New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-10-18

THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEES INQUIRY.
TESTIMONY or W. T. scHfDE ABOUT OIL AND OF c.
r. BLANCHARD ABOUT RAILROAD AFFAIRS GEN
ERAILY.
The first witness yesterday before the As
senbly Committee on Railroad Management Will
lam T. sehde OF Pennsylvania, dealer in and shipper
of crude petroleum since 1865. lie said that he was the
onv shipper over the Erie time. The Erie then
controlled the weehawken Docks. lie formerly shipped
over the Pennsy ana and then received better rates
Than anyone else. Finally tue Pennsylvania allowed
smaller shippers come In at equal rates with him. and
drove the witness Eric, which adopted the policy the
PENNSYLVANIA abandoned. of virtually giving monopoly
to shipper The arrangement on the EIie was made
with Mr. Blanchard and the Atlantic and Great West
ern with Mr.. Devereaux. The witness expended $4,000
TO fiji ND OIL tanks and to build narrowguage The
reason why the witness out OF the business be
cause the Standard OH Company had absorbed all the
York relneries and would not buy crude OIL OF him.
The export business HAD changed the course of trade
and now the refining was done III great measure III
New-York
The chairman said that the committee had been i'm
pOruncd consider the question OF taxation "a Affect
ing railroads, out as the act creating the committee had
otncr oiects IN view the snGct would not ne taken up
Western Company, testified thn railroad officer was
subject to three trbunals-thr president, representing
the stoc khoders the statute ~ frehts and the
laws OF the rise and tsii ~ prices and the III
OF the people OF the stn when the unwrtten
law I'm the public interest conf -rd with the inter ,sts
OF the shareholders. he decide III favor of the share
risk ALWAYS keeping within statute law. This
not new ground for Ere % take. In June or May,
ls74 Mr. Jewett presiden t sent Tor the witness
10 assist him and gave directions that that policy be
carried out In 1872. when Mr.. blanchard went into
ErIa the road covered $50 miles, which there were
267 stations. The uniform frclghts were based on "A
tariff Of . cents per tom per mile FOR frsicass freight
cents for secOn-ciass freight; cents for tnrd ana
. cents Tor fourh-cass freigis for distance ~ MY
miles. In addition To this, % cents per ton were paid
Tor handling. Tnere wer. fifteen competing lines AT
thlrty-fye different points.
The Erie. MI Blanchard said, could not ignore the
effect of lowering of canal tolls rates Thousand
circumstances, such the transfer or the control
OF competing and supplying lines and The panic Of 1873
necessarily created rates. Other things being
equal rates To Rochester should not be higher thnn
TO Buffalo. In 1878, The result OF
interview with Judge Hilton. Mr.. Clain aud
others. II agreed that the rate any point the
line TO Buffalo should lot exceed the rate TO Buffalo
Oiler reductions made hat greatly decreased the
gross earnings OF the Erie The reductions made
because Of the Justucrs Of the complaints of d~crmin
ton, against the shorter distances. There state
cga territory ana equal railroad adynia. e. Ia winch
the rate. low ~ ia New-Nofk A cist-rOn
would be impOssIhiilty for Eric. The would
become known nIncd latey, and the Pennsylvania aud
roads outside OF the control OF the state would
under them. and their rivals would secure all the traffic
No body OF could frame law that could be- justly
applied s.vrra roads competing under different
cuustances of shipment An inf xlbie tarin would Ice
impossible. Nearly 100000 freight contracts had
been the Erie office IN month To suppose
idea OF IhcOIist The committee adjourned until 10
Its-l4K