The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-19
IrreprossIbIe .I,,,rt,,,I Conflict.

The Merchants Exchange Of New York
has endorsed the position taken by Van
derbilt in favor Of wlping out ditIerential
rates Of railroad transportation between
Chicago and the scaboard, and the mer-
chants aud manufacturers Of Baltimore
have retaliated by endorsing the position
Of Mr.. Garrett, Of the B. 4 o., in favor OF
contending for tho continuance OF said
ditIerential rates, They passed the follow
Ing resolutions on Friday last
WHEREAS, ThoNew York Board OF Trade
and Transportation have adopted certain
resolutions indoBing the course taken by
the Now York Central & Hudson River
RaiIroad Company In refusing to come to
terms with the other trunk lines in regard
to freight except ut equal rltes TO all sea-
board cities, thereby ignoring ditIerential
rates, which We Claim are due our markets /;
therefore,
Resolred, That this association earnestly
lndorse the course OF the Presidents Of the
Baltimore 4 Ohio and tho Pennsylvania
Railroad Companies In contending for
what nature has given US, and that this rs.
ISOLATION urge the officers OF these corpora
tiops to continue to demand such diEGren-
tial rates in any settlement OF the question.
Thus 1t seems that we have the ground
work laid for an indefinite continuance Of
the present irrepressible conflict between
New York and Baltimore, in the matter Of
ditferential rates from Chicago TO tide
water. Baltimore claims rebate OF three
cents on account Of shorter distance, and
Vanderbilt says that this Is simply Conced-
ing the export business to that city, especi.
ally as there are no terminal charges at Bal.
tlmore, whereas there is n terminal charge
Of three cents per bushel at New York.
Baltimore tells Vanderbilt TO abolish his
terminal charges and thus put himself on
an equality with Locust Point, but Wander.
bilt seems much more inclined 10 abolish
the difTerentlal rate than the terminal
charges.
1t looks little as II somebody would
have to back down in this business and
Vanderbilt's offer to submit the matter 10
arbitration looks as II ho might be the
man. And yet we do not see how he can
afford to abandon his ground. He has n
railroad Of exceptionally favorable grades
as compared with the B. & o., which per-
h0ps fully compensates for the difference
in distance, and yet he has a heavily
watered stock to pay dividends upon, both
as respects the N. Y. Central and the Lake
Shore, while the B. & o. has the smallest
share capital in proportion to It's mileage
Of any OF the trunk lines. A small amount
Of net earnings by the B, & o., us compared
with the N. Y. Central, will pay qivi-
dend, and II once Vanderbilt fails in the
matter Of dividends the prestige Of his
high priced stock Is gone. His position
Is therefore embarrassing in the extreme.
The B. & o. declares It's intention to carry
grain at three cents less per buBhel
from Chicago to Baltimore than the price
fixed by the New York Central, let this be
much or little; and this while It may have
the effect to keep rates down to n non.pay-
ing point on both roads, does not not
promise much in the way Of dividends for
Vanderbilt.
Meanwhile both roads intend, II posi-.
bic, to make their dividends out Of the I'M
fortunate people who live along their lines,
out Of the reach Of their competition, by
keeping up the rates as high as possible on
them. This Ia where the joke comes in
for the people Of West Virginia along the
| line Of the d. 90.