
cure the government.
COMPETITIVE RATES FOR THE BENEFIT OF A
NORTHERN TRUNK LINE ONLY.
Mr.. President, I am endeayoriny. to
the best OF my ability, to discharge what
l believe to be public duty. This bill
seems to me to have been framed upon
the idea that Congress would not scru-
tinize its provisions. confess that I
ind 1t somewhat difficult to repress my
Indignation that Congress should be
called on to consent to the provisions Of
this bill under the specious pretense of
resisting monopoly and providing an
open highway for the government and
the people. One great purpose OF con-
structing this road Is to develop the |
country through which it passes. to |
create new industries along its line, and |
to encourage the population OF that vast |
territory between the Mississippi and |
the Pacific. which abounds In mineral
wealth where the labor Of the agricultu-
rist may find rich reward. and where
herds OF cattle and sheep can be reared |
with less expense, and consequently
with greater profit, thanIanywhere else
on this continent.
1t is more important to the people liv-
ing near the line OF this road that the
rates OF transportation on local freights
should be moderate than that through
Ireights should be carried at low rate.
The rate OF transportation on through
Ireights affects the people Of the coun-
Try Indirectly. A high rate of transpor-
;ation on local freights will affect every
nan living near the line of the road d.
'ectly, and q high or moderate rate on
what he produces and on what he con-
'umes may make the difference to him
Ind to his wife and children between
comfort and poverty.
LII at any time Congress should inter- |
bose to reduce the only freights it can ,
Interfere with-through freights-the +,
reduction thus made will Immediately |
70 put upon local freights. What the
company loses Of income on the goods |
hipped from end to end of its road, it &
viii make up on that transported only a I
,art OF the distance. The dollar taken
fl the box Of goods from San Diego to &
he Mississippi river will be added upon &
he bale Of cotton taken up at way {
tation. All this talk about an open I
highway and cheap rates finds no war I
ant In the provisions Of this bill. And
he pretense Of giving Congress control |
yer this road is delusion and snare, /
nd cannot be too strongly condemned t
8 a bold experiment upon our conf e
ence.
Mr.. President, I regard bill No. 942 as
positive menace to the commercial in q
erests Of the Soulful mean to the f
tates Of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, e
Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Flor
Ia, Georgia, North and South Carolina. q
'irginia. and Kentucky. It is we'll y
nown that the president Of the Texas +
nd Pacific Railway Company has long 3
lung with great tenacity to the idea of
the Atlantic and Pacific road
'om Vinita, in the Indian Territory, to q
point on the line OF the Texas and 3
acific road in the neighborhood of it's g
ltersection with the ninety-ninth or n