New-York tribune., 1884-01-15
SUPERVISION OF RAILWAYS.
,Ny1rAL REPORT OF THE STATE BOARD.


Albany. Jan. 14.-The first annual report of
A.. poarl OF Railroad Commissioners was presented TO
81 legislature to-day It will make, with the appendix,
vone of over 500 pages The Board as organized last
,oar consists Of the following members: John d. her-
nan of Oneida, for the term OF hVe years, CHAIRMAN
Uuam T. Rogers of Putnam for the term OF four years.
and John ODonnell. nominated as provided bv law py
~ Chamber Of Comme rce of the state of Newfork, the
Neu.York Board of Trade and Transporta-
,on and the National Anti-MonopoV League
for a term OF three years The Commissioners
GOV. "while 1t is the first report pre-
ned nv the Board called into existence under the pro
ions of the law Chapter 353, Laws of 1882 1t is not
e Arst report submitted TO the Legislature by Board OF
Railroad Commissioners OF this State In 1855 SIMILAR
bn very differently constituted body was In existence
and submitted its first annual report Ihat Boau was
composed of Engineer and Surveyor elected by
,n neope member appointed by and representing the
interests Of the railroad corporations of the state ana
third appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the
Senate After years of service the Board was us
connned by the repeal of the law which had created IT,
and this was done upon the recommendation OF TWO OF S
members the then State Engineer and Surveyor and the
representaye dstincively, of the railroad interests
when the Board of 1855 was in ex-
istence there were 1921 miles of railroad
in the State; when the present BOARD
WAS organized there were 7.037 miles OF railroad,
How great the development OF the railroad system o
the country has been in that time" says the report
realized in a comparison of the figures, 1888 anu ll'
329 the former representing the mileage In the whoe
country in 1855 and the latter that IN 1888 III thal
early period consolidation through and local rates.
.specal rates and unjust determinations were not
subject TO discussion and agitation"
THE GROWTH OF GRIEVANCES.
During the years which have elapsed since the Leglsa-
ture repealed the Commission act OF looo the report
continues "There has most energetic extension OF
The railroad system and there have also been momenous
.cbones o combination consolidation carried FORWARD
10 successful conclusion with all their bcnehcent or
detrimental results as IaGy e 6 e1fenson and
Consolidation may be regarded II Is not Isphen many @ %
railways entered most intimately INTO the c0iuPie y,
relations OF our civilization changing our nethOuS Oh
business no less than altering our modes 0 le @ tnvS
of others and have carried civilization ana population
across the continent and promoted material IoIPcIX
undreamed In the early part of the century klos
have revOlutonzcd the age ana IN Their inneg" @ upon
the commerce and industries OF @ ne Stae Of TI ia their inren
ZION and the possibility OF which IN the futuIe Is 81, "a
problem of great Importance In the fierce rVa5IeS, III
ibe strong competitions and the gigantic contest o. capital
that accompanied tins enormous extension ana Iahu
deveopment often occurred that the rights OF me
individual citizen and of communities were oNclookeI,
powers and PRIVILEGES from the people yet too ofen me
rights OF the gantos were forgotten In TINS great stlls
Gle for the end and object aimed at, consciously or ncOn
s.iouS nG irstice ,ndnitedIv wrongs were done and
erevances widely spread To these were added alega
tons wrong and Ills, consequence or the mlsin
agement arrogance and corruption of the corpordtions
which were possibly chargeahe more To the inevitable
revolutions they had wrought than to the tqude OF he
corporations that managed thei Ou oI ts ienso So oi m m
fury and OF danger a.prehendcd by the public grew an
Goyenmcnt and tor control which should put them un
der the restraints which the Legislature had sought 70
impose by its statutes, but winch htd iae snort III le
execution either from violation OF their provisions or
from lack OF power to enforce them o., o..o -
The report then refers the agitation for state super
vision OF the railroads and says lhe Tght To super
IongeTa question for discussion Twenty-Five States of
the Union determined that question in the aihrna
tive and commissions clothed with powers Of different
degrees have been in existence for greater less term
OF years since; some have the great and responsive
powers of establish ing freight rates while others nave
only those Of an advisory nature. NeW-iork was one
of the last of the states to wheel 1nto ine' p lHe
law which gives existence to Its Board OF kal, i
road Commissioners was not obtained
time the proposition in all its phases had been widely
aud exhausvely discussed Ihe effort now consnmated
that the credit OF it does not belong to any exclusively
merge into fhe mighty river which flows rcsstlcssy to
the sea- different rvulets of thought and urgency
finally united in a mighty stream Of puDc opinion which
could no longerbe resisted by the supreme power OF the
State.
