New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-28
DIFFERENTIAE RATES.
OPINIONS OF NETWORK MERCHANTS.

The reDOrt OF the ITUnk lslHc huN snois
on the question of dierental freight rates and the
interview with William H. Vanderbilt, published in
! THE TRIBUNE of Wednesday, have exciIod much
comment among Produce Exchange merchants IN
this CITY, While talking freely in private on these
| matters however there is some reluctance among
| tho merchants in expressing their views puDHcS'
They do not regard the award of the Advisory Com
mission as affirming the principle of diferental rates
permanently. and they look to the action Oh the
6ew- York roads in the future for the protection Oh
| New YOrk's commerce, which they assert wouiu SUI
fer by the strict maintenance of the present diIer
eptial rates Put plainly. grain dealers expect that
rates will he cut "by the New-fork roads shou'u
this city begin to fail behind in its present percent
| ace of the east bound freight movement to all 'he
| Atlantic seaport cities Some resentment - OK
pressed nj Mr. VanderbIlps placing blame on Now
York's merchants for inadequate arguments oeioio
tn. commissioners. More dsapp0inth enI 10 ioi' ''
his declaration that he was done Win ee n"''.i VI
diferental rates They say that the derlsion u .o
Advisory Commission, according 10 Ill onc'a "ooi'
! rations on the subject was not necessarily onui"s
on the New York roads and that, az the Commission
failed 10 present any plan for change ID the exist
| inc arrangement Mr.. Vanderbilt might consis tenily
! ottemnt 70 find one Independently. The feeling
capsed by Mr. Vanderbilt's utterances is modified
nv hone that his self-intercst will induce him TO
nrtect New-York from any serious diversion OF bus
mess as the consequence of the continuance OF the
differences in favor Of Philadelphia and Baltimore.
TRIBUNE reporters yesterday sought the views OF
merchants on the award of the Advisory Commits
SION and the attitude of Mr. Vanderbilt These
views are best pressed in the following interviews
with f. A. Orr and Franklin Edison. Mr.. orr Is
member of the firm of David Bows IL Co.,
and Mr. Edson of Franklin Edison X Co. Both
gentlemen hold prominent pos itlons in the Produce
nd Mr. Orr
who plead the cause of NewYork before the Adj
visory Commission
VIEWS OF f. A. ORR.
Mr. Orr spoke deliberately and carefully when
approached on the subject. Yes, have read the
report of the Advisory Commission with care'" he
said " After an education OF SIX months and what
we uust believe to be a deliberate consideration OF
the subject submitted to them by the great trunk
lines the Advisory Commission have spoken. 10
the question before them they reply: 'Diiorental
rates have come into existence under the operation OF
co,nnetitive'forces We therefore cannot advise
their being disturbed The practical effect OF this
reply AT the present time If accepted by the rail-
Dads will be TO make the charge LOT railroad trans
portatOn service from Chicago 10 Baltimore tnIee
cents per hundred pounds less than that charged or
| a like service to New YorR. In other words the
| eurplus productions of Western farms snOuld IN
the oninOn of these commissioners be made TO cost
| the Now-York merchant three cents per hundred
pounds or 60 cents ton, more IN New OK lnah
the like products will cost the baltimore merchanis
in Baltimore. In arriving AT their decision the com
mssloners, after elaborate arguments, DISMISS
| what they term the distanCe-princpe ana
| the cost principle in Transportation as prom
| ineut guiding considerations, ana take up
hat they style the competitive prlncipe IN sueh
II amer that the reader of their report vs. zen 10 De
lieve that they had at last discovered the true pau
acea for all incident to railroad transporta-
| ton But iurther on he is undecelved"
! Mr. Orr here read that part OF the Commission
report which severely condemns IL rnInous railroad
| wars of rates which have prevailed at times The
| ,iuc:o,, u
e1eat discovery" resumed Mr. Orr. In point oil fact
they are only stating, without being aware OF IT, the
injurious effects of d1erential rates upon railroad
| morals Indeed. having read thus far, 1t becomes
evident that these comm are not exceptions
| TO the rule that great statesmen ana prominent
LAWYERS are imputent when called upon TO grapple
with the great commercial questions OF the present
| day The remainder OF their argument from com
mercial standpoint is feeble and pom tless III theu
ideas had controlled when New-fork was IN It's IN
fancy. its present magnificent proportions, the re-
snIt of courageous and INTEL gent grasping OF OPP
| portuniiics. would be far away IN the future
| Even the award is uncertain IN Its sound. Inc
| Commissioners say that they do not assume that
the rates which just to-day Will be lust lndehn-
| itey.' Who shall decide when they snail operate
unfairly and give forced and unnatural az.
