Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-11
"DAMN THE PEOPLE,"
says Mr.. william III. Vanderbilt, the
- Owner of Two Hundred Millions III
of Dollars.
He Rms HIS Railroad Business so Suii
Himself, and Not to Suit Other
People.

derbilt reached this city Yesterday after
| noon. Alter being asked variety of ques
tons concerning his own road, the million
airs was prodded with the questions. f'Whz
do you think of the Nickel-plate road, re
Gently built to compete with your Lake
| Shore?"
Mr.. Vanderbilt laughed as he answered
"Isdon't think much about it at all. It's nc
good. It's very poorly built. You can't tell
| me otherwise, because / know. Why, who
would want 10 risk their necks on a road
| built in the slipshod manner it was con.
| structed? And then they talk about its
being built SO cheaply. That's nonsense.
I'll bet 1t cost more 10 build The Nickel
plate per mile OF single track than it did
the Lake Shore"
"Do l fear its competition No, not
much. l will bet the Lake Shore will earn
the first year after the new road opens at
least per cent on it's capital, and the new
road viii not pay expenses. Because why ?
you ask. Well, Phi tell you. 1t can't get
the business and it bias too many heavy ex-
pepses. Why, have been assured by a gen.
tlenan identified with the new road that it
/ has to pay a rental of S350,00O a year for
the property it proposes occupying at
Twelfth street for lis new depot. That's a
terrible expense, and it will take a great
amount OF business to pay for this"
what are the prospects of the road &C.
cupying part of the new depot which the
Michigan Central and Illinois Central pro-
pose building jointly ?"
1.-The Nickel plate, and no other competing
line, shall come into depot of mine, go long
as have ANYTHING 10 do with it. [ can't
imsgine what the Illinois Central people
were about when they negotiated with the
Nickel-plate, and thought of letting that
road into my depot. Why should the Nickel
plate, or any other competitor of mine, ex-
pect to come into my depot? They say it is
very convenient, located just where they
want 10 land, and all that. Very true, but
why should l give these advantages which 1
have TO a rival? No, you can say positively
that the Nickel-pla!e does not get into any
depot which have anything to do with"
"Do you think that there is any truth in
the reports that the new road was built to
sell?"
Eyes, / do. That's all it could have
been built for, because there is no business
which ii can get that warrants its construc-
ton"
"Hsve you ever been asked TO buy it, or
any interest in it?"
mo, cannot say that have been asked
directly to buy it, but / have been APP
preached by persons, who, think, were TO
certain extent authorized, aud they gave me
10 understand that if / wanted 10 buy it. il
could be obtained. / did not want it, how
ever. | have no use for it. My present
roads have plenty 10 do, but do not know
where could find any business for road
like the Nickel-plate."
'Do you think when The new road starts
there will be cut in rates2"
'sOh, no; / think it will be taken into
what is commonly called the pool. What
per cent. il will get cannot say; Ger. ainly
as much as il is entitled to, however,"
SHOW is the freight and passenger pool
working?"
Every satisfactorily; don't like that ex-
preston pool However, that's common
construction applied by the people TO a COM
bination which the leading roads entered
into to keep rates at point where they will
pay dividends 10 the stockholders. The rail-
roads are not run for the benefit of the dear
public That cry is all nonsense. They are
built by men who invest their money and
expect to get al fair percentage on the same.
Freight rates have been altogether too low,
and the roads have seen that II was the best
policy to get together, arrive at an amicable
understanding and transact their business on
business principles. e., they will not do
business for nothing. / consider that it is
an excellent thing to have the rates con-
trolled by the commissioners who are &C.
lected by the roads, but l don't believe in
these State railroad commissioners. They
are usually ignorant politicians, who have
legislation favorable 10 the road is desired.
The idea of having the roads under control
of any set or sets of State commissioners is
nonsense. No cast-iron rules which any
State may adopt will do for all roads which
run through it. The government should
appoint National Board of Railroad Com
missioners, men capable to fill the Office,
who understand the business, and who will
adopt rules of flexible nature, and who will
j Ill ; l. al,
ing OF roads and not depress it."
'Do you think thtre is any probability of
lower rate being charged between the Ess.
and West Tor passenger traftic~
mo, do not. The passenger traffic is
only small part of the business OF the rail-
roads. No lower rates could be made 10 pay
between New York and Chicago. Why,
sir, do you know that not over $50
passengers are sent from Chicago to
New York per day over all the east-bound
roads? OF course if any one road could
have all Ibis business, il could afford to
carry them for SIS head"
"Does your limited express payf"
"No, not bit of it. We only run it be-
cause we are forced to do so by The action of
the Pennsylvania road. 1t doesn't pay ex-
penses. We would abandon it if it was not
for our competitor keeping its train on"
"Rut don't you run IT Tor the public
benefit 2"
"The public be damned. What does the
public care for the railroads except TO get as
much out of them for as small a considera-
ton as possible l don't take any stock in
this silly nonsense about working for any
body's good but our own, because we are not
When We make a move we do it because il
ia our interest to do 80, not because we ex-
pect 10 do somebody else some good. OF
course we like to do every hing possible for
the benefit Of humanity In general, but when
we do we first see that we are bene6ting our.
selves. Railroads are not run on sentiment,
but on business principles and 10 pay, and
don't mean to be egotistic when 1 cay that
the roads have had anything TO do with
have generally paid pretty we'll"
referring to wages paid your employees"
said the reporter, "do VOC consider that they
are generally what they should be"
Eyes, do. There is always lot of shift
less fellows who spend their money in drink
and riotous living, who are ready TO COM
plain of anything; but now take the en-
ployes on the New York Central and Hudson
River railroad. Among them we have be-
tween 600 and 700 engineers, who earn from
81 to S. day. These men are the best
which we have in our employ, and are al
most all of them mem bers of the Brotherhood
of Engineers, which / consider to be an ex-
cellent organization. When any differences
Of opinion occur between our company and
employees, we are always ready TO hear them
and consider their requests, and when they
are reasonable We grant them, When we are
making twelve shillings we are always will
ing 10 give our men ten shillings, but when
we make only twelve we don't pay fourteen.
Our rnen know this and they are generally %
satisfied, and We have little difhc1lty with
then1.o
what do you think OF the anti monopoly
moYement2"
IT Is movement inspired by sci OF fools
some men interested in it whose motives are
good, If their sense is not. When want 10
buy up any politician, ] always find the anti
monopoilsis the most purchssahle. They
nrtr IL