The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-06-13
ILLINOIS OPINION
ON THE SUBJECT OF REGULATING
THE RAILWAYS.
Gen. Rinaker Favors National Commits
sion, and Marshall Field Thinks
the Roads Should BE Allowed
to Run Their Own Business.

CHICAGO, June Is The United States
senate committee on interstate commerce is
holding sessions in th8 city. Friday morn
ing the first gentleman to give his views
was Gen. ohm l. Rinaker, president of the
state railroad commissioners He said it
was apparent that congress should take
some action on the subject In
some cases rates were lower between
points, one of which was in
the state and one in an adjoining state, than
between points in this state of shorter dis
lance asunder than in the former case That
this was discrimination was admitted. That
it was unjust discrimination was hardly to
be questioned The shipper was not ON equal
terms with the carrier, The government
should furnish some means to scertain the
facts by presenting some means of investi-
gation--some means Of agen3y by which the
facts could be gathered. Tie officers of the
roads should be made to furnish in
formation as the methods by which they do
their business. He thought a commissi on
would be the best agency congress could
furnish for that purpose, but if this conf
mission undertook to fix maximum rates,
the difficulties of the problem would then
commence. The Commission should be
clothed with the powers of board of arbi-
traitors, and after having ascertained the
| facts should on them make recommends
tions to congress
| MIR. Marshall Field was the next witness
called He said he did not think there was
any real cause for complaints against inter
| state railroads. The present rates he
thought reasonable He knew of none being
| excessive. He saw no reason why
roads should be required to pub
fish their rates. He thought the
rates were public enough already. He
should not recommend the establishment of
minimum and maximum rates by congress.
| He did not know why railroads should not
be allowed to run their business as any other
business was run, and to grant drawbac ks
and rebates when they saw proper. Pool
ing should be legalized. The shipper
ought to have the right to control
his own shipment. He thought
roads should be allowed to charge more pro
portionately for short runs than for long,
because the cost of short runs was far
greater in proportion. Roads should be al
lowed to regulate that matter themselves
He was in favor of the genera
government assisting in the develop
ments of waterways. He did moi
know what the country would have beer
without the Erie canal, and the effect Of
building the Hennepin canal would be t.
cheaper rates Of freights all over the west
srn country. He was a very moderate stock
holder in railroads. Some of his stocks paiC
remarkably well and some not SO well, sam'
as everything else.
Z. c. Lewis, ex-railroad commissioner
was next called He said that out of thu
fifty or sixty roads in this state only eigh
or nine were not paying All the roads, a
a rule, accepted the schedule of rates fixe'
by the board Of commissioners. He wa
J in favor of federal commission t
act as board of arbitration
having discretionary powers to Fl,
rates, which should be in force until set asid
by a court of law He thought rates shoul'
be published The charges of extortio
investigated by the Illinois board of CON
missioners, while he was a member, wer
well founded in the great majority of cases
.. or we're the result Of mlsapprehension. Tn
roads, as rule, rectifed the errors found b
a the board
} Commissioner Branerds was called. II
handed in a written statement of his view.
ia addition to which he was examined b
the committee His views as whole coir
cided with those of Gen. Rinaker an
Mr. Lewis When be got through
Philip W. Taylor, member of the boar
: | Of trade, was called His chief complaint
against the railroads were their discrimini
. ton against certain shippers and the
e methods of making rebates and drawback
: which he wanted to see prohibited by act
| congress.