New-York tribune., 1879-11-29
MR.. DEPEW,s ADDRESS.


giving yesterday that this long investigation had
beea brought a close. l trust that the LEGISLATURE
will think your labors profitable This is the most com
plete examination Of the railroads that has ever been
made in any State. 1t will result in large bill for the
State TO pay; in large for the railroad companies
10 pay employment of counsel 1t has resulted In
q large the railroads through the revelation Of
their business rivals Aud yet. uOtwithStand
ing all this, there has been much good Accomplished
that l think worth While that the investigation
undertaken. We now know that the railroads have
been conducted with little corruption ana with as
much Intelligence and public spirit any other bust
No discussion Of the testimony can be of use with
consideration OF the nature of the attack upon tie
railroads. IL began six wears ago. IL then
had little strength Year after year the same
gentlemen have appeared IN the Legislature OF
the state pressing upon deaf there the horrible
oppression of the railroads They at last organzrd the
Cheap transportation Association Its object was to
make one OF ITS members Mayor OF this city ana au-
other Mayor of Brooklyn. 1t met IN "A little room In
Greenwich-st., and discussed week after week these
problems. They talked about the monopoly that was
eating the vitals Of the country And rhuroer was
there ana serne was There. Inc Oheap
public, these men went before the Chamber o! Com
mrrce / understand tlero were only nfiy membrs
here when the indictment agar the raj roads pre-
scnted for adoption Non al u,ccIs'Ad no. easy Is
20 up such meeting OF the restlcS, Spirits o ail
organizaton. Wnen they came to the LEGISLATURE ana
wrtten Dy The same able hand that had written
indictments years You have had an oploftnniy To
Commerce.
HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT.
You have been session for six months Where are
the people coming YOU aud demanding relie from The
expressions Of the railroads or the 1900 members of
The Chamber of Commerce ouly two have been before
You. Why have they crowded before you and told
You their griovancesi private circular sem to
that they could be heard n.rc They have avoided the
room as II u were peslence az siernf began Ms
presentation OF testimony with an argument before YOU
H. argued that the Ere Canal was bult ior the develop
OF the state. say that DeWit Clinton bnl the
caua 10 get trade Of the West The state maze no
discrimination against the products OF the West. Year
canal VIII become free canal for the purpose of
getting Western trade 10 flow through the state Now
in the iuauIsoral TX animation o ne railroad MI ~iene
, t, e ,of n,rmii The STATE 10 rSl,1Sc fer
business secrets TO ther rivals; To compel them TO
make changes IN their charges The pages IN winch
There i no rroof thai the New-Yok Central stockwos
viered. Nj. Worcester has teStutd before You tnat
large proportion OF tnat money was pald ONT III M
proyemens committee OF ihe Lessia,nre ~ lns'Su- ,
gated this increase, OF stock ana upOh no lei,"rt 1
LEGISLATURE passed an act authorizing H. lhat Stock
st,nds to-day, transferred thousands Of tunes since
I-Cg, owned by over 1000 persous. II stands to-day
worth S20OO0D.OOO. Notwithstanding the burden that
York Central carries passengers al the lowest rae
OF q i@y fatS'0 Taes as m the the lowest rates Of the
most bankrupt road IN tie state supplies are
these economies have enabled tLe maSes ana o oi % ,he
road to run II at low M nah nses IN an address To
scaling OF Tates 10 Impair The value oi Oih'r
Commerce IN body Should have iudors,d such al adj
drt $. they bad they would have eAcoutaeed COM
cal depression struck vast collection OF properly
DIFFICULTIES OF THE RAILROADS.
