The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1882-06-09
FORMING, j JJNE 8, 1882.

rates to favorites, extort from ship.
pers, break freight to enhance in.
scome, carry on railroad wars, can
change rates without notice, to the
datriment of one shipper and the
advantage TO another; and in nu-
| merous ways embarass interstate
commerce, regardless Of the inter
tests Of the, people. But isl this
vast, uncontrolled power ever mis-
used? We will see. | quote from
nhe report Of a New York commits
tea on railroad investigation, APP
pointed by the State Legislature
81 1870: III July last, during 4
I war Of rates, wheat was carried
from Chicago to New York for ten
cents per hundred, Tn August it
was put upto fifteen cents, a living
trate. A short European harvest
created an unusual demand ); a
bountiful harvest here created an
extraordinary supply, The carry
ing capacity Of all roadstleading to
the seaboard was taxed to the ut
utmost. The rates were gradually
raised from fifteen cents in August
to forty cents in November. 1t
cost the roads just as much to haul
hundred pounds in August as in
November. The rate was raised
simply because the condition fof
the market warranted it and the
| product could bear it. Ifthe ship
per IS likely to make a profit, they
compel him to divide; If the mar
Egin is a close one, they decide
whetherit shall result in profit or
loss, or whether, it shall be shipped
at all or not. /" After allowing him
a certain per cent. they appropriate
the remainder. What is the differ
ence between this kind of robbery
and that ofthe Spanish brigands I
They both intimidate one with.
the pistol in the face, the other
with starvation or a ruined business;
and money is the gain: The New
York committee; to whom we have
referred, further stated that the
amount of capital in none Of the
roads affects the rates fortransport.
Ing freight Or passengers, i" and.
that their first rule is to. get the.
2sesinasss and their seeond, 10
Get all theyraa feFit: A he taxa
ton BY railroads for transportatioll
In New York Ntvs'e ~ r. q in6etI
twelve times the1entire revenue re-
tee~ed icr its governmental plsr;
poses On this subject. Judge
Black pithiiy remarks that they
boldly express their determination
to charge as much as the traffic
will bear that is to say, they will
take from the profits ofeveryIman'st
business as much as can be taken
without compelling him to quit it.
In the aggregate this amounts to
the most enormous, oppressiu e and
unjust tax ever laid upon the indus
try ofany people under the sun.
And they ''try to impress the Leg
islature with the idea that they are
above the Constitution" sr
They can and do run their lines
through the palatial residences of
the wealthy, and the meagre patri-
monies of the poor; and if desira-
bic to them take ALL turning out
the jewellers, pay half what they
would have taken for it not even
permitting them to move their
dwellings, unless agreeable to their
sacred majesties. Yet all this is
right, for it IS for the State and com
nunity; and yet they make these
glaring assumptions with counter
felt" stamped plainly onfthe face.
For all these reasons fourteen
States Of the Union have already
appointed boards of commissioners
to supervise and protect the inter-
'ests of the States against railroad
infringement. But let Us look at
some Determinations. From Wap-
clio, Iowa, to Burlington, thirty
miles, the railroads. charge. eight
cents per ton per mile On wheat,
and from Wapello to Chicago, 262
miles, the charge is ] 52-Ioo cents
per ton per mile. According to
to the report Of the Hepburn com
mittee, VIM. w. Mack, Of Roch-
ester, N. Y !, edge tool manufacturer,
shipped goods to New York and
then reshipped to Cincinnati via
Rochester. and gained each time "a
and IS cents per numbered !; the
distance being nearly 100 miles
further. Port Jervis mile rs have
grain shipped from the w est via
Port Jervis to Newburg, and thence
hauled back to port Jeris, a
distance of fifty miles, at a less rate
than they could stop the cars at
Port Jervis III the first instance. "
On cattle from the West they
charge S3s per car load from
Buffalo to New York. and for New
York cattle from the same place
they charge sos percar load. For
IL r - Z, II Il IL. fs-.. AZ.