New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-23
RAILROAD CONTROL.
LITTER FROM GEORGE r. BLANCHARD.

To me Edifor Of Thc T't'""e 3
SIR. The consc vativc action of the House oi
REPRESENTATIVES, Committee ot commerce IL
n,rrced a nine in fifteen IN favor of Na'ohai i'""'
,,h movers not stated renders hrict re
.io,r -, ,l,c Reagan bill which is five years o'i ""
r,, .,,s vote would seem TO have defeated III com
tito q, which its author IS chairman OF pronap'
puljc interest is leading features were ~ follows
UNJUST pISCRIMINArioNs.
y;rtIt applied its restrictions anu penalties on! "
railroads. ana exempted interstate pipe lines express
,,,,,rc, lakes rivers oceans and canals covering ~
many IS 10000 mile, of carrying routes TIC injustice
Of bridins the carriers upon land Icy tNcd conditions
where there was doubtful jurisdiction, OWING 10 sl"'e
lines Charters etc, while leaving the parallel carriers
mon controlling wafer routes free, hut over whom there
wa, no doubt of National authority seemed 10 o' 100
apparcn, to a fs mind TO require argument Inc i,lr-
hcr vote o the committee by two 10 twelve not to IN
cIulc lhc waterways under the jurisdiction would seem
10 I've fair corollary OF the Justice OF lt' liNl con
cln-ions To regulate rnilwavs only by Commission
which would cf course cqutapy determine the trans
rort,iion question whole from 9th water ana r''l
,,anipuint and the inuenccand bearings of water n"on
| rail rates.
! "FEA -ONAEIE' PATE|.
SecoDd II REQUIRED That all rates should he reasonable
II j. clear that rate that might be unreaNohaoio upon
mineral road carrying million tons OF coal per ann'sh
might be reasonable road OF the same length carry
ing only winter travel and small fruit and general bust
NO., II, Florida railway Of 17j-oo grades, Ike the
Denver and Ei1 Graudc. liable TO winter storm stop
| pages and carrying small tonnage through = locAy
county might reasonably he entitled to amuch hehcr
rate than the same number If miles of railroad III Illinois
that had been aided by Government grants Oh i''' "'
| anon a prairie and carrying grain. agricultural lmie
| mcuts etc through a much more thckly Sctic" anu
temperate country. Varying standards "i r'''' "o
therefore exist now. courts or JnrieS Ill 'he
| r,rt, Of the country might interpret lc''oH'"o
| cb,ycr3 " hut orr citizens have access 10 the same
H..- tyttpU ono 4
cas-, of the Rocky Mountain, that is known are inc
| charter charges reached 10y actual rate
rQt-AL ENTEnrTION.
7hird The bin ucN, req lrcd equal cNpcdt"h' !"
fact vel known that dry goods, paying 'ceh'- per ''
| ro,ud. from Ncw-York to Chicago, 20 quicker 'hah
co.r.cr goods that pay 30 cents; but H. I" Ill up oE
good, train to it, economical carrying maximum iWI-
way, mt on few ears OF freight and carried II
At ock -leed they would thereby violate TIE bill III lie"
carving al the coarse frcgh9 at the same quick speed
Every railway company of the state also runs sly ONO
train for fruits etc at special speed aud always gives
live stoch . preference lie I'd freight Ia speed ana
rr,,,,u, lclit, The Ncw-NOla railway companies run
uttc and cheese express freight trains on quicker time
thai. they RIM al butter and cheese, in order that tue
former may catch foreign steamers, etc. bnt that was
declared i,csa. by the bill
! PROHIBITION or POOLS
J,,H. The Hill next forbade contracts agreements
or combination, for pooling frcght'. or TO pool the
,,,,t f didcr.ut and connecting railroads by dividing
AGGREGATE or net proceeds To this answer was made
that many governing railway pools are no" iorcoiul
under existing contracts. such old pools coud anu ""u
continue but new ones prohibited and new COM
manic, wore prohibited entering old pools ana l'au
was an Injustice 10 because different and there
fore al terminating rates would certainly onoue On ms
general point the railways clain' without poS7pIS Vi
rrfutation that the great majority of all the railway
