The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-12-19

10 DostOu. lndl, L tnlnk, Is u iull auu COtii-
plete answer TO the objection made by the
gentleman from Massachusetts.
Mr.. SPARKS. If / understand the OBJ
ject of the gentleman from Texas Mr.. Rea-
ganl it is to prevent conflicts between rail
roads.
Mr.. REAGAN. That will be one effect
Mr.. SPARKS. That being so, will it not
to the same extent prevent competition be-
tween all roads?
Mr.. REAGAN. | think the gentleman
could not have noticed my remarks in re-
lation 10 competition. | stated distinctly
that there is nothing in the bill that can
by any means affect competition between
railroads, for the reason that We do not
attempt TO regulate the rates Of freight at
all for the reason that we do not compare
different lines Of road, but leave every road
free to adopt its own schedule of rates Of
freight.
Mr.. EDEN. / ask the gentleman this
question: II railroad companies cannot
chars any more at non-competins points
on th,r line than they charge at compel
ing points, does not that prevent competi'
ton?
Mr. REAGAN. II the gentleman means
to take the consequences Of the view which
his question implies, he will then be fair
If railroad companies undertake to carry
through freizhts from one center of trade
10 another center of trade at less than com.
pensating rates and then charge the way
freights with the loss on the carriage OF
the through freight, We mean to defeat
this and ii this Is what he means by pre-
venting competition, sstice and right de
mand that TO this extent il should be pre-
vented. We do not mean by this bill to
recognize the right to impose unjust and
unequal burdens upon any one, whether at
trade centers or at way stations. We
mean, 30 far as the bill will enable US to dc
it, TO compel those who ship upon railroads
to pay their own freight at such just and
reasonable rates as the interests OF CON-
merce and the interests Of the road nav
justify and require.
Mr.. EDEN. ] would like to ask the
gentleman one other question. viii mol
the e!iec; of this he TO prevent cities like
Chicago and Saint Louis, Tor instance
from having the benefit of water competi.
ton?
Mr.. REGAIN. | do rot see how it can
have the effect, because the roads can pu,
their freights as low after this bill is pa sed
as they can put them now. How, then
can this bill prevent tie advantages OF WI,
ter communication We do net prevent
the railroad companies from putting their
rates as low as they please.
Mr.. EDEN. They will be compelled 70
take freight from points where there is nc
wafer communication at the same rate as
n. Z Il ,nl,t -,
communication.
Mr.. REGAIN. | can tell the gentleman
where his yIeS leads him. There is no
way OF escaping the justice OF The position
| have taken unless Ii be by insisting that
all immediate points-the way stations III
town and city and county on the liOes o.
railway-shall pay for the transportation
Of through fr.ights. This is the issue
sharply and clearly presented. Gentlemen
have their choice 10 give us freights which
are inst and alike TO all. or to vote agains,
this bill and preserve the power OF mo,
nopoly to levy exactions which have be-
come almost unbearable upon this commerce
amounting 10 SlS,CO0,00 900 annually,
which now passes over our railroads.
Mr.. CANNON, Of Illinois IL | under
stand the effect Of the legislation here pro-
posed it is this: if in any case, by rea-
son OF competition or otherwise, freight is
carried from one State TO mother at
less than the carrying is actually worth,
the freights must necessarily be carried be.
tween all other points for less than the .er.
vice is worth, whether there is competition
or not.
Mr.. REAGAN. Well, Mr.. Speaker, we
do not undertake to say that any road shall
carry freight for less than it is worth to
carry it; and this remark takes away the
foundation of the question which the gen.
tIeman from Illinois has put. We do no,
propose 10 to say that any railroad COM
pany shall carry freights for less than will
compensate them; but We do propose to
prevent the wrong Of requiring two-thirds
of the people of the country to pay the
freights of tn. other third.
Mr.. PHILLIPS. | shall only occupy a
small portion Of the time and shall cheer
fully yield the remainder of it to other
gentlemen who wish to speak.
l fully sympathize with the gentleman
from Texas Mr.. Reaganl in what he has
said in regard TO corporations, and comps-
MES, and railroads, "a to restraining them
l hold that these are the creatures of law
and should be subject TO its Just restric
tions But the gentleman in his measure
has incorporated more. 1t is not merely a
measure to restrain railroads from some Of
their questionable practices, and thiuk il
touches these subjects in a very insufficient
way, but it is piece of legislation to ad.
vance certain interests at the expense Of
other interests. His bill proposes to inter.
fere directly with the legitimate action OF
trade, and is a blow aimed at wholesale
transactions in shipping, and at the local.
ties dependent on wholesale transactione in
shipping. | will give an illustration, az q
practical illustration is worth any quantity
OF theory.
From Kansas City in the State of Mis-.
souri,, at the mouth Of the Kansas river
some 800 or 100 carloads Of wheat or
stock are shipped every day. These cars
go In continuous run to the eastern sea
board. They ale carried at very low rates
The cars go together and are returned,
many OF them in freight, and the company
can afford to carry them at 80 per cent les.
than on the shorter lines. say that ii you
take away this privilege which exists in
the natural order of business, the privilege
of shipping beef, cattle, pork and wheat in
great bulk, by hundred carloads at a
time from these points in the West to the
eastern market, you prevent that trade from
being carried on you render it impossible.
The present rates, low as they are, are 40
high that the producer of wheat cannot get
a remunerative price TOR it, and il you
raise the rates by this bill you virtually
take away the market and put an end to a
great trade i will -tate, for instance that
down line which runs from my own
State TO Galveston, wheat was carried at
500 a carload, OF 430 bushels, and from
&c to New York. That line
furnished better market, but under this
bill that line, jus; opening, would be vir
tually closed. Taking this course youxould
preven; ole bushel Of grain from going from
the western producer to the eastern sea
board. You virtually shut the market to
him. should rather see steps taken TO
reduce than to increase the price Of irans-
portatiou.
| will say to my friend from Texas that
l would have been glad II he had consent
ed to have this section Of his bill stricken
out. There are sections Of it for which /
would chesrfully have voted for while the
OF the bill Is obscure and
would probably destroy i,s usefulness, this
section is not jus, in Its provisions. 1t takes
away business advantage from one sec
ton that has accrued In a legitimate way.
A man NAV ship a carload from Pitts
burgh or from Cincinnati, and that single
car sent to New York may take weeks be-
fore it comes b ,ck to the railroad company
which suppiies it Ii NAV have tn he tax.