Mr sernc asserts that railroad accounts false and
their reports he state Engineer deusve The tes-
,mony Is that reports truthful. but that they
might be fuller lie asserts that the railroads make
iuproper determinations. think the proof ~ the other
way His charges stockholders being defrarded Is
unsustaned far the NewYork Cenra is concerned
Ills statement that the press which fairly represents
ihe public sentment Of the state.is preudiced Now
The press sustained tbis sad Nil sierne says
tue state can be subsidlzed The railroads noioousY
not advertisers Is the railway the hinG 1Shw& &
railroads free and open 10 al Is ~ the MIG 4sh
h'rs the Iossesi Ihe state says: There villages
unpcopled nsporaiiOn is needed TO populate item
Any combination OF men VINO VIII Duitu raiIoAu-
through th snail have our protection seventy cor
pOratiOns have been organI uhuep tnis appvai' "nI
them pay dividends On tine aggregate amount invested
are;urn OF only per cent Is made me investor can
not OF business Ike tie man VINO n.eSSs ii ni
money banking, insurance. or manufacturing Mhae
winch the Imagination cannot picture Ihe ralIoaus
have made New-York he EmpiIe state OF the Union.
one years OF existence railroad mad Tor three successive
years earned vldoud OF 10 cent. then the govern
might reduce It's rates. Bat then II guasntecd S
railroad 10 per esnt receipts ior t"ehy-one years io'
TIE PROBLEM or RATES.
One Of the elemental questions lying at the foundation
subject that OF rates How are rates deter
they the absolute property Of the railroad
manager regulated by his private no,onsf The rail-
road manager IN the first place seeks to get raie
which can be borne, AID at the time one which
viii stimulate trade Ia other words, he seeks to have
reasonable rates the railroad managers powers are
very limited When IL IS asserted thht tHc raloAos
vuly make rates to aid one locally AT tne pens
anOfnor it assault as hnruy mefts lepN.
Viii not the do the best they ch LOT .uer
ro6sI World they DO that would damage their
Tho charge obviously untrue MT C,Sirinan, man.
are the quchLou lhat Ec JUST
Of this country has ouigio~n It's poci GissoS: %
The reoDle Of the Uuiied states union IN tner
business interests TOO halfway "hth Sl"PP,.. o.
p,sf "a The stage coach II Is one railway that runs
frOm N-W-York 10 every Western point Inc NeW-iS
cage s. LOUIS aud ~. Paul fixing rates which no must
accept state liue nas disappeared I'D our Dushesa
a"nS Their ay 70 tho West II Xsw-York would bs
euua oomuae cial prestige she nh-i aec1pt 'ne
tiiuptlOn 10 H. she must H"t De oouHu "'"h ~ "J
THROUGH AND LOCAL RATES.
yhrn Won come 10 TIE question OF through aud local
rios yoa viii ipd that through rates do not damage
local rates The only testimony That has boen offered 10
siaf eject has come from few mllers al Rochester
and Bufalo ana q few commission merchants here
xhat does TIC testimony of The miiers at Rochester
.roref PYrs tsf a., the wheat must be obtained rom
sle Wesf because the state wheai h1 ~
m -four sent to NcN-fOrk Dy ran,
because ihe canal would not do the business Inc
aiers ssy they have been hairy treated by tne ran
roads T5cy aie facing the pToboin whether II Is pos
fhlc for carrier 10 keep particular pfoouclVh at
certain place. Mr. Simms, commission merchant @ 10 10
Buffalo, says that hOur can be bought more enelPy IN
Inc Wet al The piace production Ihe manufacturer
goes the head Of the inicaeman ana oys OF tns
producer In the hot compeiit on OF tfAde no" u % ,
dleinen abolished Inc railroads eannot ad tns
niddisnsD. nor can the Lee1ssIure ~ lns 49,, eo,r n
roads compelled 10 unloai ara ubsiip nour IL
vOnld by other channels 10 the sea Ihefo is
yery suggestive dapatch from So Louis IN tho .U
have suspended milling II 10 because men in lyerpoo
have suddenly discovered that they can mil wheat
more eheaply there than they at st. Lous The gen
result OF this expansion in trade has been 10 in