Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-03-06
AN INTERESTING COMPARISON or
TARIFFS.

GESrLENgN: am here this morning
la response to your invitation, as the
representative ol the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company, to confer in refer
snce 10 the local tariffs Of the company,
aud to sec il We can devise some means
by which tho unfortunate difficulties at
present existing between tho State and
the road can be adjusted.
desire to express the qualification
it affords me to meet this joint commit
tee, believing as do that u full investi-
cation oi the facts connected with the
company's policy toward the State, will
di-ahusu your minds ol tho impressions
which seem to prevail that the com
pany has in the past, and is now pur-
suing course inimical TO the interest
Of your people.
la the first place | desire to say that
the allegations made that the issuing ol
the circular oi February tho 25th, was
done with u view To- in timidatc the Leg
islaturc and in spirit Of defiance, are
entirely incorrect and without u shadow
ol foundation This circular was issued
at the instance aud under the advice N
the company's counsel two eminent
lawyers oi this Stat e--iamiliar with tho
terms oi the Company's charter, and !
assure you that their advice was rcluct-
antly adopted by the officers oi the
company, who were we'll aware that the
Withdrawal ui special rates and tho rals-
ing thc Wheeling rate to the maximum
oi the local, ii persisted in, must ol me-
rrssity seriously deqngo the business
interests on the line, aud at the chief
commercial city ui the state.
The Legislature having seen tit in the
guo Uunuio resolution, To- indicate u de-
termination that the company must at,
here to the strict aud ndtcrhnical construc-
tluu ui it, charter, and To Withdraw the
privilege, which custom hal heretofore
accorded the company, of maklngspccial
rates Ia meet the necessities ol the ship
prrs over its road, the company had no
other alternative hut to rrspec tlully sub
nit
now dcslrc to discuss tho whole sub
juct in u spirit of lrankncss, imbucd us
am with the firm conviction that morn
accurate information on your part
oi the actual relations existing between
the parties must not only do away
with all prcjudlccs, hut must satisfy
your committee that such legislation ~
is proposed can but result in wldespre l
disaster to all our interests; and desire
to ask the committee, after allowing mo
To submit the views Oi thu company, and
such evidence aS I think necessary, To
sustain them, that Ihoy will fully md
freely present all the alleged grievances
complained oi hy their constituents, IN
order that they may be carefully con
sidcrrd. aud where necessary he cor
T, rtrd. /, however, feel entirely conf.
dent that shall he able To present
ST. plain case lor your con
sidcratiuu US will satisfy you
that, hy issuing the new tariff, AMI
making such special rates as the cXlgcn-
lIes ul business On the limo require, the
company will remove all possible
grounds uf complaint.
Now, ia the first place, | PROPOSE to
examine tho new tarill, aud refer tn
the passenger schedule, which | have
in my hand, and ask the committed
whether there are any complaints as to
the rates imposed by IL. Ii is based
upuu a uniform rate ui three cents per
mile, the governing rate between Baltl-
murr and Chicago, and the sano rate as
is adopted 10y all the roads within the
State ul Ohio.
Col. Johnson--"l believe that the new
schedule oi passenger rates ls entirely
satisfactory to the people.
MIR. keysyr continues; | am glad Ia
hear il. and will therefore drop that
part ct the subject.
/ now come 10 the freight tariffs, and
I present YOU with a copy at the new
NriH. issued March LIST, tO which ! ask
your careful attention.
I'm order, in the frs, place, tn enable
YOU to form some correct estimate ut the
merits OF this tarid, have had prepared
a statement showing q comparison ct 1t
with the tariffs now IN operation on the
TOUR Trunk lines east at the ONO TNer,
aud also showing a comparison with the
I'VE TTunk lines wost ot the river,
and in urdrr to make II still more PLAN
aud iulrliigIhlc, | have divided up the
distances into mileage stretches, con-
paring the luCal rates ot each ut these
Trunk Lines upon these mileage sub
divisions, with the lOCal rates Ot the Hal
tinnre AMI Ohio Road IN West Virginia,
and have AL led condensed statement
shuWIus in hTiel the results at these
yO,npaIiSonS: and, that Won NAV Ncrlly
the ruucrtuvss at these statements
have brought with mc printed copies ot
the lnr.l tariffs ot the ruads referred To,
and ask the gentlemen ut the Commit
t.,,, to iuDk carefully into the ng'ires AMI
facts presented, 80 that they may
not only verify them, but
hone become satisfied oi the correctness
Of the conclusions propose to draw
irom item. As the question has leen
RAISED IN both houses. aud ~ It has hrcu
openly asserted that the new tAriii does
not make any material reduction "a
raia, a. compapd with the ult, think
il proper o. submit copy Oi the "it
tariff. and | ask your careful attention
n the figures and ClaSSihCAIIans al the
oil and nes in orlcT tO sustain the az
~rrtiou ot the c1mpany that not only a
iarsc reduction IN the ratio oi each class
has been male, bat THAI reduction VA
the general classification has Risp been
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