The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-30
The House Committee Makes Favorable Re-
port on the Proposition for Public
Building at New Albany.
Some Of the Reasons Urged for Giving
congressman Private Secretaries.
Democratic Senators at Variance on the Ques-
tiOn of Revising the Tariff-Bills
for Relief of 1ndianians.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE.

An Ohio Man Tells Why the Reagan Bill
VIII Not Become Law.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-''I don't think there
is any show at all in the House. or Senate either,
for the Reagan interstate commerce bin," said
Representative Robinson, of the Marion, o.,
district, in conversation tonight "In the
first place" he continued, sit is absurd to place
a limit on the short side of railroad tariffs.
Congress may say how much railroad com
pany may charge for freight or passengers, but
it cannot say how little the tariff may be- Now,
the Reagan bill fixes the rate the same on ton
that is charged for train load, and it forbids
that one may be charged less than another
Railroad companies have always favored large
customers and presume they always will"
hever u e<te->ak any kind of an interstate com
mer'Gs4JlS ct horne :, ssedl" asked.
''Yes," replied theS General, ''I think bill
could be passed authorizing the appointment of
a railroad commission. What is needed in the
way of regulating railroad tariffs is a commits
sion, and laws to govern 1t that will see that
railroad companies do not foster and favor GER
tain dealers to the ruin of others. This may be
done in several ways. Now, it is said, there are
railroad companies in Ohio that give drawbacks
to the Standard Oil Company, so that other oil
dealers cannot compete against the Standard.
There is one injustice in common practice
among the srailroad companies that ought
to be remedied by the companies themselves,
without any laws, 1t is the discrimination
against dealers in small towns. If you live in
Columbus, for instance, and are shipping grain
to Cincinnati, and 1 am doing the same trade
with Cincinnati, but live in and ship from
place twenty or thirty miles nearer our market
than you do, the chances are that will have to
pay from $5 to $40 more on the car than you.
Instead of making it cheaper on account of be-
ing nearer market, am charged more because
am nearer competition. Oh, certainly, that is
competition, but it inficts an injustice upon the
people that makes it dear to the railroads in the
long run. There is more complaint on
this point than all Others 1 presume
the most equitable way is to fix the
tariff upon the mile basis, and to leave the
matter of other discrimination in the hands of
a commission"
General Robinson was one of the projectors of
the Chicago & Atlantic road, extending from
Marion, O., to Chicago, and is well versed in
railroad construction and management asked
him:
do railroads in Ohio and the Central States
really pay"
eyes, if they are judiciously managed"
''How much does it cost to build roads through
Ohio and Indiana2"
'About 100000 mile to construct and equip
them well. The Chicago & Atlantic is a splendid
road. 1t pays 1t paid its builders well-that
is, the men who furnished the money. 1 did
not get any of the profit, 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 pas
sage of the Reagan bill would be like confisca-
ting property and would ruin every road in the
country. 1t would be difficult matter to get
any bill proposing radical legislation through
Congress, and it is absurd to think that Reagans
bill could be passed. Any law that forbids a
corporation making any but certain rates and
upon certain conditions, and authorizing officers
to condemn property if the strict letter of the
law is not fulfilled, would soon stop railroad traf
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