, 1881-11-12

= {*couptry.' However, 1t must be stated that:mat
: i Of the railroad companies hive entered I'M
> pooling agreements reluctantly. The consfde
alton which h,as le tleln to the sacrisice OF the
Independence With respect ~ competitive tTa
tanned during competitive warfare. and the fac
demonstrated: by experience. that tie nef r
cctpts from traffic, at rates maintained under
pooling agreement, are invariably larger tha
| cisn possibly be secured. even on 4 much large
rrattic, at the lower rates which usually prt
vail in the absence OF such united action, IN
| especially during wars OF rates. It Is founl
also, that when acting conjontly, the raiiroa
/ companies are able to effect luree savings Of e.
psnse through economies @ p. S Pfaeticsd IN th han
| locomotive, aud train hands.
There is annrher consideration which has i
many eases tended to lead railroad managers t
1nents-Iamely: tho fact developed by expert
encc thnr, whether At peace or Ut war; the pro
| cured hy each road hats for years remained Abou
| tho same. In other words. zach road secures
in any event. about that proportion Of tho com
lretitre traffic to which Its facilities cRttle 1t
| Unc Of the principal causes of this Is. that II
! most eases cs'ulmerctaf conditions exert
m tr cn o~a5o c na r. ont
| iuc than do even considerable differences il
/ freight charges
j Early ir the history of rarond transportation
| it was supposed that freight charges would II
I cases be determined by the natural workings oi
| the law Ut supply and demand. But the fallacy
| nf thar idcu has been demonstrated time and
a:yain both III this country uil1 III Europe. The
practical workings OF corporate ownership. the
physical characteristics OF railways lis high
ways of commerce, their relations each other
in the conduct OF competitive traffic, and Ger
thin external circumstances forbid that railroad
freight charges should be determined in that
way.
TIE evils resulting from wars of rates are not
confined to the r,liiroad companies. The public
interests also thereby :srently suffered. Loud
unjust d'scrim'nalions made 10y the relative
differences between the low Through" or
competitive rates and the comparatively high
- locl " or competitive -utes. 1Iesides no
shipper knows OIL one day what rates would
prevail on the next. nor dues he know what his
competitor iii trade Is paying for transportation
services.
a more serious result, however. Of the wildly
fuctuAttng freight charges which prevailed
during wars OF rates arose from the fact TINT
GLAZING DETERMINATIONS WERE MADE
as between different lOc,iities and trade cen-
tres. Taus trade and industry BECAME deunr-
allZct4 Us the result of uncertainties which
neither the merchant nor the manufacturer
could foresee, aud asuirst which they could not
The differences which urse in the conduct Of
trade. and Iii transportation on free highways
OF commerce where competition eNerts Il rcgu-
latlve inuc:lcc, nsuy he regarded us being i'll
the nature nf 1ricuonui resi51unccs, resulting
from the lntcrhctlon Of rival Interests; hui the
struggles between cum npctiIls railroads seem to
be Conflicts of opposing FORCES Tn free high
ways. -Watru competition operates As II regllfa-
tive principle, the public Interests are by this
petition us exists between ra1lruads at the pres
ent day. tho struggles which cnste appear to
DC destructive mercl:.. aIlh 10 work injury alone.
An agreement Hs 10 the establishment and
maintenance Of rates ninung any number ot
curriers' on 4 free highway of commerce does
not, Of course, preclude the possibility III COM
pet1ucH upon such highway: but the is diff
tcrcnt with respect. to the establishment and
Iu1iintcnnnc;: OF rites competing riir0atts.
III the latter casc the agreements are nut nude
by individual curriers', bur by owners OF the
highways uf commerce. themselves. together
with all their organized agencies tor trAnspurta-
ton. Thus the 'niroluctton OF the railroad
Wl.h its VAST possibilities Tor tho advancement
Of commerce, uud OF all the industrial and
social interests ut the world, ran counter
to the prvcAistiug order of things.
Regent events have somewhat shaken the
public faith In the
AND RELIABILITY OF POOL.
ING ARRANGEMENTS
as a means Of settling disputes between rival
companies. After four years OF a,}-
successful worEulg the largest pool
IN Iila country has suddenly been stricken
with inlpotcncy. For the past four months
[hele has been all unparalleled war of freight
lni passenger rates. embracing alike east
bound ailu Wes,-bound traffic. Passenger
rates have been lowered about Is per cent on |
through business, and on through freight |
!ls: charge was lowered two and one-1ourth
:3st Of transportation t. the rail- |
uads. This war mas proved detrimental not |
'i,ly To tile rtats, but also to. the commercial
lld manufacturing Interests or the country,
BECAUSE of tile daily uncertainty as to the I
Ates, the special figures given to favored !
hlDpers, aliu Unjust Determinations as be-
ween localities.
So far as the public interest is concerned,
Is impossible At prtsent to
Ass FINAL JUDGMENT UPON POOLING Or
CARNATIONS.
-o+ f1,a,+ +n$, II. |
Ion- !. The fact that they tend to avert Ger
AN lntnleraDlo evils recommends theul to
3Icratioi, aud i degree Of public favor, But
90 little Is Known of their inside workings
} Justify STATE Governments or the National
ioyernnle.lt i'll conferrin, upon them uucou-
It1onai attributes Of legality.
The laliroatt system ot the country is III
Late Ut evolution, aud each year brings its
oi surprises TOday's eXpeuient
ny prove inadelUa1e next year, and the
alls1aIit building vi new lines for subserv-
X particular cities and local interests make
evident that tfu puuling OF tile future must
U cOnt1licd more clHsely To distinctive lines
traffic, and TO the geographical aud trade
ants Of such traffic.
Mr. Nelntno discusses the practcability of
oyern!nental recognition Of railroad c0i,~
deratons for the pooling of traffic." aud
Jln15 ont that it would be in exceedingly /
etlcate and difficult matter for the National
overltmens to undertake to determine the
!
rival clt.ts upon the basis OF distance Or
her grounds.
THE RIVALRY BETWEEN NEW YORK,
Philadelphia, and Baltimore for the export
lslness of the coulltry is one Of the causes ,
tile present war, and any decision by the | ]
overnlnent tending to make, I'LL award
traffic to tllem would ut once t
come q sharp political issue-a t
lestlon on which city would be arrayed !
1nst cily unu State against State. It I
,uld be impossible fur the Government to !
territorial limits to the traffic operations II
rival roads, Tor the reason that the lines | /
the various companies irterlock and conl- t
tt at hundreds Of points and under a t
unless variety of conditions. Another t
rioHs obstacle exists III tue ilnpossibillty t
Our Government to cUntrnl the Canadian t
es, the bulk OF whose business comes FROM d
ntricun sources. +,
t dues not, however, appear TO be necessary r.
IT all remedial measures should await the re-
e OF any general detcr.n mutton Of the qies- | :.
n lis to the relatuus of the railroads to public
crcats. Ia view OF the evils resulting; from |
rs Of rates, 1t arpearS to lie not only cesir-
H., cut feasible, for the Government To re-
Tx: that all rates shall lie mule public nike :,
all, and NOT caungcd without due public
lee. II Is perhaps also advisable that Inv II
'uto DC passed requiring that railraad com | II
lies siail furnish 0ss 10 shippers caui1abi:, | =.
florence in facilities shall he afforded 10 one | Il
PIPER as a:ttinsI bis competitor in trade. Pref II
nctS IN the Iuatterof supplying cars and fur | -
hing other f.cjIifif.s IL