The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-03-01

would claim that he has made out his
whole case. There is no doubt cause Of
complaint in some particulars along that
line, but Mr.. Wilson's bill, like
some Of the legislation proposed
two yeass ago, is simply impractical. As
an example, he reduces the carriage of
freight TO purely mileage bRsis-so much
per ton per mile. This at first glance may
look like the perfection Of equity to a
great many people. What could be tairsr
than to charge shippers SO much per ton
per mile, allowing more, pro rata, for short
hauls than Tor long hauls. And yet
"summum jus summa iRjuria" Is an old and
well established maxim, and 1t has it, ap;
plicadon in this proposed legislation. For
instance, it allows railroad company to
charge cents per ton per mile for any
distance not exceeding s miles for the
transportation Of coal. This means that
for the hauling Of ten tons OF coal FIVE
miles railroad company shsll receive s.,
or II 50 II it hsuls only five tons
in the car, Now can q railroad
company furnish a car, switch it in
and out al any coal mine, haul 1t five
miles, leave the car for q certain length Of
time for unloading, haul 1t back empty,
and leave 1t again to be loaded, for s. per
car. We take 1t that the supplying Of coal
to local points within five miles Of any
mine that may be opened, can not, In the
nature OF fittings, be paying business at
that price. II the car could be promptly
loaded back with return freight 1t might
pay, but any one could see that the cars
thus employed would not be apt 10 get re-
turn freight They would travel one way
empty, Probably the average time re-
quired for q car to thus earn s. would
not bs less than three days, saying moth
ing Of the expense Of moving and switch.
ing 1t.
But this Is not all, The mileage basis
torbids ~ all grouping and averaging Of
coal mines scattered along railroad, say
fifty miles apart, There are important coal
mines thus scattered along the Chesapeake
( Ohio road, as there are also along the
Baltimore & Ohio, The basis iorbids (2)
all special rates for coal or other products.
The tendency would be to give the mines
nearest to tide water, at the eastern ter.
minus Of the B. 60. a very decided advan-
tage over those lying further west on the
road. And the sane thing is true Of the
mines on the Baltimore & Ohio road. II
we are not mistaken, the mileage basis Of
Mr.. Wilson's bill makes q difference Of
about twenty.eight cents per ton in favor
OF the Newburg mines as against those oil
Fairmont, some fifty miles apart. This
means that the former might ship coal
at a rate that would dry up the business
OF the latter. There are times when this
result would certainly occur.
This thing OF geographical position Is a
serious matter in the calculations OF a
railroad company. AS an illustration OIL
how important II Is deemed, we will
venture to quote the following extract
from some remarks made by Mr.. Keyser
OF the Baltimore L Ohio road, two years
ago, on this very point. He was speaking
Of wild schemes Of pro.rating freight, and
he illustrated this measure as follows:
yesterday q gentleman came in here
with a plan by which he said all the
trouble could DO avoided. He explained
that II the railroad company would make o
proper difference In the rates for shipping
cattle at various points along the line OF
the Parkersburg branch, aud also In the
rate on general merchandise received at
the same points, our complaints will be
met said 70 him, let me understand
you perfectly. You mean that II we
would ship from each point, few miles
apart, at different rates, that that would
be popular. Yes, said he, that is
what mean. My dear cir, said I, 80 far
from that being popular, 1t would breed a
perfect pandemonium In O week, Don't
you see that parties living ct all the yaria.
tons OF distance from these stations would
be set by the esrs. Some would haul their
stuff or drive their stock away from the
proper points nearest 10 them, to one few
miles nearer to the point Of destination
and We would be offering premium fol
them TO do 80. Experience has shown Us
that such q policy 10 radically unfair, and
hence we have, as all railroads have done,
consolidated certain stretches or divisions
OF our line under one tariff OF prices, and
In that way we have equalized rates on q
fair average, and thereby protected all the
interests along our road. To illustrate this
difficulty still further, will relate con.
yersation that l had with prominent
lumber man oil, Piedmont. He claimed
the advantages Of his geographical position
over the Grafton lumber interest, and In.
sisted that the company should discrimi.
nate In his favor. / told him that II was
impossible for the company TO comply
with his demand, as In that case we would
put Grafton at o great disadvantage In the
market, and perhaps break her down alto.
getber. Well, said he, lei Grafton look
out Tor herself, and hoat her timber down
to Pittsburgh, or help herself In some
other way. No, said l, that would not be
right and the company will never do It,
We will simply move you half way back
to Grafton and bring her half way forward,
and make the same rate for both OF you,
and as far as we have the power put you
both In market on terms Of equality. The
gentleman Saw the point at once In lie
proper light, and acknowledged that bis
plan would not work. He said that not.
withdrawing he had thought good deal
on the subject, he had never thought Of II
In the light Of q general average for the
protection Of large number Of interests
which the company was interested in keep.
ing alive"
The foregoing remerks OF Mr.. Keyser IL.
lustrate the principle involved In the fes.
tire Of the Wilson bill that we are con.
sidering. They serve to show The imprac.