The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-07

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Es public and not seldom in antagonism with IL Thes
y corporations have por1 ioned out the country anon
n them In its own district each CLANS 10 b suprem
= and : capable point Of fact OF exercising smo-
q supreme powers. The tariff and train service Of
1t great railway he arranged To make %
r uumake a neighbOorhood - favor frn OF IA r1lii
lt, 10 forbid an industry give 70 1t undue al
vantage. Apart from the railway commission. Their
has been nothing 10 prevent the employment o
railway influence Tor ali these purposes and il car
hardly be cautendci thai it Is fer the public goo,
that potent lorre should exist without restrain
L Is matter Of course that railway CompSnie-
seoU.a taSe different view and should resent At
interference which Is impcratively called for IN
every interest hut their own.
The time has come al which more real suueTin.
tendenCe is demanded. The railway comlniss ION.
must - on in improved form and with more ex-
tensise pcwers than have yet been intrusted TO it,
- only can counter influence be found 70 the
gneatest force that has arisen in modern times
which has long ou tgrown tie restraints which
ST hrst thought sufficient Tor t. and which bids fair
to go on developing and increasing in the future
~ithout aSsignable bounds.
THE PREVALENCE OF ABUSES.
Probably there is no community in
the United States where railroads exist
that has not suffered from the abuses
for which the pending bills will, to
some extent, provide a remedy. When
| assert that the State which | in part
represent, l assert what every intelligent
and observant citizen knows TO be true.
They are no more frequent nor more yiru-
lent in my State than in other States, and
doubtless the same testimony can be
borne by every Representative of States
/ in which no remedial legislation has been
provided. In seeking data for just and
| proper legislation from Mississippi,
| have obtained many examples of the
manner in which the public are wronged
by oyercharges and Determinations.
POOL COMMISSIONER FINK's EXPLANA-
| TIoN.
When Pool Commissioner Fink. who
bears the reputation of being the ablest
expert in Railroad management IN the
United States was delivering his argu-
ment before the committee, against regu-
lating interstate commerce, the follow
ing interrogatory and answer were pro-
pounded and given:
MR. BARKsDALE-The cost Of shipping a bale Of
cotton Memphis 10 New Orleans. a distance oi
four hundred and fifty miles is 81 a bale The
cost from Winons, Miss, distance OF two hundred
and seventy-hye miles, is $50. Now, / ask you ii
there is any just rule transportation which would
justify a discrimination like that?
Mr. FINK-That would aspend great deal upon
the circumstances OF the Gaze Suppose
for example, you had built a road from WipoDa To
New Orleans. Before that road was built what did
it cost you send bale OF cotton TO New Orleans
4 fter yuu had put your money into this road have
you not right to charge a reasonable amount TO
reimburse you or the OF carry ing this bale. in
cluding the investment in that road suppose II
cost you S. > 20 carry that bale OF cotton from
Miuaaa 10 New Orleans. have not YOU q right u
chargs that Wsuld You be willing To do the work
for less than cost Now, If II cost SA25, including
interest Investment, that would be one of the
conditions under which charge OF s3.25 would BE-
perfectly justified. do not, however know the cir
eumstances in the case You mention, and would
like 10 express opinion unless knew them
MR. BARSspALE. There are equal railroad iacil
tiles between the two points. What ask Is this
II the railroad afford IA transport cotton from
Memphis To New orleans for 81 a bale the distance
being four hundred and fifty miles between those
two points bv what rule can it charge 81 p a bale
for the transportation Of cotton from Niuona to |
New Orleans, a distance Of two hundred and seven |
tyfye miles less, the facilities being precisely the
same?
MIR FINK That 1 will try to explain TO you.
Mr.. TURNER. On the same rail route2
Mr.. BARKsDALE. Yes; on the same rail route.
