The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-18

charter was yesterday granted to the Pittsburg,
Allegheny and Chicago railroad to run from
Pittsburg to the boundary"
Articles were filed, yesterday, in Harrisburg,
Pa, consolidating the Pittsburg East-end rail
road and the Plttsburg ana Turtlecreek road,
under name of the Pittsburg East-end railroad.
Heaquarters, Pittsburg. Capital, $75G,OO0.
The Gold, Colorado & Santa Fe road in Texas
Will hereafter pass children under five years OF
age free. This is the first road in that State to
make this departure. Under a new law rail
roads can charge two cents per mile for such
passengers.
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy people have
received a new private car, to be used by the
president and directors of the company. Its in
terror arrangement resembles the inside OF the
car recently constructed for President Sidney
Dillon, of the Union Pacific.
Arrangements are being made to equip the
locomotives of the Michigan Central with
CowelPs electric speed gauge This little instru-
ment will give engineers a knowledge of where
they are and how fast they traveing-a
very desirable thing 10 know in foggy and dark
weather.
Marshall Tex, promises to become an import
ant railroad center. 1t enjoys the advantage of
being an important station on the Texas Pacific
railroad. The principal offices and shops OF that
company are located there There also re-
pair and car shops that employ quite number
of hands. The st. Louis, Iron Mountain &
Southern railway here joins the Texas Pacific
system proper, the iron arms of which reach ont
into almost every section of the State, APP
preaching the Mexican border on the south at
Laredo, and on the west at FL Paso, with through
connections by the Southern Pacific to San
Francisco.
A HERCULEAN TASK.
President Phillips, of the Toledo, Cincinnati &
st. Louis, is sending to Boston capitalists very
encouraging reports regarding the road. He
tells them Uhat "tne earnings look well, and if
we can hobble along for six months think the
road VIII be in position to take care OF itself.
subscribers to the debenture bonds have re-
sponded well in the matter of payments, but if
they could advance the full amount it would
confer great benefit upon the property. One
hundred thousand dollars now would be equiva-
lent to 100000 in August. But without this
amount think we shall be able to get along.
We have successfully disposed of class of
claims which might have caused trouble-con-
tractors and other claims to the amount OF about
$l2O,00O. We settled for 10 per cent. cash and
the balance on long notes. Attachments were
at one time threatened on account of these
claims" It is quite evident that Mr.. Phillips is
dong his best to bring the property out, both
physically and financially, which is a herculean,
TASK, so badly has IL been managed in both re-
spects heretofore
A REDUCTION IN RATES FoREsHADowED.
As the time for the resumption of internal nav
igation approaches reduction in the rates of
transportation for the West by the trunk rail-
roads is foreshadowed, and with free Canals low
rates are likely to prevail during the season.
Freight men high in position say that they will
not be surprised any day tc receive notice from
Commissioner Fink of reduction of five cents
per one hundred pounds on east-bound rates.
The Pennsylvania, the Erie, the Baltimore g.
Ohto and the Grand Trunk said to be in IA
Vor OF an Immediate reduction in rates of five
cents per one hundred pounds, while the Wander
PIT lines are said TO be strongly opposed to re-
duction. Officials desiring a reduction claim
that shipments have decreased so largely that
some OF the roads will try to increase their bust
ness by cutting the rates, and this can only he
prevented by an immediate general reduction.
Vanderbilt, 1t fs stated, wants to force all the
business he can by the steamboat lines to Buff
O. No will fratr ba
bulk of 1t. He can therefore afford TO let his
western lines snffer a little. as by this scheme
his New York Central will gain more than they
can possibly lose.
OCEAN, NOT RAIL, RATES CUT. ,
few days since one of the leading milers at
this point announced that he had 1000 barrels
of Hour to export to Belfast, but he would not
move it until he could get a 81 rate per barrel |
The twenty-five or more fast-freight line agents
went at work in earnest to the business.
The only place they expected to get a reduction
was in the ocean rate, but the more telegraphing
they did the higher the ocean rate got on them, |
reaching &C cents one day, when 1t would take
"a cents per barrel rate to move it. As the rail
rate was firm at Sc cents, the fast-freight
line agents labored hard with Brother Gibson |
to induce him 70 make "a better offer than ST.
per barrel to Belfast, but lie immOvable. |
Finally the agent of one of the lines wrote a
letter to the general manager of the Excelsior
Steamship Line fully explaining the situation, |
and TO his surprise he telegraphed to take it ten
days; but after ten days the will be 90 cents
per barrel from New York to Belfast The Blue |
Line agent dared not trust theIelephone to trans
NIT the word, but struck out at a lively pace on |
foot for Glbson's mill, beating the time of the
the last Two carloads of the 1000 barrels went
East yesterday.
WILL TEST THEIR RIGHTS.
A few days since mention was made in this de- |
partment that the Legislature of Georgia had
given the Railroad Commissioners of that State
full authority to regulate rates, and it fur
Their stated that the railroad arrangements were |
considerably disturbed over the matter, and pro-
posed to fully test the constitutionali5y of the
act before the courts And the leading road in |
the State, instead of yielding to the demand of
the commissioners, went into the courts. In the |
first place, the corporation maintains that the
commission is an unconstitutional body; and. in [
the second that the rates sought to be enforced |
were less than the maximum which the company |
was left at liberty to charge by the terms of its
charter granted ini1S33 The corporation has |
carried its case from the State to the United |
States Courts, and the decision will ultimately |
come from the Supreme Court of the United |
States. Thus far all the findings of the judges have
been against the railroad, 1t being held by them |
that the Legislature has authority to delegate its
powers TO a subordinate body which is regarded |
as a mere instrument of the law-making body. |
On this point chere will be little difference of |
opinion, but upon the question whether the |
Legislature itself, or by its agent can compel |
the railroad company TO take rates below the |
minimum recognized by law in 1888 there is |
ground for division of sentiment. In COM
mentng on this question exchange says: "If |
the charter of 1888 is regarded in the nature of |
contract, which is the old doctrine, then it |
wOuld seem that the commissioners have no |
power to fix rates of transportation which are |
lower than the minimum established by the |
charter If, on the other hand charter is not |
held to be in the nature of contract between |
the State and the corporation, which is the
ground taken in later opinions of the courts,
then it is clearly within the power of the Legis-
lature TO modify the rates as 1t may choose"
Several questions of Importance affecting rail
roads are likely to come before the United |
States courts within the next few months, and |
the decision reached will he of much interest, |
as upon such decision the property of the rail- |
roads OF this country largely depends.