Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1881-04-12
MIscEIlKNEoUs.
Judge Black Replies to Commissioner
Fink.

Judge Black. insreply to Commissioners
Fiak, addressed to the New York World the
following letter, which, at the request of a
subscriber, We give to the public:
I have Just read Mr.. Fink's article in tn,
World of the 25th inst. Considering the
great importance of tho subject, your road.
ers, however much they may love and adj
miro the present style of managing railroads,
will not blame you for admitting a short re-
ply. His great point, if it eau be called q
point, is that the abuses and extertion of tia
railway corperatitns are not as great as I
supposed. He may be right in his assertion
that7my estimate is too high, but ho does
not convince ne that his own is not entirely
too low. What the newspapers msde me say
j know not; but what Il did say substantially
was that the carrying corporations had a
right TO such reasonable freights as would
reimburse them the cost of the service and
make a fair profit besides on the capital by
them actually invested in constructing the
roads. All they take beyond that is unlaw-
fol aud extortionate. How much the aggre>
gate OF this excess amounts to has never
been computed T; [ could Gully give some
general reasons fer believing it TO Be very
large. The following are the bases of the
best calculation l was able to make:
First-The through rates are the lowest
that are anywhere charged. and those rates
are now from Chicago to New York ,35 cents
Per 100 weight, or 81 per ton.
Seoond-The evidence of perfectly relia>
Bile experts, taken by the Hepburn commit
tee, leaves no room to doubt that Is cents
per LOO weight make them a profit, though
perhaps not a largo one, and at 20 cents ii
is enormous.
Third-But the four great trunk liues
have confederated themselves together and
combined to charge an excess eff Is cents
per 100 weight, or So per ton above tho
highest rate which law or justice author
ICES.
Fenrth-If the facts and calculations eff
the congressional committee are to be cred-
tied. an advance of only 5 cents per 100
weight would be equal to an additional tax
OF $4,000 600 90 the whole agricultural
srop OF 1880. and Is cents, by simple arith>
metic. 1925, 600, 900.
Fifth believe, though of courso 7 cam
not be sure. that the transportation of the
crops does not constitute more than one
third of the whole business deGs op the
through railroads; therefore we multiply
S225, 0 200 by three to fnd what the
whole excess amounts to. The result il
S615,Oo0, 600, a sum simply appalling.
Si1th-l have NO means of knowing how
much is the local freight on the through
lines and on the shorter branches. 1t ia
probably much less than the loug hauls. but
the excuses are proportioaately so much
greater that it seems fair to add at least al.
other 1925, 600, 900 on that account.
Now | do not pretend that this estimate
Is tractionaliy accurate, but merely that it
is made in good faith fran the best matters
ais L had. 1t is awfully large. I tcka shame
to myself aud to my fsliov>oitizens when
think that we have been tamo aud stupid
enough to bear such burdens in silence.
Mr. Fink will relieve as greatly BY showing
that tbs railroad monopolies bave been more
noderats IN their e3actions than We SUE
posed. His efforts to that end will have nv
best wishes for their success. The less the
abuses the better will DO our chances of re.
forming them altogether. Our facts and
figures arc submitted to the scrutiny of the
railroad advocates, in the full consciousness
that they probably need a revision which We
ourselves are not able to give them.
But Mr.. Flax must come I'D TO the work
squareiy, and in a way consistent with what
you call "the equity of his mind" What
ever foor,s MGnuaI nay say, he must not
ask us to disbelieve the known and aoknovl-
edged fact that railway corporations have
abused their power to make charges extor>
tiouate, unjust aud unequal. Nor will it do
fer him to show that one>fourth of The rail
road property has gone through bankruptcy
IN the last five years. Doubtless this is true. |
but those corporations were not brought to
seiVency by their excessive honesty or the
severe moueration of their charges. Wstersd
STOCK, tho false appropriation of mortgage
bonds and share contracts for work three
times its value, which the managers made
BY themselves, with themselves and for
themselves, will sufficiently account for
taelr condition, without supposing2that their
treights and fares were too low.
AS "Pooi COMMISSIONS" Mr. Fink doubt> |
less understands this business very we'll and |
he can show, if anybody can, to what extest.
and at what cost to the public the railroad
corporations have abused their trust, and es>
Peclaily what share Of the iniquity has gone
Into tho pool of the confederate monopolies.
L am sure he will find no occasion to retract
ais admission that many just grounds Of
complaint exist, aud that there are maDv
abuses in railroad management which de-.
mand a remedy. This being the ackuowl>
edged state of the case, and assuming Dir.
Flax to be the kind of man You describe
him, L hope L may safely ask him, in the
name OF common justice and commercial in
tegrity, not to oppose the popular demand
tor a law which will save the Industry of
the country from the fleeing and skinninr
to which it is nov exposed. We cannot
expect a "Pool Commissioner to help ua.
bu. let him show his sense eff equity by no.
trying to impede us.
One word with you, Mr. Editor. You
think there is danger that the people will
throttle the corporate enterprises and pros
coed to confiscate the property invested in
them. If that be the present temper, it
must havc been excited by extreme and un~
exousablo provocation. But assure Won IL
has not come to that yet. No citizen has
n-anaaad anuLh;n. EL.-Ac rs -