! rates and tonnage in this country Is Limited D! 'n'
chrce. an streams lakes canals and tides, to standards
which arc much lower than anywhere IN inc worm
for like service speed and distances 1hcro are -''ooo
mile. Of such river rivalry 5000 miles more OF routes
Oh the great lakes, and vast free coast me "' IS Il
| yeritabc coast guard against transportation 'Nt"'''n
ly railways, and Congress IS constantly Spchdhs N"S'
sum, 10 deepen old water chane create new ones HI
,ro,a b,rbor. etc willie the Reagan bill which was
urgcd IN the same Consrcssc. sought 10, or wod nave
tc certain cncct Of Gripping the parallel railways mo
rail rate, being low and regulated by these limitations OF
nature and statccra the lail-mndcd railways arEucu
that what they and the public should alike desire i
stable and fixed rates alike TO Ill under like facts anu ~
ali routes II harmony, and not transportation huHt'
confusion and differences the honest purpose o. inc
hill Why prohibit pools which are the best devices i"f
securing that great and uniform result stopping r"Io
wars, unl,t private Determinations ana contests 81
localities which destroy financial securities ana promote
corporate wrong -doing MI Reagan repeatedly stated
thai his bill did not attempt fix rates but left them flco
10 he made by each carrier for itself Any air p'IS"
will say that II there were railroad from 'hr1s" "
! New York which one and the same diy hi'l' ok
doeren. rata, That varied but two and oncaf cents per
100 pounds each from 80 cents per lOo p0lhu' uo"'
ward and so cont, was reasonable charge, the Tor
W.lrr receiving the lowest rate would get seventeen
and onc-ha ccuts which would hca discrimination "f
| twelve and half cents It's worst fOTi il oeIi=
| merely question of time when whoever lald % Genus
,roi be bankrupt while those who paid seventeen ana
onc-half cents pghf get rch II continued long or OH
LARGO quantities. and the difference would make ana I'M
| make markets "a well men IL cannot chahgc tha'
sure commercial wrong whether one road mas SIX amer
ont rate, or six roads have them. Railway through
rates being restricted 10y the free Waterways - before ia
dIccd the RAILWAYS cannot make excessive rates upon
tho great carrying bulk Of tho country ana therefore
oo.s which practically secured the same while not e1
cosyc rates the forwarcrs sending the great through
traffic Of tho country, much better Tor every H.
weston f0rwardor railway consigncG ana competitor III
VOWED than to foster the different rates clearly chconr
aged ,v the terms aud conditions OF the BILL and appar
entity under laluoinati that unjust railway war i
honorable or rational railway and public competition.
The thoughiu mercantile ~ well a7 railway sentiment
OF the country fyOr7 hOnOrably observed pools
IN r result &, adOUt,d in other iorS IN England aho
governs the French Pr,s-au aud Belgian railway Ice
eau 80 Governmental supervision or purchase has mainly
vincI o compel tOn and therefore made the rate, un
form, - was the ccrr and av0vcd purpose ~ sven ru
chase, and control. II seemed clear e. those arguing INC
RAILWAY view that any railway alliances III hi' country
,r,t vvc,d .ccrc only the result. Clearing HOUSE
In England territorial dsrictns as in France" OF Gov
ornamental purchase in Prussia ana belgium ana pro
ylc,l they were limited to leS; methods which should no
only secure but enforce equal rates dnd conditions o
ccsillug pools, and is deeper National wisdom 'hai
for Congress to cuact law which IN spirit or result
would Irolor- demonstrate hostile trade or railway
, conditions The Chief OF Governmental Statistics II
Warrington lns reported 20 Congress that freight pool
have accomplished good suit, and many Of cir ioe
antagonists now publicly favor them Very much cai
hc said further in their favor.
sIOTPAGE or CONCESSIONS
EiQh-Thc bill prevented all rebates, draw backs %
advantage, in any FORM" il allowed alike 10 al
l., -, t,r Good aud nuhlic commercial reasons au