The sun., 1879-06-22
R4TLROID TIRIFFs.
Commissioner Fink Gives the Committee Inter-
esting Information Thereon.

When the Assembly Special Committee on
Railroads met yesterday morning. Commits
sloner Albert Fink was recalled TO the witness
stand. lIe said he thought railroad corpora
tion occupied precisely the snmo position with
regard to the general public as did a private
business house within the limits prescribed by
the law. Under existing pooling arrange
ments, tho rate from New York to Chicago for
frst-cass freight was IS cents per hundred
pounds. 60 cents for second class. 90 cents for
third class and 40 cents for fourth class The
New York Central Railroad got about forty per
cent. Of the amounts received for fourth class
freight. There would bo n loss in charging
anything less thnn IA cents per hundred
pounds Of fourth class freight to Chicago, and
profit in anything above it and there would
be loss in anything less than 10 cents on
fourth clnss freight from Chicago. and profit
on anything above that figure.
The average number Of full freight cars max
ing up train on the Baltimore and Ohio road
is from twenty-five to thirty; the engines on the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad arc heavier, and they
draw an average Of about forty full freight cars
and ON certain parts OF the rond they OCCASION
ally draw Hs muny as seventy cars.
A curious circumstance. the witness SAID. In
connection with railroad business. and one
which made 1t different from any private hust-
ness. was that ~ railroad company never
|
chant. when he failed. went ut once out OF busi-
ness but n railroad company, under such CIR
cumstancps. went on Hs before. the only differ
enco being that 1t charged lower ircightage
| thus becoming a more dangerous competitor To
other roads than II was when 1t was solvent.
In reply to a series of questions by VICE
| President Blanchard Of the Erie Railroad. the
witness said hr had received numerous nppli-
| cations from shippers in New York and else
/ whore relative To- alterations of freight rites
/ and he had always considered IL his duty TO
| place such communications before the ENecu-
! ffU.s .TtfNf fff.Ha al nia
made in consequence of these applications.
| The qunntty Of west-bound freight shilped
| from New York hy the tour trunk lines during
/ the year 1878 was 7ii .7Si tons; from Pnstun II
was l62 G26; from Philadelphia, l95l92; and
from baltimore. III .OiO The canal hnd rail-
/ road traffic in wcst-bqund freight from New
/ York combined WAS. during 1878. more than
| four times as much as that OF tho three other
Freight nrriving from Europe by ocean steam
! ers was shipped from New York 10 the West ut
the ordinary rates. There were no special rates
/ witness had heard Of the Allen line bring ng
freight to Montreal and Quebec and shipping
| 1t over the Grand Trunk road TO American
cities NJ reduced rates; and also ot the Allen
! line giving through bills OF lading from Eng
land to inlnnd uoints in America;
In the mountain regions, the Baltimore and
/ Ohio. and the Pennsylvania Railroads obtained
| labor cheaper than the New York Central could
| coal and cross ties were also cheaper. and tue
/ witness thought that these lower expenses did
| much To- Offset the differences of grade and
! curvature The Baltimore and Ohio paid four
| cents a hush"l for coal and the witness thought
| the Nnw York Central paid about lxteen cents.
I The New York merchant can ship sugar 10y
Z lake and canal to Chicago for about one-hali
what the Philadelphia merchant can ship II 10y
/ rail New YORK has an immense advantage
and Its merchants a great protection. in It's
I canal and lake system.
The competition in tho Transportation oi
freight in this country WAS far greater than II
/ was in Europe. the Comm ssioner thought
/ The railroad companies in England did once
compete with each other for short tiin". hui
they found IL better to combine. In France
- MOI com lrk Iltan
the freight rates. Russia competes with tins
country in the tram In grain in Europe. and
/ hence. freight rates in Russia 10 q large extent
reguat" the turiiI IN the United States.
The shippers. the witness thought. more
often cheHted the railroads than the railroads
cheated the shippers.