The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-27

boats. Any invention which shall make
the use Of petroleum as a generator, safe,
economical and OF universal application,
will be sure to rank among the most i'm
portant and useful scientific improvements
Of the times.
Railroad Grievances In this. state NJ
Compared With Grievances In New
York state.
We publish to-day all interesting docu.
ment, in the shape OF a report OF an exam
nation OF Wm. II. Vanderbilt, President
Of the New York Central & Hudson River
Railroad Company, before a Committee Of
the New York legislature, in regard to
alleged grievances in the way Of freight
determinations among shippers on his
lines. The examination reveals an amount
Of discrimination that throws into the
shade anything ever alleged by the hottest
opponent OF the Baltimore ( Ohio Compa-
ny in the West Virginia legislature last
winter. For instance, the Central road is
in the habit, It appears, OF making a wide
" different rate TO persons in the same
business in the same city something not
charged against the B. & o., and while
charging its regular rate to one house in
said city makes special contracts at hall OF
said rates, or even lower, with other par
ties. For instance, their tariff rates a
classes between New York City and Alba.
ny are respectively 80, 10, 12and 10 cents
per hundred pounds, and yet it was shown
that the company made q special rate, to
cover all these classes, to the drug
house Of Mcclure & Co. at 10 cents per
100. With the wholesale grocery store Of
Walton, McLuen & Co. they made the
same special contract. This was done in
order to secure al. their business. And
yet they would charge other parties in the
same business 30, 10, IL and 10 cents per
100, according to the class Of goods deliv-
cred to them, And these cases are only
samples OF a multitude Of the same sort
Of contracts that have been unearthed by
the investigating committee.
Among the shippers recently examined
by the committee was W. A. Cole, q lard
r%efner, oil W. A. Wilcox & Co., New York
city. He testified as follows:
"Our firm makes contracts with the
railroads ut the best rates they can get.
After a pool has been formed l can always
get better rates than before. l ALWAYS
know then that within a week l can get
favorable rates, perhaps because they don't
keep to the pool rates, l regard this dis.
elimination as equally injurious to rail.
roads and the public; as q merchant l am
opposed to the idea OF selling to a big buy
er at any cheaper rate than to q small.
Our firm exports % per cent Of all the
lard that goes out OF the United States. As
IN evidence o discrimination, | knew ola
case where aman got a through rate from
Chicago to Europe at only ten cents more
than ! paid from Chicago to New York.
lshipped 1000 tierces on that vessel, and
he 200. Ifthat had goneon Ishould have
been shipping the 200 and he the 1000
uerces. believe in the through freight
system, but | would advocate giving the
New York exporter the option Of breaking
the through condition. nj New York as to
ocean freight"
Not only do the merchants thus com.
plain Of the determinations made against
them by the New York Central road, but
the farmers Of New York State are ap.
parently much excited over the discrim.
nations made against their products in
favor Of those from the West. An assO-
citation called the Farmers Alliance"
has Just closed a two days session at
Syracuse, and put forth an address to the
people OF the State on the subject of their
grievances. Among these grievances the
society sets forth in tho second article Of
its platform the following:
THAT therailroads authorized to be con.
struCted and operated by corporations un.
der the laws OF tits State were designed to
promote tho public welfare; and taking
the lands OF individuals against their wilt,
on which 10 construct such roads, can only
be justified by such public benefit. That
in all charters, and all general laws au.
thoriLing the formation Of such corpora.
tons, tho right to repeal, alter or amend
the chartered power conferred has been
expressly reserved. That whenever the
corporations so manage the roads as to
operate oppressively, partially, or unjust
ly TO any part OF the citizens Of the State,
Il Is the duty Of the Legislature 10 deprive
them Of the power TO commit such wrong.
That making special rates with combiuS.
tons designed to %monopolize certain arti.
cles Of necessity, and favoring one locality
with low rates aud expressing another BY
high rates, by carrying freights for citizens
beyond the State at much lower rates than
charged on the products OF the State, in
the judgment OF the Alliance calls for leg.
islative interference"
Further on in their address the farmers
say that "the discrimination against local
ireiEhts has caused a yearly loss OF mil,
lionsot dollars to the farmers OF this State.
1t has deprecated the value OF farm lands
hundreds oil millions OF dollars, and has
destroyed OR driven West many important
manufacturing industries"
The NJ ]. Erpres, in commenting on
the investigation now going on, and the
revelations that have come to light, re.
marks as follows:
1.-THE railroads are common carriers
They obtained their charters on the
ground that they would render a public
service. They wero granted special and
nroHtah1a nrvilA6aa In ~NonSi6aeatinn ~