Omaha daily bee., 1885-06-24

tVsteMe mhue ny AR. Gere, ard then
introduced to the COMMITTEES 8 copy of a
Till that was before The legitla,ure, of
which he led much to 90 with, md was
substituted In lieu Of y bill prepared and
introduced by HIMSELF In answering the
list of stated questions, Mr.. Reynolds
thought that no Determinations could
be considered just determinations.
The rates In this state are
unequal, irregular, uni ust and in many
Instances o%utiageously oppressive, and
ought to be regulated by congressional
enactments. Mi. Reynolds is In favor
OF a government commission with ore
representative frem each state. He re-
cited several instances of the enormous
differences between charges on freights
east and west of the Missouri river, and
stated that the outrages Nebraska people
are subjected to by reason thereof have
become notorious in their generality.
The new state law, Mr.. Reynolds be-
lieved, that some good might be accom-.
plished. He already knows Of
benefits by increase of travel
and increase of passenger receipts, under
the three cent rate, over what they were
under the four cent rate. Mr.. Rey-
nolds favors the creation of a national
commissioner law and a national commits
tlon. As against the feelings between
she people and the railroads in this state
compared now with four and FIVE years
ago, he thought that much of the griefs
and a~ntagunisms that exlsted four and
five years ago have passed away.
A FARMERS OPINION.
Next following Mr.. Reynolds, came
Allen Root, a farmer Of Douglas county,
living six miles southeast of Omaha. The
causes of complaints he asserted are long
and short haul rates, Determinations and
political interferences. Farmers here
haul their grain long distances because
the rates are TOO high, They are five or
six times greater hero than acres, the
river In Iowa. Another thing Is the
trouble In getting cars to chip a variety
articles In. The RAILROADS demand that
Ia man pay for whole car
for the privilege of shipping
one animal or a hundred pounds of goods.
So far as the railroads act as q benefit to
the people under their precent manage
ment this part of the country would be
better off without them. When there was
not o railroad within 200 miles of Omaha,
Mr.. Root bought sugar here 20 pounds
for a dollar, but he had not been able to
do 80 since. Senator Plstt, took the
witness up on this statement, by saying,
that while riding around town, Monday
evening, he saw painted on a bill board
20 pounds cf sugir for 81.
MIR. Root was at q loss to see or IN der-
stand what business it Is to a rail
road about what any man ships so long
as they have nothing to lose. The best
method of remsdying extortlonate rates
and determinations Is by statutory enact
ments. Tho tariff here is exorbltsnt
on local and state traffic. The railroads
gut everything. The tanners can't make
a decent living. The charges that are
frequently made by the railroads knock
everything from under US. A farmer
msy go to the Depot with a load Of wheat
and while there the railroad rates may
be raised on him and the price OF
grain go down. The system of
drawbacks, thought Mr.. Root, is nothing
but robbery. 1t merely takes from the
little shippers and gives to the big ones.
He himself had shipped stock In another
mans name to save the rebate, and knew
how 1t worked. There is no question,
thought the witneas, but that theae rail.
road Bosses knew when they discriminate
against and kill off places or persons.
Except the expense of switching a car,
there should be nc difference In the rates
charged for long or short hauIs. If
there is any advantage to be given,
and there is any legislation on
the subject 1t should be In favor of the
little shipper, 30 rs to put him on a level
with the old man who has his millions.
Water routes for transporting products
are deairable, If by their competition the
price is reduced to living rates, give us
water routes.
At the close of Mr.. Roots statement
the committee took a recess until 2
o'clock.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The committee reconvened at 2 O'Clock,
with Charles Francis Adams, president
of the Union Pacific road, on the witness
stsnd. AS to what congress should do
regarding legislation In the matter of
regulating rates on transportation, Mr..
Adams stated that he had more than once
Si'ch III floWS III pElnI oh Iue suDJCCt,
and would take pleasure in sending the
committee copies. He called attention
to tho laws Of the commission of Massa-
ohusetts, of which he was several years a
member, and Its workings. That com.
mission has no power except to hear
complaints. make investigation Of exist.
Ing evils, and then recommend to the
At fret he thought such a
law and commission would be Ct no prac-
tical benefit, but has since changed his
mind, and thinks now that better ie,ults
be obtained by commissions without
further power than that given them in
Massachusetts than a more rigid law.
ON POOLING MATTERS
50 far as pooling Is concerned, it is
nothing moro than an attempt to hold In
the cut.throat competition that
would prevail between lines Of rsilrcad,
and without it Mr.. Adams thought that
the course of a few years there
would not be more than two or three
roads in the county that would not be In
the hands Of receivers. 1t, therefore. Is
the dread that railroads have of being
wiped ous of existence by consolidation,
that forces them to live up to the
pool agreements partially, but it Is a very
difficult matter to keep them ia control