New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-18
RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
OPPOSING THE REAGAN BILL.
.,v BLANCHARD CONCLUDES HIS AR"uhHNi
VIEWS OF Mr.. FINK.

VIEWS OF MR. FINK.
xu.su,xcroN. March 1.-THE hearing upon
I,terstate Commerce resumed this morning. UoiO
the House Committee on Commerce. Among t"o'. P
ent wore Messrs. Depew, Fink Blanchard barclay "
wilsop ex-hssistant Postmaster General lyhci' "a
covernor Brown. OF Tennessee Beverly IuckeI' VI v"
etna and several members Of Congress
Mr. Blanchard resumed and concluueu Ii' "ie ~
His argument to-day covered review VI INC h''''' "
rai,r,aAs In England and America, ana the hsIo's u
railroad legislation in England Germany ana FRANCE
which no cor trasted with the legislation now proposed
a., America He referred especially TO the fact developed
nv English legislation that in the railroad problem the
prorcr rule was watch carefully and prescribe niue
nv little instead Of following the prevailing American
idea 70 prescribe much although We know so htle he
compared the Reagan bill or panacea with 'he
hundreds Of laws which had been enacted in England
"a a,suv had been swept from tho statute books and
alluded to the large number Of railroad commissions
which had proved failures even in England untll they
had at last struck upon the proper sort OF commission
He advocated National commission such as has been
prooosed by Charles Francis Adams and provided TOT
in the bin which was introduced in the House 10y Repre-
tentative Rice and also In the Senate by Senator
Cameron.
He urged It becaue Il would vindcate the railroads
from nineenths OF the charges made against them by
popular clamor; because 1t would give organized
boiy 10 which the pubic could take its complaints and
have them heard and to which the railroads could 80
Also and get jnstioea tribunal which would evolve light
mt Of the darkness which obscures the public mind
on railroad questions
He gave statistics of railroad freight rates. showing As
he claimed the remarkable sefnposed reductions that
Ish soae ii,lo o ted IN Amertca The Almighty had
done much this people by the wonderful interacng
Dra,se are dne but the railroad companies also
Titled gratitude Of the public for tho wonderful net
work of facilities they have furnished To
this land. -. =,
barriers American railroads
inc.I nv nnchaif than prevail elsewhere In the world
The great railroad lines had recently appointed Ad
vscry Commission to hear ne eonbains 81 az ag
Taroads I'm their differences between each other. He
thought the National Commission which ne advocated
United States, and that all questions OF classification
a. 70 the REAGAN bi he questioned ts wisdom and
Objected TO It's application He considered IL Impractical
he void Of good discrimination, unjust and fu 81 haIi
harm He cOnteudcd that stockjobbng, corners IN
grain and other articles 90 nnne a S f 20 is
TO- It Is for CONGRESS to medde IN sncA matters
at all by general legislation.
REMARKS BY ALBERT FINK.
AT the afternoon session Of the committee, Albert Fink
Sas heard In the course Of his remarks Mr. Fink said
that the difficulties attending railroad transportation
were the result Of special n'qmtes IN this country
bu were inherent the railway system He instanced
I'm support Of statement the fact that the same com
plants against railroads are made ~ ne people OF
France aud England. as 10y Tie people OF nc OhltId
lem which the minds of Europe have been unable
10 do II vii he entitled TO the gratitude OF mauEud
The general features OF the problem he SAID. ara
too large 10 be dealt with during this session
Of Congress" and lie recommended that the
committee continue Its examination OF the subject
during the recess that commission 10 appointed TO
report To Congress its next session He Sad tat TIE
principal questions TO be decided from practical stand
point were:
Erst-IIave the services OF the railroads been rem
Seeond-Has the cost been eGuitaby assessed
upoD the peoploi The people. he main
famed were drluded by demagOgcal talk
Of railroad extorOn, and he quoted FROM
sOne statistical msstatement which, be said had been
presented at Autobiography League meetings and showed
That they were grossly exaggerated. In submitting
statistics showing the extent OF our railway system ne
ead that nearly many miles OF railroad IN
this country there iu tEe rest OF the world lie
submitted figures showing the cost OF construction per
mile to be follows ia Great Britain, 100000 France,
slsOOOO; Germany, $l35,OOO Austria, SlO9,oCo; ana
IN America, $4,000. , =
~NO greater calamity could happen to the people OF
,s country he said than the passage OF the Reagan
gaitzhoover's BILL he said, There 1900 railroad
In the United states: each has one agent 10 X
It's tariff and no nine proposed by this bu could
pOssibly do 1t, aud 10 hand the question over 10
nine persons arbitrarily to control the vast
interests the companies would be manlfesty UNJUST
The only ay would be- 10 do as Is now d0no IN Russia
namely let the Government purchase oil the railway
Inca This however could not b. done in this country
Mn Fink win continue his argument tomorrow, ana
will submit a number Of recommendations bearing upon
The general subject OF Interstate commerce.