Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-03-10
VANDERBILT'S VIEWS.
A CLEAR STATEMENT OF HIS VIEWS
ON RAILROAD MATTERS.
flattering Prospectfor Big Spring Traffic
Pooling Of Rates Beneficial to the
People and Railroads Alike
Some Talk About the DAN
ger Of monopoIies.
CONVERSATION WITH A NEW YORK
REPORTER.
vANDERBILT's VIEWS.

n " . w ..
How Railway and Business Topics Ap-
pear from the Standpoint Of . Hundred
Million.
NEW YORK, March 9.-The Herald has
an interview with w. II. Vanderbilt on
business, railway and fnancisl topics.
On the subject OF railway prospects he
says: "We have had very severe win.
ter and railroads have had hard time.
The constant succession OF storms has
blockaded travel and caused so many &C.
cidents 10 motive power by the unusual
tests to which it has been subjected that
the railroads have generally been affect
ed by the very large increase OF expenses
necessarily incurred, and those roads
that are at all short of locomotives, &c,
have probably suffered the most. Last
year the business of March was unusual.
ly heavy, and there is plenty of freight
now to be moved il the weather Is favor.
able, so that the probabilities are the
railroads will have a very large tonnage
until late in the spring or summer, as
navigation on the lakes will hardly open
as early as usual. These causes have
created large demands upon the locomo-
tive works and car companies OF the
country, and | understand that it is at
this time almost impossible to enter an
order for locomotives for the present
year and that many works have large
orders for 1882"
"Then the business outlook generally
may be inferred to be very favorable?"
"Undoubtedly," Mr.. Vanderbilt re-
Piled, business OF all kinds seems to be
thriving, and the prospect for a season
at least seems very encouraging Peo.
pie as a general thing are attending to
their business and are happy, but in all
countries there will always be found a
few disinterested individuals (here Mr..
Nanderblt's playful smile lit up his
face working for the dear public. These
agitators and advocates never fail to
find some question on which to fasten
public attention or some great interest
to attack which they can make the public
believe wileventuallyr ruin thisgreat and
prosperous country. They remind me
OF the one honest alderman this was
said with dryness OF tone which made
it very effective) who had eleven thieves
for associates"
Railroad Pools and Consolidation.
"Do you believe in the current meth
ods of forming railroad pools?"
"Well, pools are resorted to by rail.
roads as protection against the ruin
GUS war OF rates." Mr.. Vanderbilt re-
aisah eeAaa. .itPSSpT1y d9rRea tbs11 vaIs
the railroad properties concerned, for
the reason that they give TO all classes a
uniformity OF rates, while in war OF
rates every shipper iG. on the other
hand, necessarily a speculator to the
extent of the fluctuations OF rates. The
universal demand, when the railroad
war existed, from merchants, manufac-
turers, producers and consumers, was
for certainty and uniformity OF rates.
No othor method could accomplish this
but pooling and having the business
divided as per agreement between the
companies"
"And as to the great railroad consoli-
dations, which have been regarded by
so many as menace to the Welfare OF
the people,"
81 am perfectly conviced that CONSOLE
dations are beneficial not only to the
properties consolidated, but 10 the pub
lie at large. In my entire experience in
rairoading | know Of no instance TO the
contrary. The New York Central and
Hudson River Railroad is conspicuous
example OF this. The old New York
Central served the public much better
after the several links composing il were
formed into one road, and since it's con-
solidation with the Hudson River it has
furnished better service at about one
half the cost to the public. The same
NAV be said OF the Lake Shore, or the
Pennsylvania system, and, in fact, ot all
the consolidated lines. Transportation
over the great trunk lines has been
cheapened by a much greater percent
age within the last ten years than the
price OF the products and manufactures
carried by them have been reduced. i
saw. however, that while | am in favor
OF consolidating continuous and con-
Meeting lines which can be operated
more cheaply and more efficiently to-
eether than independently, 1 am not in
favor OF consolidating competing parallel
roads"
The nti-Monopoly Movement.
"You probably have observed the
present anti.monopoly movement"
at is perfectly absurd this cry oil
anti monopoly. Agta,ors and dema-
gogues always begin by attacking prop.
erty. They know they cannot succeed
unless they set up popular cry which
presents a false issue. The present
mode OF attack is to call all the great cor.
porations monopolies, and the railroads
are selected as the chief offenders. Now.
as matter OF fact and here MIR. VAN
derblt's voice grew almost vehement in
its earnestness), the railroads have done
more than all other agencies TO develop
the country; larger percentage oil the
money invested in them has b-en sunk
than in any other business, the capital
ist who first embarked in the enterprise
generally losing his mCney, and the peo-
pie getting the roads. Moreover, con
slider that never in the history OF the
country has there been 80 much railroad
building in competition with old lines
as there is to-day. A monopoly is sim
ply impossible. There is too much en-.
terprise and money in the country Tor
that, and railroads are too easily dupli-