New-York tribune., 1881-03-30
JUDGE BLACK AND THE RAILROADS.

To see a man scientifically skinned is usually
an interesting spectacle. Judge Black, the
riipcipal orator of the so-called Anti Monopoly
meeting held at Cooper Institute in February.
has undergone skiming, and cannot complain
that it was unscientifc. MIR. Fink, Commits
sioner of the trunk line pool, has performed the
operation, and with such effect that it is diff
emit 20 see how any man having the taintest
trace of self-respect can again tlust himself
before the public in discussion of subject
upon which he has been proved to be either as
Ignorant or as mendaciOus as Judge Black is
shown TO be by his critic. 1t was claimed by
this champion of anti-monOpoly that the total
robbery by the railroads is $675,OOO,OOO per
apnum. In view of the fact that the gross re-
oeipIs of all the railroads in the country from
all sources Of revenue, as shown by the Official
,norts quoted in POOr's Manual, have never
reached 100000, 900 in any year, Judge
Black's impudence or ignorance must be recOg-
nized as almost sublime. lie arrives at this
stupendously false assertion, first, by assuming
that all the grain produced in this country was
moved by ral only, and all the way from
Chicago to New York, and through the whole
wear 1850 at a rate " hich was in force during
the winter months only, 35 cents per 100
mounds. Estimating the grain Mt 75,OOO,O0O
tons. and ali the freight transported at three
times as much, or 225,00O,OOO tons, this
Munchausen of anti-monopoly next assumes
that the railroads can carry freight with profit
at 20 cents per 40 pounds from Chicago to
New York, and that the remaining Is cents is
robbery.
MIR. Fink makes public for the first time
| some very important facts. From the official
| returns in the Office of the Commissioner, he
ascertains that the entire amount Of freight
TRANSPORTED during the year 1880. with its un-
precedented traffic, from all points at the West
to all points east of the western termini of the
trunk lines, was only 11,5O0,OOO tons. AS
everybody knows, only part of this was
moved the whole distance from Chicago to
| Ney-York. But had it all been so moved. and
all at the highest winter rate of 35 cents per
| 100 pounds, or 81 per ton, the entire charge
vouid have been only $SO.500,000. In reality.
] Mr.. Fink states, the additional charge of
cents in winter, against which Judge Black
| RACES. applied only to S,500.000 tons, and the
| added charge for the four months was only
| $2.S00,000.
| Mr.. Fink then ventilates the assertion that
| freight can be carried at profit for 20 cents
| from Chicago TO New-York. He shows that
| the average cost on the New-York Central and
Lake Shore was about 27l2 eeEts, including
| general expenses but not interest that the
whole cost, interest included, was about 33
] cents and that the actual charge in 1880 for
| transportation of gram averaged only 32l2
cents. Yet Judge Black asserted that the actual
cost. exclusive of interest ON capital, was only
| Is cents from Chicago to NewYork. Had the
| New-York Central carried all its freight last
year at that rate per ton per mile, its freight
! earnings would have been $5,546, 568 less than
| its freight expenses. The same rate on the
Lake Shore would have left that company,
after paying rentals. less than one-tenth Of the
| interest on its bonded debt, and nothing for ita
stock In many other respects, Judge Blacks
statements were exceedingly Wild as Mr. Fink
conclusively shows.
! Judge Black is the type OF class. His we'll
/ known ability and. his large infiuence in the
counsels of great political party give him
prominence among those who baye been seek
| ing popularity by clamorinR @sainst corpora
tions; aud yet that ability, great as it is, has
mot made him careful to state the truth. Where
| he errs OF draws upon bis imagination. thou
sands Of speakers aud writers do so still more,
and very few Of them are as blameworthy as
| he, because very few have hIs opportunity TO
ascertain The facts. Wild rs bis statements are,
they will be quoted and honestly believed by
thousands Of men all over the land. They ale