The New York herald., 1879-09-18
The Railroad question.

| day deserves ana Will receive SeucIai atteA-
ton. 1t is addressed by a special committee
of the New York Chamber of Commerce to
President Vanderbilt, of the New York Gen.
tral, and President Jewett. of the Erie Rail-
road, and is conceived in such spirit of
fairness and moderation as entities it
to the respectful attention of these
distinguished representatives Of the rail-
road interest. The committee of the
Chamber of Commerce have been informed
that the presidents of the Pennsylvania
Central and Baltimore and Ohio railroads
look with favor on early legislation by Con-
gress for regulating interstate railway
traffic, and the committee urges the presi-
dents of the two great New York roads to
consider the expediency OF cooperating in
a joint movement of all the trunk lines to
procure such legislation.
We have no doubt that strong pressure
of public opinion will force Congress to act
on this important subject, and it will make
great difference to the roads whether Con-
gress acts with their consent or against
their opposition. The public is becoming
aroused to the enormity of railroad abuses.
The investigation ordered by the last New
York Legislature and now in progress has
already disclosed a mass of facts, reluc-
family testified to by the highest rail-
road officers, sufficient to intensity popu-
lar discomfort and infame it into in
dignation. But the questions involved
are of much larger scope than the purview
of the Legislative Committee, who are maxi
ing unjust freight determinations the prin-
cipal object Of their Investigation. We
have do doubt that there isa great deal Of
crudeness and absurdity in the popular
clamor which demands that local rates shall
not exceed the charges per mile for through
traffic. But what rational reply can be made
to the complaint that determinations are
made in the local rates, and that different
persons or firms residing in the same
place and receiving goods from the same
points pay unequal prices for transporta-
ton? This kind of favoritism admits of no
justification, and if not removed by the
roads it should be redressed by the strong
hand of the law. But. as we have
said, the subject is of much larger scope
than these unjust local Determinations.
The time has come for q thorough and COM
prehensive reorganization of the railroad
service and in view Of the diversity and
conflict of interests which exist among the
different roads Congress cannot much
longer postpone the duty incumbent upon
it under its constitutional authority to
regulate commerce between the States"
of
informed of the willingness of two of the
great trunk lines to have Congress inter-
pose its authority, makes proper and re-
spectful appeal to the other two great trunk
lines, which received their charters from
the New York Legislature, to join
in general movement for the rec
tification of abuses and the regulation of
railway traffic by Congress on principles of
fairness and equity. No just-minded citi-
zen has any wish to oppress and cripple
the roads; on the contrary, it is desired
that both the public and the roads shall he
protected in their rights. The roads
should be rescued from the mutually de-
six or seven years and the merchants be
saved from unjust Determinations, which
give an unfair advantage to a favored class
against their business rivals.
1t being inevitable that, in obedience to
general public demand, Congress will ut
no distant date take this subject in hand
and regulate the interstate railway traffic,
it is the interest Of the roads to cooperate
in such a measure instead of resisting it,
The letter Of the Chamber of Commerce
does not merely ask their cooperation, but
invites them to take the initiative. 1t
urges. the presidents of the four great trunk
lines to frame, with the assistance
of experts of their own selection, a
proper bill to be presented to Con-
gress for tho regulation Of interstate
railroad traffic. Nothing could be more rea-
sonable and considerate than such pro-
posal. Of course it is expected that such
bill would be subject to other revision
than that of the railroad officials under
whose auspices it would be prepared 1t is
recommended that the draft be submitted
to the scrutiny Of the various chambers of
commerce and boards of trade in the prin-
cipal commercial cities, who would natu-
rally have keener eye to the interests
of the public than the railroads them
selves. Having passed the ordeal of criti-
cism by those who have the ripest
practical acquaintance with the business
of transportation, its provisions would
again be sifted by committees of both
houses of Congress. But it would be
great advantage to the railroads to be in
trusted with the original draft, which, if
judiciously prepared, would form the basis
of the expected legislation.
The necessity for action by Congress on
this great subject is too imperative to be
much longer delayed, and it is earnestly to
be desired that Congress legislate in the
spirit indicated by the Chamber of Com