New-York tribune., 1882-03-10
AT THE STATE CAPITAL.
RAILWAY RATES AND COMMISSIONS.
my TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNB.l
A n e, no ilrnlI col

ALBANY, March 9.-The four railroad COM
mission bills and the bills In relation TO discrimination III
railroad to-day considered FOR the first time Dy
the Railroad Committees of the Legislature. Ihe
committees held oint session this afternoon In the AS
semhly Chamber, which was crowded with othcf mem
bers OF the Legislature and interested spectators
Speeches were made favor Of the passage oi soo oo
Of the commission and snidiscrimnation bus DIV OK
Senator ODonnell I'm behalf OF the ahu'Nohopo'
League by F. b. Thurber the Chamber of Commerce,
nv u Miller for the Board Of Trade ana
TRANSPORTATION by j. B Kilmer for tho MIX Dealers
Union OF Ncw-York and by ]. ID. Otis Tor the fners
Association. Chauncey II. Depew, copnfei o 'he Ne"
York Central Railroad appeared ID opposiuoh W 'ho
bills lie criticised the various features oi oenA'or
Boyl's Commission bill modelled upon that OF the state
of Georgia, which seemed 10 DC 'ne ia'oii'0 '' ~ VIZ
speakers on the other side.
Ex-senator O'Donnell, Of Lewis County, the hrst
speaker, said he appeared to represent various aglc
tura in the State as we as other bodies III
teresed cheap transportation The people OF the STATE
were now agreed upon the snecessity OF commission
hill Determination for or against citizcn not only
DESTROYED his business but made him servant OF the
railroads lie spose upon the bills before the committee
The Baker bill was fair bill. ond did not go far enough
Maximum frelghts provided In Senator BOyds Dill
were the true solution of the question
Mr. Thuiber OF New-York, read O long document re-
viewing the various bills introduced In both branches OF
the Legislature conceded that most of the measures
introduced just and wholesome In their PROVISIONS
but none covered the question OF equaizing freight
charces better fairer in his opinion than the bill
introduced by Senator Boyd.
j. g. Hines of the State Mers Association favored
the same bills because the millers would thereby Oe
placed upon an equal footing. Ambrose Snow, president
of the Board of Trade OF was also of the same
opinion.
W. G. Low. of Brooklyn, presented figures TO show
unjust freight determinations.
Mr. Depew in his speech IN opposition 10 the hls,
ilp
cause 10 railroad managers if they became laws Attor
neys he predicted would grow very rich by bringing
suits against the railways for unconscious Violations OF
the laws. The Georgia Commission law, which seemed
to be such fayorita, he said, might be good law
for Georgia bu its provisions would work harm in New
York whose IA way system vastly larger and mere
complex In the course OF his speech Mr. Derew
sketched the history Of the agitation regarding the rail
roads this state lie said the s9 OF the agitation was
Nr Thnrbcr Eight years before Mr. Thurbcr Ind SAID
TO the speaker that the New-fork Central had ny
secia rates transferred the business OF Newiork mer
chants to the interior of the state the later would nave
their revenge He had organized the Board of Trade and
Transportation, which ostensbly was controlled by
l50o merchants. but actually hy selfpcrpetua'ng
executive committee Of which Mr.. Thurber was me
directing Chief This Board OF Trade and Transportation
continually agitaing against the raroads & &IFnih
was only Mr. Thnrber in another form The gsltau3n
actually confined to little group Gf men aDo c0p .
who should complain. Yet the discrimination
hills were av0wedy introduced In their
interests. SO oppressive We're me terms
senator Boyd's bill that he could no: but suspect tnt
It's authors inspired ny malics rather thaa ny the
pube interest The ra:lrOaGs opposed The Railway Com
mission blls because they had fOuad that Such laws hSd
never served any bcnecopt pabic service. The only
Commission tat had any credit iof Itself was
that Of Massachusetts, and that Was because OF .he
character OF the put upon H. They acted Under
| law OF which the Commission bill of s'hator
| Jacobs precise copy. Aet tlS pu
had been denounced ny Mr.. ThuTber. Given able
| Commits oners with discretionary powers ana lher
recommendations needed by the railroads Ihtre
had not been Recommendation made by TIE NassaChu
stts CummissOncrs in the last fifteen years that iad
rot been heGed bv the railroads. Sil iii" commission
had caused the ralIO Of Massachtsets I0ss ol
S5,000.GC0. ..,.,
There seemed TO be public prejudice against the rail
reads or anyone connected with them. lie Lad been
candidate for United states Senator once as every
man had a rig}t make fool OF himself once
Daring he period OF his candidacy he was most NlI3V
abused simply on grOdnd that he connected with
a railroad. Railroads Were not depressing lDc poor
people. The real oppTessOrs were the EpeculatOrs III
wheat pork and other products who were ho!dlns the
,ric.s Of these articles high point. Mr.. De
pew read calculations showing the cost To the
shOwing the small prcena of the price OF the article
that was due to The railway charges for transportation
He also ected random from large taJuated state
ment several examples of excessive teXaOn 0f le pr"
erfv of the Ncw-YOlk Ccatra In conclusion. he sad
that all the khOeTs of railroads desired was far
treatment This they would certainly nol receive II
either the Commission the Ant!DlscrInlnalon Dill
was passed The Committee tden adjourned without
taking action on the bills.