TIE WORK or THE COMMISSIONERS.
The Com mis- .iOncrs make number Of quotations from
the law of ss2 show the of their work and also
explain that every step in the nature of an expert
mcn necessarily accompanied 10y close examination Of
the extent and limitation Of the powers Of The Board in
the premises" "shOrtly after the Board was called into
existence" the report says "it had large amount OF
labor imposed upon it by the Legislature Of 1888, which
was then session. 10y the reference OF ls ana reSou-
por was limited Complaints of individuals, associations.
Towns and cities also came IN rapidly, 10
all Of which the Board gave us coSG attenon and rem
dered recommendations at the earliest moment PRAGUE
Board under legislative references and under complaints
and the work necessarily done IN tne mvesugaon can
mendations made thereon winch Will be round in the Ap
pendx, under appropriate headings A. indicating the
nature of these complaints. they be classified fol-
lows: l. As discrimination in rates of freight . As
to excessive rates of freight B. As 10 ovcchafge in
passenger rates. l. As to insufficient accommoda
lions, whether as to station larhuc' means
asngerous crossings g. As to 3b.tneng GroSsings i,
T. A. To violations OF eontrast s. As to VIOLATIONS Of law
O. As 10 matters purely OF administration IN hrdrotd man
agenent There fifteen IN the first class four III the
second six the third, six in the fourth, eleven in the
fith three in the sixth two in the seventh three IN the
eighth. and fifteen in the ninth class There were others
Of special nature which cannot he classified and which
Mlli De treated ,i ioId Ty ~, % M
classification, all OF which demanded and obtained nNes-
tisatlon."
TRANSPORTATION OF FREIGHT AND RATES.
Upon the subject Of rates for the transportation of
freight the report says: "No intricate question is
before public than thai the rates for the SpOrta
ion of freight Eminent minds and Railroad Commissions
have concentrated their attention upon the subject for
years without reaching conclusion, either satisfactory
l. broad one and It's discussion involves the cosdera-
tion OF combinations ana consultations the agree
pools 'dferenual rates, aud the policy almost
universal with the trunk lines OF charging upon the
luKuies the alleged losses incurred upon trans
porting the staples of produce tersely stated as
ready in the the Of the consideration Of the
complaints lodged with IT, discussed and stated IFS views
aud these determinations will be found in the Appendix
The complaints apparently have less to do wlth excessive
rates OF freight than with other alleged abuses The
abuses complained Vi unjust Determinations mani
tested against individuals in the giving OF special rates,
and against communities located al uOnCOmpetuyc !
points However much this practice Of unjust discrml-
nation may have been defended by railroad In
the past, It would appear now that whether as
matter OF law equity, they have aban- !
H0ned any claim TO right to discriminate mustly.
When brought race to face with the charge the defence is
rarely the assertion Of the right but rather denial OF
discrimination. The principle of like like
vice seems to be conceded, though not ALWAYS uracsed
either through design or nadN There de
dnd for the prohibition OF special upoD the
other side the manufacturers OF the state and the obbng
o
mitied receive them they VIII be driven from the
of these Glasses COnceding. hOWnXcr