Mr.. FINK. Let il be the same. You know the |
rate between Memphis and New orleans on bale |
of cotton is fixed by the steamboats,. They take il
for - cents, and sometimes 80 cents. The question
for the railroads that want to carry that cotton is to
decide whether by taking it for 81 bale which Is
the highest the road can get, they can make little
profit out of it. Ii ii costs that railroad - cents
and gets dollar, that Is an additional . cents
profit per bale 10 the road The road-hed Is there.
and the cars are there, and everything is ready
transport that bale OF cotton 10 New Orleans No /
new Investment 10 do this work has to be made |
Now, if the road conld not get more than dollar
per bale from NiuOna % New Orleans. il would not
pay sufficient interest the investment, and per-
haps not enough pay the general expenses OF the
road and in that case the road could not be operat-
ed al all. The road charges very little prott the
New orleans cotton nom Memphis. They charge 4
nothing, perhaps, for the use or the investment in
the road but the bale OF cotton they carry from
Ninona to New Orleans they must change for the |
OF the road. for the investment made in the /
road, because the road was built Tor the Winona,
not Tor the Memphis, people. The latter could get /
along without the road. can not determine whether
not the charge Of s. p from WiRona 10 New Or
leans is iustifed but the road is certainly justified
charging a deal than they charge
cotton ironi Memphis 10 New Orleans.
This was the confused and insufficient
answer to a simple business proposition
If the railroad can afford to take cotton
from Memphis to New Orleans, a dis
tance of four hundred and fifty miles, |
for : bale, how can it Justify itself III
charging S325 for two hundred and
seventv-five miles? The real solution is
that Memphis is a competing point and
there is no pool to keep up freights. |
Winona is a non-competing point and
there is no supervision to prevent the
company from charging what the traffic
will bear, and the answer resolves itself
at last into the Rob Roy principle;
Let him take who has the power,
Let him keep who can.
RAILROADS ARE SERVANTS OF Tue PEo-
PIE.
Mr. Fink in his argument before the
committee in 1882 said that some of the
railroad managers considered themselves
autocrats in all that appertained to
railroad matters--a significant declara
ton. Some of them have evidently for
gotten, if they have ever learned, that
railroads are servants of the people. and
that they who build and operate them
in consideration of valuable franchises
conferred-are charged with the duty
| of serving the public, for reasonable
| compensation, without discrimination,
denial, or delay.
THE PENDING BILLS.
The bill reported by the committee
prescribes that charges for transporta-
ton shall he reasonable. 1t prohibits
determinations between different per
sons and different localities under SINH
lar circumstances; also pooling, draw
backs, and rebates. 1t makes companies
liable to persons injured by such unlaw-
full acts for the actual damages, recover
able in any court of competent jurisdic-
ton. 1t prescribes fine of not exceed
ing 81 1000 for every violation of the
act, except that it shall not apply to the
clause requiring that charges shall be
reasonable. Where wrongs have been
willfully committed the court is requir-
ed to make allowance for cost for the
benefit of the injured party at the ex-
pense of the company.
1t provides for the appointment of a
commission charged with the duty of
hearing and investigating causes of COM
plant and instituting judicial proceed
ings if necessary.
The commission is required TO examine
, the books and accounts of said com
J panies at such times as may be deemed
by them necessary; see that all United
! States laws relating to them are en-
forced furnish such information to the
several Departments of the Government
or the Government directors of any OF
! said railroads, in regard to the tariffs oi
:, fares and freight, or the accounts oil
said railroads, as may be required ot
them or as they may deem expedient
make an annual report of their doing
Il to Congress on or before the LIST day o
) January of each year; and otherwis4
h endeavor to procure the data necessar,
il to the gradual enactment of an intelli
r gent system of national legislation regu
V lating interstate railroad commerce.
: 1t Is also required to inquire into tha
! method of railroad management or com
i bination known as pooling, and stat
n the result of their inquiry in their an
nual report, and whether, in their iude
te ment, any, and if so what, legislation
v expedient in relation thereto.
A. The bin has the double merit of prt
st viding remedial measures and appoin
er ing a commission armed with the powe
ye and authority and money of the Go,
e-t ernment to enforce them
L. In some important particulars til
q | subSfItIlte KNOWN As the REAGAN hill