| rectlon to trade'l Did not New York claim before
| the Commission that the EXISTING dinerehtaI rates
| were unfair 10 heri Did not Philadelphia claim
| that to discriminate between her and Baltimore
| was most unjust 7 And did not Baltimore most wig
| orOusy MAINTAIN that existing iaVOrs lorced from
| New-York and philadelphia shoald be doubledf Is
| this finding of the COMMISSIONERS an incentive 10
| commercial enterprise that Newlork VIII accept
l. she to have her wings clipped to correspOn, win
the progressive ability of any city on the Atlantic
| coast? Is she TO volunteer philanthr0pc TAX 10
AID the sea board cities to compete with her Tor hef
foreign commerce. the result OF her own uhalded
energy far they are concerned let ths Is thc
| real meaning of the award. ,
| Every body who has studied the question at al!
| knows that the controlling factor in the export
trade is the cost OF transportation from ihe prOIuG-
| n0 poiut to the sea board market. Ii New \ ork
surrenders to Baltimore and Ph,ladeiP1la ID t t
great exporting cities and therefore the great I'M
| porting cities of the United States II NeS-loTk
can be called upon III equity t. submit 20 an ex-
cessiye transportation charge so as to equalze her
export trade to theirs may she not with equal JUS
tice he asked 10 pay larger duty than they upon
her Imports for the SIMPLE reason that their feeble
| import trade may be stimulated ms would soon
| produce confusion worse COMPOUNDED Tor Baltimore
would be called upon IN turn TO contribute TO Nor
| folk and Norfolk to Charleston, ahd so Oh 10 the
end of the chapter OF American seaport loWIs anu
cities. ! mean ilsTespect to the eminent gentle
| men who composed the Commission lhey nave
deserved national reputation as statesmen anu
urists but there seems TO be more oil The special
pleader in behalf of the weak, because II Is weak,
as against the strong simply because IL Is strong,
than of the arbitrator, in their award he rail-
roads have erred in believing If they really dld so
| believe. that minds trained to solve political ana
legal questions only could suggest seryceable rem
edies Tor great questions having IA direct bearing
| on the growing commerce of the United States. |
would like to ask the cOmms~iC neIs and the city
| of Philadelphia these questions That relation
will tho young city of Newport News have to Bal
| timOre under THIS decision VIII Newport News
| receive from he asked to contribute to Balti-
| more a diferental ritef When these questions
| are TO lie solved what side of tue argument will
| Baltimore take. and which side OF it would the
| com nissiOners accept r 800
| Regarding the interview with Mr. Vanderbilt
published IN THE TRIBUNE Mr.. Orr said: " Mr..
Vanderbilt does not mean all he says when speak
| ing OF the me chants How Will he adhere 10 dit
ferental rates with the other trunk lines when he
sees the Contras business slipping away because of
| themf He and his father ALWAYS stood by New
York and her merchants, aud If in 80 dong they
made themselves wealthy, it was their good fortune.
No doubt he was little dyspeptic when THE lRIB-
UNE interviewed him. aid the award by the Com
,nlssIOucrs made him cross. Saratoga water Will
| cure that soon and help hun TO see through the