The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-01-29
RAILROADS.&C. PROTEST,
AGAINST, iNrER.srArG COMMERCE.
n. Rsslasoa Gives sons Reasons Why RsAsaa'l
Bill Cannot Pass-A Railroad Counisaioa
X NEEDED = LIBERALIZATION Asaisst Small y
n Plaess- = The bJasties Of H. y B

From Our Special Currtspondta,. 0..
WASHINGTON, January 2S.-"I dom
think there Is any show at all In the House
or Senate. either, for the Reagan inter
State Commerce bill." said Rspresen.a.iv.
Robinson, Of the Marion, Ohio, district, IL
conversation tonight. "In the fiirss
place." he continued, ut ,s absurd to place
limit on the short side Of railroad tariffs
Congress may say how much q railroad
company may charge Tor freight or passen.
gers, but 1t cannot say how little the tariff
may be. Now, the Reagan bill h1es the
rate the same on a ton that Is charged 10,
train load, and It forbids that one man
be charged less than another. Railroad
companies have always favored large Gus.
toners, and ] presume they always will"
"Do you think any kind Of an inter.
State commerce bill could be passed." be
was asked. a,d'l-..
"Yes," replied the General, II think a
bill could be passed authorizing ,tha up.
pointment Of railroad commission. What
Is needed In the way oi railroad tariffs Is q
commission, and laws to govern it, that
will see that railroad companies do not
foster and favor certain dealers to the ruin OF
others. This may be done In several ways.,
Now, 1t is said that there are railroad com.
panies in Ohio that give drawbacks to the
Standard Oil Company, 90 that other oil
dealers cannot compete against the Stand
ard. There is one injustice In common
practice among the railroad companies that
ought to be remedied by the companies
themselves, without any laws. 1t Is the
discrimination against dealers in small
towns. II you live in Columbus, for in.
stance, and are shipping grain 10 Cincin.
natl, and am doing the same trade with
Cincinnati, but live In and ship from a
place twenty or thirty miles nearer our mar.
ket thanyou do, the chances are that will
have to- pay from FIVE to ten dollars
more on the car than you. Instead OF
making It; cheaper on account OF being
nearer market I am charged more because
l am nearer Competition 4 All Ger.
tainly, that is competition but 1t infiicta
an injustice upon the people that make il,
dear to 4 the railroads In the long run.
There Is moro complaint on this point than
1A otAoio" PASoAll0 LILO u1Jot etlulLAUl6
way is 70 fix the tariff upon the mile basis
and to leave the matter .of other discrimi.
nation in the hands Of commission" =
General Robinson was one oi the projec-
tors Of the Chicago 4 Atlantic railroad, ex-
tending from Marion, Ohio to Chicago,
and is we'll ,versed in railroad construction
and management. ! asked him: ,!
do railroads in O lio and the central
States really pay?" .g...,.l.7'-'. .,.l.5--,
."Yes, il they are j1dicioualy managed"
.How much does it cost to build roads
through Ohio and 1udiana?"
"About $4,000 a milo to construct
and equip them we'll. Tho Chicago and
Atlantic is splendid road. 1t pays. 1t
paid its holders well-that is. the men who
furnished the money. Ibid not get any Of
the profits, however. Railroads are like all
corporations, except that they are more
powerful than most Institutions Their
property is private property, and Congress
must be careful in dealing with them. Why,
the passage Of the Reagan bill would be
like confscating property, and would ruin
every road In the country. It would be a
difficult matter 10 get any bill proposing
RADICAL Legislation through Congress, and
It is abturd TO think that Reaga1's bill
could be passed. Any law that forbids a
corporation making any but certain rates
and upon certain conditions, and authoriz
ing officers to- condemn property II the
Btrict letter Of the law is not fulfilled would
soon stop railroad traffic altogether"