The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-18
FREIGHT RI rEs Considered.
The Committee Trying to Worm Out the Ran.
road Cou,psntes' Secrets.

ROAD Oofnpf,ntes Necrets.
When tho Assembly Special Committee on
Railroads was called to order yesterday morn
ing Mr.. Channcey VI. Depew. Mr.. J. II. Rutter
and n clerk marched in bearing the books called
for on the preceding day. These contained tho
records Of special contracts for through freights
mads in the past three years. Those contnin-
ing local freight contracts had not been brought
for the rcason. Mr.. Rutter snid. that they did
not know what was meant 10y local traffic. After
long debate the Committoe made the demand
more explicitly. and Mr.. Rutter then said that
II would be- impossible to furnish tho informa-
ton. Tho facts were not attainablc He hoped
that tho information in tho books presented
would be held simply for inspection and not
for public knowledge. The knowledge Of tho
contents OF these books would be- of great vnlue
to their rtvnls and very injurious to the inter-
ests Of the company, The company would gfv0
$500 600 to get such knowledge Of tho contracts
Of Lh1 PENNSYLVANIA Central Railroad Company.
ceeded. The bulk Of frst-clns freight. he
said. was carried at the risk Of the railroad
company. All rltes to points West nre fixed IN
proportion to mileage. II II not true. so far as
he knew. that through freight rates have been
given rom Chicago to Llyerpool below the local
Chicago to New York. He would not however.
be SURPRISED to know that such things had been
Tho relation between the Merchants Despatch
Transportation Company and the Central Hud-
gauges freight and receives my from tho latter
for acting us its agent. When tho freight is
brought to the railroad depot Il Is the railroad
company's freight. not that OF the despatch COM
pnny. and 10 loaded into either the cars OF the
former or the latter. as Is most convenient. The
two per cont. on the East hound ireichts I sc.
cures in the West for New York. The Central
Hudson il ,S C9mpany hays erected grain elevai
IL is leased to Mr.. Twombley, son-in- law OF Mr..
w. II. Vanderbilt. witness did not know upon
II. c. Villas. General Freight Agent Of the Eric
halfway Company, was next sworn. He pro-
duced the local tariff book and through tariff
sheets OF west-bound freight on the road.
Western roads. he said. TX the rates on east
bound through freiRhts. The west bound rates
longing to the pool. Mr., Fink. the Commits.
sioner, is furnished daily with copies OF all
way bills by each road. aud makes out q state
mant OF tonnage OF ench class carried by each
road and what II Is entitled to. At the end of the
week he makes out n statement showing what
each road IL in excess or deficit. Those in ex-
cess have 10 send tonnage. TO the amount OF the
excess. to those in deficit. A pool on east-bound
freight II in process Of formation. but nothing
about percentages has yet been determined
about il The Erie Company has granted spe-
eisl rites from New York to places In the State.
witness produced books said to contain the
records OF all the special rates granted by his
company. Special rates. he admitted. were
made from almost all places to New York. They
are lew now In comparison with what were
witness or by Mr.. blanchard T5ere Ravs bseg
no changes in ths schedule rates on loHal
freights since February. 1878. There IL but one
contract on this road in which classification OF
freight is wiped out. The firm with which that
exists is that OF the Phelps Hardware Com pany
goods are carried at i6 cents a hundred weight
between Binghamton and New York. The
schedule rate is 20 cents on the fourth class
40 cents on the first class. Nine-tenths Of their
goods carried are fourth class.
Mr.. j. II. Rntter was re6xamined as TO the
milk traffic. He said that the tariff on milk on
the Hudson River and tho Harlem roads used
g be cents q gallon, but IL now Al ccnts.
Most Of the milk carried by this company comes
OF about twenty cars. and each car holds an
average Of 100 cans; some may hold 400. but he
earns t67 SO trip. The longest distance milk
u carried Is l25 miles the shortest. IL miles.
Practically 1t tax es two trains to carrythe milk.
because nm auxiliary train Ia run behind each
milk train 10 guard against accident He did
not know that tue auxiliary train carried
passengers. or that tho freight carried on II
paid the expenses OF running II. The expenses
OF running tho milk train he did not know.
The employees on II were simply three brake
men. one conductor. an engineer. and fire.
man. The cars have TO be differently built from
ordinary freight cars. and cost more. not so
Farmers Bring the milk u the stAtious. ami il is
all resolved In n few hours Mt night. and re-
moved IN = lew hours IN the morning. Milk is
not classified. but regarded rs special traffic.
aud no special rates are given on H. The Har-
lem road does not carry all the milk from the
district through which Il passes. some is
carted across and sent down tho river
Too huge volume OF vouchers containing the
Records OF special rates on through ircights
wcra opened. and the Committee Razed with
dtsmny ~ the monster tones OF tissue sheets.
Mr. Rutcr explained them. The Standard OIL
Company. he admitted. had an Arrangement
with the Central Hudson Company. but whether
u was the same rs that corporation has with the
Erie Company he did not know. The contract
with the Standard Oh Company was demanded.
Mr.; stern made another effort 10 have the
voucher books referred to committee OF ox-
prrts OF the Chamber OF Commerce, for them to
report to this Committee the system on which
the drawbacks. overcharges. aud special rates
is established.
Mr. Deprw objected TO this disposition OF the
books. The railroad company were willing 10
admit ANYTHING Mr.. stern charged on this sub
Ject OF drawbacks. As matter OF fact. he said.
the company allows shippers less than the
nominal rates on ireights. under competition.
To secure their freights. and that is the whole
system.