The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-03-06

| .aHSu sIOh tHdt tllt new lOCAl larlH o
the Baltimore 4 Ohio Railroad compares
tayorably in rates with the tariffs OF thu
Pennsylvania, the New York & Erie, thu
New York Central, the Chesapeake 4
Ohio, the Wabash, the Illinois Cen
tral, and the Chicago, Burlington {
Quincy Railroads thG principal trunk
lines OF the country; and by comparing
the rates under the several distances
named on the Baltimore & Ohio (mair
stem with the rates under relative dis
tanccs on these lines you will see that youI
citizens are enabled to ship on an average
upon more favorable terms than are &C
corded to citizens doing business on the
lines referred to. Also, that by taking the
average rates and classifications OF the
lines named, you will see that those oil the
Baltimore & Ohio are more favorable tc
shippers, except in one instance-that o.
the New York & Erie Railroad, which av
erages one per cent below It.
Now, / ask the committees particular
attention to these facts and figures be
cause ] assume that II the citizens Of thu
State Of West Virginia are accorded equal
facilities at equal rates with the citizens
resident on the lines OF other roads that
there can be no just ground OF complaint
and have given special attention 10 the
preparation OF this statement in order that
each member OF the committee can verify
its accuracy for himself, and be able intel.
ligently to present the facts to his constit
uents.
! am not aware OF their being any COM
plant on the part OF any one within the
State that the company does not furnish
all the facilities required, and that it has
not all the necessary means and appli.
anCeS TO transact the business over its
roads with promptneSs aud dispatch, and
] shall therefore eonfne my remarks to
the simple question OF the tariff rates.
Having submitted the general tariff oil
the company desire now to refer TO the
question OF special rates and to explain to
the committee the principle upon which
special rates are granted and think that
you must agree with mo that special rate
bv no means indicates q discrimination
and that it is even necessary at times, 10
make special rates in order TO prevent dis,
examinations and 10 properly protect the
various interests on the line OF the road.
Since the first Of March, when the cir.
cular Withdrawing special rates went into
operation, there has been received from
most prominent points and shippers on
the line an earnest protest against the
adoption OF such policy, and 1t is not
over-stating the case to assert that nearly
every leading interest dependent upon the
road has already experienced the effects
Of the policy which the company has been
forced to adopt In Difference to what II
has conceived TO be the wish OF the Leg.
islature, and II it is obliged to continue
this system in force there are many in
terests which must be practically blotted
out.
The theory upon which special rates are
granted isthis: Most business transactions,
and all business transactions OF magnitude
are affected by the fluctuations OF the
markets, and at times these fluctuations
are OF such extent as to make the element
Of transportation an important factor in
the transaction. Therefore any tariff
which might be rigidly enforced would at
times seriously interfere, il not entirely
prevent, tho transaction OF business upon
fair or remunerative basis, and to meet
this difficulty It is the custom Of all the
roads OF the country TO give to parties
such special rates as from time to time
may be found necessary.
10 illustrate the case will cite several
instances on the line OF this road, and
have no doubt, as see that there are sew.
eral present who have probably griev.
ances to present, that opportunities will
offer to fully elaborate this feature Of rail-
way transportation.
We will take the gas Goals OF West Vir.
ginia. These Goals find their market in
Baltimore, and at other points on or tribu'
tary to the coast. They come In Gompeti'
ton with similar Goals from Pennsylvania
and OF late years, since the export trade
OF the country has grown so dispropor
tionate to the import trade, with the New
Castle coal brought from Liverpool and
other British ports Us ballast.
The foreign Goals 10 very considerable
extent establish the market price, anc
this price is therefore, ina great measure
fixed by the amount Of Tonnage G9ming tt
this country for return cargoGs OF grain
&c. Therefore, the coal operators art
obliged, in making their contracts to NEE
the competition OF other coal fields as vel
as the foreign competition; and in orde
to enable them to do so, the Baltimore
Ohio Company must, in advance, place
them In q position to compete, as tn
freight charges ara by far the largest ele
uent OF value, and to do this the, ,compa
ny must be at liberty 10 vary the rate
| from time to time Us the exigencies OF tn
case demand.
To oits another instance-there are OF
the line OF tho Baltimore and Ohio roal
a number Of blast furnaces In operation
These depend largely upon the oompan!
for transportation OF their raw material o
well as their manufactured products. Tn
tcontinued depression in the market ha
forced the owners and operators OF thes
works, from time TO time, TO apply to tn
company for reductions In rates. Had til
company not been In position to NEE
these demands, the effect would have bee
to force the stoppage Of these works, an
thus not only entail q severe loss on n
capitalists, but more severe loss TO th
citizens Of this State by throwing lars
numbers oi people out Of employment
j q time when you must all recognize th
difficulty Of their obtaining It elsewher,
The member from Jefferson Mr. kitct
en) has Just called my attention TO N
grain rate from the Eastern Panhandle
Baltimore, aud asks II they should not
reduced, especially in view OF the raj
which prevails from Chicago. As the grai