Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-09-18

Senator Blair INQUIRED wbe,hor ~.
was hot opposed to the idea Of natural
FINK replied that these associations
uiu not all affect natural and Iag,,;-
liiate competition. They merelv nra-
vented rainous competition. C,,mra,;.
'loh between railroads was very ditFar-
eht rom that between private Innivid-
uais. In the latter casc. comnetit;nn
would cease when il reached n disos.
trous point. I" "'e'a-
Fink thought legislation MIGHT hs
employed to assist the r;irra,,s "a
maintain uniform rates. If sncL -
organization as lie managed could hc
incorporated by the General govern.
ment. No direct legislation wouid
avail. il would be best to let the rail.
roads manage their own business until
people come to understand that the in.
.eres1s OF the public and railroads are
luenticai. Any legislation or attempt
q. leSislatlon at the present time
would be regarded with suspicion.
heagan,s transportation bin is utterly
iihpractlcable. Freight rates in this
country are the cheapest in the
woriu, ana the tendency is to still
ioWer them. The scheme
lhat the government should
purchase the railroads and
own them itself is the widest folly,
which no sane man for moment
contemplates. The amount of iluetua-
tons OF rates at different seasons were
never more than few cents per hun
dred. The capital zsd value of li2 COZ
miles of railroad in the United States
was about S7l0)0,0t0 dollars. Last
Year the gross receipts of all these diff
ferent lines was 100000 900; net re-
ceipts for the same time $500, 900, 00o. or
this latter sum, $lOD, 00o, 900 have been,
PAID on dividends on sto X; Of the re-
nlainder, large proportion was ex-
pended III interest on bonds About
iitty per cent. of the running expense
OF al railroads went rs the aborers
employed as brakesnen, conductors,
firealen and engineers. He WAS asked
if shippers and people were satisfied
with the transportation charges fixed
by railroads and replied they never
would be satisfied rs long us they had
to pay anything NJ all. The
extra charge 10 the con-
sum ES1H Or transportation was
nsign1ucant. he aided cost OF
| transportation to II man for -four and
meal consumed by himself and family
, for year was about s so, or the pay
Ola days labor. The system OF pool.
| ing was resorted 10 us means o.
maintaining rates aud preventing one
! 70 d from cheating anntucr by viola
ting its agree m Mt II ut ates
A statement mas been made by ex.
Secretary OF th Treasury VIE dom OF
Minnesota to the effect that railroad,
! had it within their power to put VI
| rates OF any time and extort money
from wshippers, and that Il rais'
of five cents per hundred in the cost o
| transportation of grain would give
e lin of So, 0d0 900 10 the railroads
This statement was copied extensively
throughout the country. This wa
based on Il wrong estimate, as the rails
OF five cents referred to had onl,
brought in S2,000000. Besides, Their
We're always reductions correspondent,
to increase of rates, and the fiuetuatiul
in grain was between thirty five an
twenty-five cents per hundred. |
never went beyond these limits, ant
ehe rate WAS now at iii
'owest limit. Witness did not thin
it was any evidence that a road wa
charging too high rates because tina
road was paying twenty per cen
dividend on lis stock. The only thin
to be regarded was the rates.
Thomas. formerly editor of the Ne
York Globe, a co!ored man. testifie
that the educational facilities of I'll
South were very poor, aud he advise
national appropriations for the oblec
He condemned the strict labor systeI
of the South and thought an invest
eating committee should be appointe
10 inquire into the matter thorough,
Married.