New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-08
CENSuRIAG me RAILROADS.

ACTION OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
REPORT or TIE SPECIAL COMMrTFE-cONsoLIDA-
TioN AND oTHFR ALLEGED EVILS DENoUSCEp-
TlIK DISCUSSION.
At the monthly meeting of the Chamber OF
Commerce Yesterday. Charles 4 nth. chlrmln OF me
Special Committee Railroad Transportation road *
tracts from the reply OF Leland Stanford prrsident OF
the Central Pacific RarOadto tho questions pfopouhoed
by tie COMMITTEES 10 stimulate discusson Of tue pra-
cipe. governing toe relations Of railroads To The public
Attention WAS called TO the reply presenting In an *
oeptonaE able manner the railroad side OF ile quosuou
vet II WAS laid 10 be remarkable bodncss OF asser-
ton Of rsroao claims. aud l0y contempt Tor the de
clsions OF TOO Courts The report OF the committee
referred 70 Mr. stanfprd's denial that the rail-
roads are public highways and common car
ricr4 and bus assertion that they owe no
duties the pnbnc other than those OF the merchant
The farmer or the aborcr. The committee declared that
the ourts had not only decided 10 the contrary Da'
also bad decided that the railroads we're bound to make
reasonable ohnircs withpul ayorsm or discrimination
I'm answer 10 Mr. stanfords statement that dscrmina
lions .gair,t communities or individuals were not prac
rsrd bv roads Win which he connected, tie com
miftee presented sworn statements that merchant
having a special contract pad 50 per carload less
freight than her merchant for similar freight carried
100 miles further and other statements Of Ike nature
The report addcdi
All merchandis" consigned from New-York to railway
poInis IN Nrvda pay: rrt fui through rnie' from
NoEYofk to ran Pa eisco Wnen IA rei tue it'EnS
are not taken through. bot Delivered 600 or 'up mts
east al Frncsoo and serond exc s-iye Wa' rates
from san atclco 70 io,nt- q" url',l VI 1919 VI
sGtD~ feights whith haV" n'liIrr p'eh "INAiu. ,'
yond uoI brought back ~ tie railway COMPANY NIX ng
camde.i. taken from Sew York to san Francesca FOR
5000; bni ~ NJ Ekn Oh uu,s y ;. a'IsuU,. so
nm. ne local late from san Francisco back 20 ElEo
The committee said furineri
Regarding The assertion that Il - no worse FOR rail,
,eiau' We nS -, e; Ia, E seT,. 10 a oecona5r II
being areeiy question Of dcsrr Just a. one Pels'r
annual 10 mnfr dangerous as another according Ia -
i,a,sltion by rea one ~ the most dan
grrous ANA rrgfctblr ~ FEATURES IN mod~rn sciey IL
IA t,uton cal 81 to proof Of his IN the report o
Zoe Hepburn Committed -
snccf tia pu1c inter ~ Is shown by ihe iaci that the
dnidcnds PAL in thirteen years las past ON ne wa,ertd
sfnck ,slri thc l.r Mr. Nantrrplf put into the New
Y.tkC ntra and Hudson River Railroad ON the years
1907 and 1868 have amounted. win lntefest thereon
c,upuu de- annually. Go over ecvcnts-uvc millions "f
dollar. or. Do other words. H. iu-iesi OF tus lnhtlhe
thrsr they bad maintained At the amount then
on standing. aud rates f'r transportation Oh'sp1nd
.ugy lowrIsf. the puzzle would nave been sr'rnp hNe
millions Of del ar- batter on aud tory-'eN,n mons 81
watrrrd STOCK would not %" 80 'N~euce 10 an ri Az
* tor 80 ther ta1ue ihc ptoiucion ana commerce
ut tuc country tor ~ un" 10 come M lt|cu'e ni
creating nCiluous Naluce IN puohc enterprises u per-
hap tue most .etumruul TO tae public interest ~ All
the abis'r attending Uncontrolled manhEemeht OF th
road aud telegraph coIporAi9n. II - ~
many dn-rrat methods '.h'lrhci"h ~ u'tcl"lr
ment" companies 'r" "a fa'onte mcihol. lhr ,'o",'
Mooler." 10 connection with the UIon Pacihe Road
I l. cas-
Krgarin tho dcuu caton ~ the decisions OF TIE su
rrrr Cur - tue Cnuoi staes Nv r. esdeut stanford.
