New-York tribune., 1881-10-03
MR.. VANDERBILTS REPLY.

COMMENTS ON Mr.. GARRETTS LETTER.
NO FORMAL ANSWER TO MAKE, BUT SOME PLAIN
TALK ABOUT THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO AND ITS
Observation-Disclosures FOR THE NEw-YoRK CEN
TRAILS COURSE.
w. H. Vanderbilt was asked by TRIBUNE re-
porter yesterday if he willing to make any reply
to Mr.. Garrett's charges published on Saturday.
He said
al have no formal answer. What have hereto
fore stated at different times covers my position and
meets ANYTHING he may say. l have glanced over
Mr.. Garretts communication, hut have not had time
to read it carefully. am practical business man.
and cannot devote myself exclusively TO literary
pursuits His views are expressed with such
volumes of words that it would hardly be possible
for anyone to have time sufficient to read them and
also run railroad think cause of the failure
of the presidents Of the trunk lines to agree is the
exhaustion produced by Mr. CARROTS interminable
talks mt their meetings. There no differences OF
opinion among on this point at least. L gather
the impression thai most of the matters treated OF
by him are ancient history and not accurately re-
ported at that. If the NewYJrk Central has stood
alone at the trunk line meetings. it has generally been
upon questions affecting not only its welfare but
that of the State and the City of New-York as we'll
It's efforts to protect resist encroachments upon
the commerce which rightfully belongs to this port,
ess are Identical with the cities of their States
which are their natural termn. These lines, and
especially the Baltimore and Ohio, sock by expen-
slve connections TO reach territory naturally served
by the New-York Central and its connections, and
then strike at it in two WAYS by secretly cutting
rates first in diversions of traffic from New-fork to
their own cites and next by lower contracts TO our
own points and tcrnini. When we discover tins
violation of good faith and make our rates conform
to theirs they naturally cry ont that we are demor-
alizing the business and running the properties The
reference to my letter Of 1873 has nothing to DO
with the present controversy Mr. CARROTS world
may stand st but three years is long period WIN
the rest of us and the conditions of that period are
entirely changed now lido not believe that there is
n prominent railroad official in the country except
Mr. Garrett. who will dispute the correctness of
the New-York Centrals position. No matter
whether it is Ncw-York, New England, Philadcl-
phia or Baltimore business, all we ask is that 1t
shall be fairly adjusted and if the adjustment Is not
maintained il will be because the New ork Centrat
discovers as il did prior 10 the present so-called
war; that 1t was being cheated and somebody had
broken faith. We have cut no rates; we nave met
them. Whatever any other line was willing to
carry for we were ready to follow on the same
tcrlns. II at the same rates n larger share of the
business comes to Us than is pleasant for our
rivals. we cannot help lt only they caIhOt expect
us to submit quietly to their efforts to establish an
equilibrium by sticking knife into one of our ar
tcrics.
"lt is not for the purpose of crushing the con-
struction Of parallel lines that | have sought TO
maintain the rights of the roads of which AIN pres
idcnt The fact n have stated before, that we
have not cut rates but simply followed the rates
fixed by our rivals not only refutcs the charge but
fastcns upon Mr.. Garrett and his coadjuiors the
fault OF di,couraging these new schemes. But
those enterprises starting under the burden
of speculative construction companies. ana
pling up heavy indebtedness and enormous interest
accounts in advauce Of any certainty as To the
character and remuneration Of their trahc. could
only get money at all in such exceptional times as
we have recently experienced. Parties willing to
take their securities under present conditions, would
not bc likely to he deferred either by railroad wars
| or by bankruptcies. They are not the kind who
inquire beyond the prospectus and the promises OF
the cntcrprisng promoters. Mr.. Garrett seems very
| much alarmed about the injury am inilicting upon
| NV innocent stockholders Would 1t not be as well
for him TO wait until they select him as their cham
| pion. or make some complaint about the present
management Certainly, if they were dissatisfied
should BE- the first to hear of Il, but so far there
| has b,cn general opi roval and encouragement"