, 1879-06-21
THE RAILWAYS.
Examination of Mt.;,Flnk. crouptisr
Of the Trunk!eIne Pool. =
Mustn't sny "pools,---1t Sounds
Like GamblinE5to MIR.
Fink.
EIis Demonstration ofthe Work.
ings OF His Contracts -
(Poolsj. '''
"0peratiug Expenses" and Not Distance,
the True Regulator Of Rates,

"0perating Expenses" and Not Distance,
the rrue Regulator Of :Rates,
-- 4: !
F1N11's ExAal1NAT1ON.
6ptc,ai Bispateh u TIE Gt4eun< i
NEW YONG, juno 20.-Comniestoncr Fink
was txnmincd for four hours to-tIhy by tho Tail.
way 1nycatiCatlom Committee. Ho objected to
The word "pool,'' as applied 10 he trtontracs
sJstcln" which he administers, ~ It Implied
gambling. The Eastern ''conttaet " was made
to maintain equitable rates on freiaht and pre-
vent injurious competition, AZ well ,as to pro.
vido for tho division or equalization. of tonnage
OH oil West-bound traffic. There ras q pooling
moro and Boston, but The details
weso not yet completed. From philadelphia
the New York ocntral's percentage wa4 :;
Erto's, 11. From Boston tho percentages Wsrs:
Central, 81; ErEu,7; Grand Trunk IL; -Fenu-
sY)yanla, 0; baltimore u Ohio, &. TheftMas
now no cutting In West-bountl frelahts. Stabtl.:
ity and certainty in rates we're OF The highest
importance, eysn moro important than tho sate
itself. 10 determine whsshcr DETERMINATIONS
In freight werc unjust, al the ctrcuuastances
must bo considered. II one mer-.
chant took goods In small quantities
and another by the carload OF tra}n.load. It
might be profitable for the roads to dtscrimt-
nate. The smaller shipper should bo charged
in proportion to the increased cost Of periofn-
Ing bis service. That was the trno principle.
ilo thought certain kinds of. competition a
great evil. Rates should always ho reasonable
anl M permanent As could be &C.
/ cured under prevailing conditions, whether
thero was competition or not.'- Mr..
Fink testified TINT grades and curves
kx5 ~ RI
! atou by limiting tlla number OF elra which n
lpcatuottyo, could draw IN train. I1e could es-
Innate the relative cost Of hauling trains on the
| various Eastern trunk lines, but had not 1oua
ao. The compan!es' reports gavo 1t approrl-
mately, by stating the cost per ton uer mile
for hauling freight over their respective
roads. The Introduction OF ' tho steel
rail had added largely to tho cost
OF railroads. The agreement ,betwecn tho
trunk lines was that the rates from the sea-
board cities ahall bc tue same from auY point Of
sdcagnatIon By all .the roads, whother from
Baltimore. Philadelphia, Naw .Yorg, or Boston.
That WAS tho principle tho trunk liaes propose
to carry out. uo did not say It Was carried
| out il wns also agrcsh that ratca on
importapt goods shipped westward from
tho staboaru cities shall be tho eamo
as local goods shipped from the scaboard.'' a.
to why the rate AZ 10 Nav York md Boston was
tho same and mot Rs to philade'phta and Ba!ti-
more. he had been Tor years trying to find out,
but had not Rucceeded. Mr. Fink further said !:
"Dtstauce .,aa vary little 10 do With making u o
tariffs. That principle 10 not recognized.
II distauco were tho guide, the differ
cnco would DO 171f per cont
on rates, while tho actual difference
Is only t15 pet cent to Clneiuuuti. 1t IL a fault
1t tic system Of which our transportation In
thls country ia carried on. We hago great
many railroads, and. like tho old Federal banks,
they are all'Rraspng pa much power Or pr4psFty
is they .seant gah~and '4liese..snd luther OWLS
which Gow from it wo arc now try
Ing to remedy by an agreement which
shall bo equitable and harmonious.
/ regarl tho fast-trel9ht lines as tic toots By
whcl, bad system ts carried out, but do not
regard them In themselves bad. Wo have tho
conaItlon Of the quarrel In cooperative freight
lines, 'cutttng each other, aud also 'cuttng
the trunk 1uet. ~ TO nonvco-opcratiya fast
freight lines, 1 think the difference between
thetn aud cooperative lines Is only a matter
concerning the stockholders. It ts puroly
question of corporate management. The
fast-Ireght lines hare been All advantage to the
gcuerai public by facilitating the business Of
shippers. The rates On Westbound tratIlc arc
now generally maintained. It Is utterly lmpos-
s,nla in this country today to mako or maintain
nm unreasonable competitive traffic, owlne to
ureat competition bY watcr and 1pilway
routes. Tho water competition controls ali
rates in tha Interior from the lakes
to the Gulf, There Is no rate ,nadc for
Chicago which does not 10 a measure effect
Savannah or Atlauta and other cities, The
p,,tlir generally do not understand this o1ee-
slo aau .naas ~, ss 49,. a ~.ss -.
'"ak'ps .sles W aI.6 w. wv "n.' .nso ... wv =
fantoau rlenaens ~ 'nss soua1sy WV ~, san ~.
sosu.ssy eootsot iasss ~ ~ 'oau. ss,.. lucy ase
all suo4ess ~ .a .asuA''ausss ~: "u'sp, !" 'esh
coa1Fo' u'e" ~sao"' - eo"so' ~ ~
ieF, oa taese po'"", =" -, ~