The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-05-23
THE BUSINESS BUDGET.
INTERSTATE ooMMERoE Talk.
Messrs Fink and Blanchard Entertain a
senate Committee-PacificM Mall and
Pacific Roads Harmonlze.
More Labor Troubles.


the Interstate Commerce committees
railroad pool Commissioner Alfred Fink
made long statement, in which he
said:
"There is now very little complaint of
excessive railroad charges. Indeed,
many railroad corporations have been
driven into bankruptcy because their
charges were too low to pay expenses.
Roads east of the Mississippi river
have, in many instances, been doing
business at a loss for two years. do NOT
believe in establishing by law maxi
mum rate, for the reason that one road
can upset the whole system of tariffs.
The West Shore road has been a dis
turbing element of late. One uuestion
is, shall one road by the adoption Of
rLinously low rates, be al
lowed to bankrupt others? A
reduction of rates benefits
the farmer after time, but not imma.
diately. The rates at competing points
are fixed by pool committee at points
where there is no competition. One
road touching there names the rate
This is done to equallize traffic. The
Pooling association was able to enforce
the rules governing the distribution OF
business until recently, when every-
came as much Of a profession as law or
medicine. Roads are better able TO fix
their own rates than any state or ma
tional commission. Railroad men make
rates the study Of their lives. There are
hundreds OF things to be taken into
consideration which outsiders know
nothing OF. The condition of trade
must be recognized. Many interests
can be- controlled and subserved only
through such commercial organizations
as represent, Railroad Corporations
should DO compelled to organize them-
selves INTO associations for this pur-
pose. IL would be good plan
Tor roads to publish their tariffs,
SO everybody could see just what they
are"
Mr.; Fink was not prepared to recon-.
mend law to compel corporations after
they had entered TO an agreement i'm
regard to rates to keep it, but he was
certain such a law would be dratted
and passed by the legislatures or Inv
congress. The railroad property of the
whole country should be managed as
one property. Either the railroads
should he governed by the government
or by an association formed amonp
themselves.
Mr.. Fink promised to prepare soma
suggestions which might aid the com
mittee in formulating bills.
The senate committee on interstate
commerce met again to-day
Geo. X. blanchard, formerly yice-
president OF the Erie railroad addressed
the committee for two honrs. ia
said that at the present time
there were very few railroads
in the United States which charged tbe
rates, either freight or passenger, al.
lowed themunder their charters, Dis.
elimination cannot and ought not to be
banished from interstate commerce.
Unjust discrimination should and
ought to be condemned. No
road should be allowed to assist
one man engaged in business at the ex-
penses OF hiss neighbOr in the same
business. While connected with the
Erie Mr.. Blanchard had allowed per.
sors engaged in the building of facto-
ries and other industrial structures
10 ship material for their
str -ctures at a reduced rate,
This was done TO encourage
industry, and was, in Mr.. Blanyhsrd's
opinion, a wise discrimination as q rem
edy for many OF the evils connected
with the transportation problem. He
advocated the publication of the rates oi
ulnerent roads, In postoffices, hotels and
postal rates are published by the gov
eminent. Should law embodying this
idea be passed, every road In the
country would be compelled to-
observe 1t. 1t is the duty of the
United States to protect investors i'm
railroads and other property as much as
II can protect the farmers who occupv
It's lands. AT present but little protec.
uon was afforded. Compare the ruin
which had overtaken the investors in
railroad property during the past few
years with the prosperity which had at
Tended The farmers. Had the same p5o
lection been afforded to both, the losses
10 the former would have been less than
one-half what they have been,
Mr.. Blanchard was in favor
OF the appointment of United States
railroad commission for the settlement
OF Questions in regard to rates, etc.
speaking OF pooling arrangements, he
SAID the city of New York was hettar
served by four railroads. acting In unity
man by four roads acting each for itself.
owing to the bad faith of many roads,
the pooling system had never ful.
MED its mission. Between Chi
csgo ana Omaha the development
Oh ihe country had been phenom-
enal. The entire system of railroads
between these points was bound To.
gether by an iullexible pool. The re.
sult has been the forcing up OF rates
iully 90 per cent above thOso CHARGED
I0r a like distance east Of Chicago.
Ihero were too many railroads In the
country already. As the laws stand at
present, parallel lines are built whore
there IS no reason why tho rival road
should have been built. 1t was
too easy a matter for slot OF
gentlemen TO got together after din.
ner lay out railroad, draw
up the charter and blossom out as n cor.
poration. Under tho law as il should
be, no road should he built unless It's
protector could satisfy the commissioner
that there were need Of such road.