The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-12-08
A Railroad PoQl,

Mr. E. p. Alexander. vice president Of
the Louisville and Nashville railroad, in a
recent argument before a committee Of the
Alabama Legislature, gave the following ex-
planatiqh OF pool, ~ it Is Understood by
railroad men:
A pool is really an agreement between
competin lines a. atly glyeh point about to
this effect That It al( viii asres to lnaintain
the equal tateP: which have ~bAbn aenetally
arrived at by long struggles between the
competing markets, ia which each has had
all the Ben ent Of its ReogrsEbieL position
and advantages, than any line whicn does
an excess of business, above the avenge Of
former years, mud above what would seem
lts natalal share OF the bushes, shall COM
pensate the line which is deficient in some
satisfactory manner. 1t is hard to explain
how such an effort to prevent discrimina.
tions and lamentations should becoms SO
generally misunderstood: =.
No mt. n can study thb railroad probleih
intimately without becoming convinced
that by far the greatest good Of the greatest
number would result from what the rail-
road managers attempt in their pools.
The Misrepresentation of their policy and
efforts doubtless cone from individuals
who had been able to turn railroad wars to
their individual advantage. In such wa,s
large ehippcrs always have. an advantage
over small on9ss: Their tusthefs is sought
by rebates and i,iitate CONCESSIONS, while
small shippers are disregarded. The large
shippers in those markets where railroad
vans have been common are therefore often
10th to see any arrangement by which rates
will be maintained, however low those
rates may be. In fact, large shippers sell
dom care straw whe ether rates ars los Or
high; their profits for the handling are the
ss aas fer a Ta whS makst care is
than for those for competing markets,
or rates for themselves lower than
their neighbors. The large ship
pers, too, are men Of influence and ability.
and it is they who usually CRY out against
tho o.pool. So the position Of the railroad
managers Is that between the upper and the
neither millstone: Tho public CRY out, and
justly, against fluctuations, rebates and un-
just determinations. There is no power
on earth to prevent fluctuations, rebates and
unjust discrimirations but to remove the
temptation to commit them. The only way
to remove the temptation is to make some
arrangement equivalent to what is called a
pool; but against the pool, the large ship
pers have an especial antipathy. The pool
outs OH their rebates and special rates. No
law could cut them of, because they can
always be made by some part Of the line
which lies out Of the state, SO that state law
can never reach it. And even a general
law by congress can be evaded in hundred
ways.
There have doubtless been complaints
of tho Wrongs made by pools, but these
complaints are universally that the rates
are not positively high. but only compar-
atively high, as contrasted with the rates
from some other places.
Questions OF this sort are of the great
ess delicacy and difficulty Of adjustment.
The twelve apostles themselves could
probably never give satisfaction if they had
to adjust the rates between twelve com.
peting markets. 1t is in fact. to my mind,
rather doubtful question whether there is
any such thing as justice in settling such
q question. To illustrate by IN example
away from home, in which none Of us have
any enterest or feeling.
Boston, for instance, is farther from
Chicago than New York is. Now, should
the principle ever be adopted Of making all
rates pro rata per mile, tho rate from
Chicago to Boston would be 80 much high
er than the rate from Chicago to New York
that all the foreign trade now going through
I tho former ro1t would be diverted to the
latter. This, OF course, would be an enor-
nous injury TO every interest of Boston.
In fact, no such principle ever could be en-
iorced, Tor the lines injuriously affected by
It would never submit to it, but would work
at rates far below the cost of transportatiou
Tor years rather than give up their through
business forever.
@Rut whatever criticisms may be made
upon either the purposes Of the railroad
pools, or upon the practicable operations
which have taken place under them at any
point, they have been resorted to by the
rallroad managers az the only solution
which their experience in these matters has
been able to suggest; and tina: any imper-
tectlons or abuses have been the result of
neither cafelessne6s nor indifference. bnt
OF the inherent difficulties Of the problem
itself.
5. And as an earnest Of their honest intent
to correct the abuses, and to arrive at iusi
and fair solutions Of questions between
conflicting interests, the principal Of arbi-
tration OF such questions, by the most dis
interested and competent tribunals obtain-
able. is universally recognized and sdopted: /:
and II either the state or the national Gov
ernments would provide such tribunals the
railroad managers would be only to glad to
avail themselves Of their services.
, An Ecclesiastical Scandal in Iowa.
.p The elopement of it's leading minister witt
his servant girl has blown Bloomfield, Iowa, in
to state Of feverish excitement The clergy
man had IN estimable wife end two small c6fi-
dren; the elder sixteen months of age, and the
Younger four weeks. Rev. Thomas Baskerville,
the central figure in this diegraceful scandal
has been land, for that matter is et;ll) the pas.
tor Of the Bloomville Congregational church,
al association, and the object Of his illicit pas
Oh il Lizzie Collier, who entsred the clerica
household about the middle of September in tts
.apacity Of q servant. The pair are supposed
t,have gone to California with the intention Of