The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-21

milk traffic on the Harlem road. said The amour I
o car costs doss not enter into computation when
rates fixed; the milk rate has been fixed for
years; try to consult the feelings of milk pro-
ducers. shippers and consumers; there very
few complaints as to the rates road con-
suit; have met committees of milk dealers tor the
past year.
Q. Has has not the milk rate been fixed at forty
per for years? A. 1t controlled by the
price of milk in New York
G. From 1865 down to 1878 did or did not the rate
on milk remain uniformly at sixty cents per can -?
A. Yes.
milk? A. Yes and We carried less milk our
revenue has decreased
Q. Did you never think of increasing your revenue
by decreasing your rates? A. We thought OF that.
o. During these years what cons ultations were had
with the milk people in relation to fixing the rate
milk? A. They would come and ask for reduction
we took up the request and showed them that the
revenues of the road would not permit it.
g. Do you know what the earnings OF the milk
trade were A. They were sometimes $l.4OO or
O. Do you know of any passenger train running
from New York to Buffalo with six cars. merely
passenger earning that amount OF money? A. No.
THE HARLEM LEASE.
In reply to questions Mr.. Vanderbilt stated that
the extension rival road was not the main object
of the lease of the Harlem road; that the COMPETE
ton of the Hudson River road would eventually
on account Of it's heavy grades. MY father
found he could not do what he wanted to do. so he
bought the Hudson River road"
Z. Are there no trans run on the Harlem road as
through trains to Albany A. don't know; prob
ably not; man might 80 that way and stop on the
our trains connect with the Boston and Albany
and run through in that way.
Q. What makes you conclude that the lease was q
judicous and wise thing for the Hudson River Rail-
road? A. see 1t every day i'll the facilities offered
in our favor and against rivals.
Mr. Sterne here questioned Mr.. Vanderbilt to
with very little success. Mr.. Vanderbilt could not
state the value of the property OF the Harlem road
ut the time Of tn elease but stated that the Harlem
stock had never been worked"
Q. At the time of the lease of the Harlem did your
family or your father own controlling interest in
New York Central. A. think not: did not; never;
did not when he died did not the maj GRITTY
bonds OF the road, nor of the Harlem.
COST OF THE sPUYrEN DUYvIL ROAD.
Mr.. Sterne here questioned the witness to the
Spuyten Duyvi aud Port Norris Railroad. which
developed the facts that Mr.. Vanderbilt was the
tual cost Of the road which is six and half miles
long.
enormous.
Mr.. vanderbilt-It cost my father that amount Of
money; Mr. Decker was the contractor and he stated
that that was what 1t cost ENTHUSIASTICALLY over
the contract price more than WAS anticipated my
father made him present of 100000; Decker did
not put down the iron cannot tell what he did; L
know that the road cost him that amount of
money; my father offered it to the Hudson River
road ut cost; do recollect of meeting of the
directors at which its capital stock increased
$40O,00 was director, but do not know what
my father did with it; the property belonged to
him; eight per cent was paid for rent by the Hud-
River Railroad to this road; the materials at
that time were fifty per cent higher than now land
higher; when q railroad wants land it is always high
Mr.. Depew-They charge twice much for water
fronts the Harlem River in view of the proposed
United States Improvement; don't think the labor
Of masonry and grading could be done for the same
price now; some labor could be got cheaper; the
material for ballast was brought from the Harlem
road o great distance; bridging is some cheaper;
there is little difference in the fencing steel rails
TALL imported) very much cheaper now, less than
half what they were then.
TRUNK LINE POOLING.
Mr.. Sterne questioned Mr.. Vanderbilt at some
in IN n nfc ha.
tween the great lines running to the seaboard and
the distinction made against New York in favor OF
mitted that the object of the pool fixing of
rates and division Of traffic but denied that it
ended competition as as the railroads had to
by which ~, they ley, are controlled and
properties and should be protected and receive
proper remuneration for the capital invested /:
therefore. 1t has been deemed expedient-I have
never consented to it until lately. but now am
gentlemen Of national reputation look all
those matters and decide that: and take it
| hundred people who making rates-take
| it all away from them and leave it With
| those gentlemen to manage these properties; Mr..
Vanderbilt claimed that shippers from foreign ports
and American bound vessels made distinctions
against New York in favor OF Philadelphia and Baiti
more. but admitted. il such was not the case tMr.
Sterne showing that it was not). the present
pooling arrangement which Disseminated against
the increased traffic at Baltimore and Phila
| delphia to the increased facilities and to the
fact that owners OF vessels have to pay port
charges; there is also distinction made in freghts
intended for export, the freights from Chicago
being three cents to New York than to Bslti-
| more. and two cents more than to Phiiadephia il
rival lines bring freights to New York they lose
what they gain by Philadelphia and Baltimore
freights the New York Central has the advantage i'll
grade the Erie. though the difference il not
great between the Hudson River and the Harlem
the local business OF the Pennsylvania road Mr..
Vanderbilt thought, was much larger than that OF
the Central; no books are now kept by the Central
to show what the local traffic is dsting he'd
from way traffic; the local traffic has
increased since the consolidation of the
Hudson River and the New York Central;
Eastern bound freights going to Boston bring 1--WE
cents hundred more; oil business done with Bos-
Is left Eastern connections; the Central could
insist rates to Boston but never has done the
New York Central draws freight from the West 200
miles more to roach the seaboard than the
Pennsylvania Central Baltimore and Ohio
the latter roads both largely owned by the States
who chartered them and enjoy facilities for business
which denied the New York Central road
in the city OF New York. 1t is to
trail road to keep up the Erie Canal as
o competing line with trunk lines In other States
Ii the New York Central and Erie roads do not meet
competition from other States by every means in
their power then the State should compel them to
do so.
The session OF the committee closed ut two P. NJ