National Republican., 1883-09-18

fed so long as they had TO pay anything at
all. But in view of the facts which he had
stated he thought they were as reasonable as
any one could expect. The extra charge to
tho consumer for transportation was
Insignificant. The added cost of
and meat consumed by himself
and family for year was about S1.90, or the
pay of day laborer. The system of pooling
was resortod to as means Of maintaining the
rates and preventing one road from cheating
another by violating an agreement and cut
ting the rates. This method was found to bo
the only one which was of practical valuo in
maintaining rates, unless assistance was given
by the government Hitherto the railways
had been obliged to resort to q system of
penalties established by themselves in order
to maintain their rates. In o majority OF
cases the local business was the most i'm
portant, and the through business merely
an incident. On some of tho roads,
however, the through business reached
nearly one-half. Mr.. Fink thought
that state railway commissioners were
beneficial where it was only sought TO
reform abuses, but he did not believe in let
ting them exercise arbitrary power in fixing
rates or charges and in controlling railway
property, as was done in Georgia. He had no
objection to their doing this, however, If they
made good the losses suffered by railway
company. Many men worked for years with
out receiving any compensation whatever to
establish a railway line, but just as soon as
the road began to make money then thero
was cry that it was monopoly, and
an effort was made to get possession of its
property. A statement had been made by OK
Secretary Window, of Minnesota, to the effect
that the railways had it in their power to put
up the rates at any time to extort money from
the shippers, and that raise of 8 cents q
hundred in the cost of transportation of grain
would give gain of $45,000.0OO to tho rail-
ways
The statement was copied extensively
throughout the country. This was based on
wrong estimate, as the raise of cents
referred to had only brought in S2,s0000O.
Beside, there were always reductions corre-
spending to the increase of rates, and the
fluctuations in grain were between 30
and 20 cents a hundred. 1t
never went beyond these limits, and
the rate was now at the lowest limit
Witness did not think it was any evidence
that q road was charging too high rates that
the road was paying 20 per cent. dividends on
its stocks. The only thing to be regarded
was the rates. If these were reasonable, it
| made no difference how much a road made.
1t only showed that the road by its good man
agement or superior accommodations had So
cured q large portion Of the business. Every
limitation of profit he thought should be ac-
companied by q guarantee against losses.
| There was very little danger, however,
that railways would make exorbitant
charges in this country, aud there were very
few roads that made as much as 10 per cent
| The railways in this country could not be
replaced by their present capitalization. 1t
was true that many roads might have watered
| their stock, but it was equally true that
many others with large capital stock had
gone into bankruptcy and the stock can
celled. 1t was not true that some commune
ties were taxed to support railways at the ex-
| pense of others. This could be seen by ex-
amining the condition of each road separately
and of the community which patronized it.
Mr.. Fink thought legislation might be
employed to assist the railways in maintain
ing uniform rates. if such an organization as
he managed could be incorporated by the
| general government, but no direct legislation
on any question affecting rates would avail
| In fact he thought that for some years ii
would be best to let the railways manage Their
own business until the people came to under.
| stand that the interests of the public and the
railways were identical Any legislation al
| the present time would be regarded with
suspicion.
The Regan transportation bill he regarded a;
impracticable. The freight rates in this coun.
| try were the cheapest in the world, and the
| tendency was to still lower them. The
scheme advocated by many that the govern
| ment should purchase the roads and run then
itself he pronounced to be the widest folly
and one which no sane man would for a mo
ment contemplate. The character of thi
| government was utterly inconsistent with
such thing, and if it had been accomplished
in other countries it was under very different
conditions.
In regard to trades unions, Mr.. Finb
thought that they were extremely beneficial
| to the workingmen when restricted to theii
legitimate functions. He did not believe
strikes, as a rule, were beneficial, but thought
that difficulties could be adjusted by Other
means more effectually if labor was properly
organized. Strikes were the result of defect
i've organization.
Thomas Fortune, the editor of the New
York Globe, q colored organ, testified that the
educational facilities of the south were very
poor, and he advocated national appropria
tions for this object. He condemned the con
vict labor system of the south, and thought
an investigating committee should be ap.
pointed to inquire into the matter thoroughly
The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow
at 10 q. IN.
|