Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-12-16
POST -IHTELueEMcfR


verv Important business. - scSsp1 y
mors Important % people living west %
the Mississippi river than snJthine that
Congress h likely 70 do this sinter. IN
les IL Be- he passage Of the EsaeEn bsil,
or the forfeiture Of useaFned sno
grants. Tie main business Of tbs -
soeiation il 10 psrpstuzte ths present
rstes Of fares and freiehts between ne
Enet and West, across the consinsnt'
r.sse them wherever possibis sud avoid
.nv redsction By reason Of coDiisefing
interests aud consequent eompstsiion.
Il being decided that the pscpse snd
eounsry sributsry 10 this vass con1oinsr
ton shall be assesssd and compelled %
.sv 4 certain percentage Of their pred
NETS 70 the railroad companies eompris-
inc the continuation. tbs Importers
question that remains ~ "bou sha'i
tkis tributs b divided peacefully, / ..
without composition bstsesn the ssssfsi
parties 10 sho posi !"
Heretofore the practice has bean 20
divide the rsosipts for through business
pro rata, /. ., to give TO each eompany
such proportion Of the reesipts - ~
business called for. Of course. this en-
rendered rivalry among tue several
companies 10 dsfsrmine which should
obtain the most business. and u vas
verv difficult TO keep the different com
NAMES In line and 10 prevent them from
cutting rates here and there 70 increase
their percentages Of tfafIie. saeh &c
ton receives condemnation from shs
association. lie object Is not TO bsnsnt
the public, bat 10 keep up the rate OF
tribase. Any reduction Of rates -
uubIic benefit and must be frownss
upon and ilisaIloved. Under this bean
tiful system the Northern Pacific has
bssn receiving 100000 per annum
from the pool for not srespassine upon
ssths territory OF the Central, Union
and Southern Pacific roads, The
whole country west Of the Mississippi
river has been divided into principali.
tea. over each OF which a railroad CON-
pany Is assigned supreme dominion. the
only restriction placed upon them being
mot 70 reduce rates. "Gst all the bnsi-
ness yen can.- ssys tbs pool eonbina-
ton, 'sbut keep MP your charges. We
must take all the traffic will bear and
you shall have your proportion Of the
booty
Under any other government on earth
such combination formed for such q
purpose and continued with suoh 70
suits would be destroyed. II 10 Illegal.
and only its power protects iss rnemters
from public vengeance. The plan OF
dividing receipts has not worked alto
esther satisfactorily. Tho maxim Of
aHonor among thieves" does not apply
among these Representatives Of the
wealthy criminal classes. Tho Commits
sionsr, on boss Of ths pool. has founi II |
impossible TO keep the members OF the |
band from robbine each ether. Every |
week or two some company would cut |
rates TO get little more business. The
Commissioner would assess fine, and
the offending company would pay or
not, a. suited II. The whole business |
being Illegal. the fine could not be Law
folly collected. There has BEEN no cod
Of vrangiine In the dividing OF thls
booty.
The Plan OF dividing receipts accord
Ing 10 amount Of service having failed |
because of the dishonesty Of the pool |
ing companies. another scheme has been
adopted. II Ia alleged 10 have been suc-
csssfnl at the East. and Is known as the
smoney pooi.r LISA very simple plan. |
The parties TO the pool agree among
themselves that the total receipts for |
through business shall be divided among
them according 10 rate previously
established by mutual consent. This
divests the combination OF what little
rivalry might otherwise exist respecting
the amount Of business done. II Is no
longer an object for roads ia the money
peel 10 bid for business by cutting rates.
because each road will reseise q Exed
part Of the gross income OF all the roads
In the pool, whether its business keeps
up. increases. or dimInishes. By this
means all remnants Of competition are |
withdrawn.
II Ia nice business all around. The |
several railroad companies. parties 20 |
this Illegal and most iniquisous comb. |
nation, have oil been In greater or less |
degree the recipients Of public bounty. |
The major portion have received vast |
landed subsidies. and the mid OF Gov.
eminent bonds and credit. The North.
ern Pacific in particular Was chartered
and aided by tbs United States with
the prominent idea and benehcent pur.
pose OF securing 10 the people Of the
Pacific Coast the benefits Of the natural
and legitimate competition that, under
ordinary circumstances. would exist
and continue between parallel lines.
No sooner had II been sufficiently PRO
ionged across the continent TO form
connection with tide water by use OF
asother railroad. than II entered into
combination with other transeontinen
tai and naturally competing lines to
nuilify the Intent OF Congress In ia
corporate creation, and turn the beuefi-
cenoe Of the Government into an en-
CINE for the perpe.uasion of a long con.
tinued and oppressive monopoly. This
corrups bargain has been renewed in q
different form. bnt with the same in
tent No hint OF reduction Of freight
and passenger tariffs IL given In the
transactions of the :" high ioins- soua.
mission az Chicago. Not suggestion
OF relief TO interior communities from
the CALLING inequalities In rates Of
freight under which they suffer, and
against which they protest.
The great machine erinds ca. The
men who hold the isvers pay far more