Il T. ~ stated, use e's 10 afgn" may however
,ccuut Tor tle empt 81 place upon tnc cuprf NO
Court bcnch prominent raironi attorney, aud Ia tho
10 lraluusN Eutrt aguinrt ne pteefmeht u any depart
uieni OF our Government OF men VINO nave nsen 'be
servants great public corporations, VINO are lkey 10
symIalnl- WIN t4ete corO auons 10 the detriment VI
! tue puDic Interest
IoNtLUsIoSs uF THE REPORT
Tho report concludes with the statement that Great
/ IN rs are now being made by persons ia the RAILROAD
interest 10 prove that railroad consolidation, with all
10 increase 81 power tho hands of few men, II IN the
interest cunucrce becau.e It reduces Tbs proportion
Ate expense u operating these modern hgawaYs, and
the constant decline IN charges sr transro taon IL
pointed TO ID confirmation Of tins theory. Your com
ultee arc or course ~ the greater propor nate
| economy Of operating large than small establishments
OF all kndi. and 10 this ruc railroads are NOT eK-
ceptonA W. have objection 10 all the railroads IN
fine United g. aes being consolidated into single sys>
fem provided that system controlled IN the interest
of the public bnt 40 long as rairoA" nAnAse,s PIuIN
gross f,vO sm and dts rminations against noth conn
watering anu other devices 10 obtain from tho pnhhc
more reasonable e"mpeusaiion Tor TIC service
| rendered.; - long they try q pfrpetuate these
sbu-es ny nhtAnins control OF the legislative judicial
ana ,Irrntvc departments OF our Gov eminent si -
long must We the cunsolda on OF railroad nwer
detrimental To Hl classes Ot citizrn- aud perpetual
rnare 10 The public welfare. Tor t Ia calculated 10
disrbute the wealth OF tho country virtually concen-
uauug the commsrce OF the Nation IN ie" hahds ana
| making ali Others tributary thereto"
Mr. smith. Charles Wstrous aud John T. Henry spoke
I'm crtoism OF the railroads. r. A. Conkng suggested
that II was not surpring that Mr.. Stanford worth
$50 100000 When be was a member OF the XAAVllh
Congress the grants and privileges given to ths Central
Pacific were the greatest jobs ever witness 10 oglsa
tive body The effort TO get the yeas and nays on the
oue,tous at issue were abortyo After tue scheme
completed il was found that the road was granted
area OF 100000 OF lsnd-mote than the entire
area British Isles. with France included Presi
dent Durant presented bill for contingent
which he had youohera a. he expressed II, for
confidential expenditures, 100000. aud everybody
| knew where the money went. Mr. Stanford had made
his millions out Of robberes. and IL OF unpar
aeed audteity 10 put forth such paper ~ he had put
| forth. ,,
lott shepard spoke In defence OF the railroads and
| r. n. Tnurber attacked them.
r. H. Rugaes declared that che problem isi Shah We
be snvea f not Bha those great corporations govern
us and Republic. am tcO old 10 become slave 10
these corporations ana think the report OF the com
| mittees does not 20 far enough"
The report was adopted and thousand copies were
ordered rin and distributed. Mr. shepard alone vOt
| Ing IN the negative Mr. shepard afterward proposed
| Railroad Com missioner fnf for membership, aud he
| was seconded by Nr. 1hur0er and Mr. Smith. The
| Caam per then took up other business.
/