Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1886-04-22
rrF VIRGINIA FREE PRESS--rHE OLD FAMILY JOURNAL.

hauled a given distance for less than nothing.
The amendment proposed does not pro-
vide that the charge shall be in proportion
10 the distance, or at a rate per mile; it
simply requires that railroads shall not
charge greater sum for the same KIND OF
freight for a shorter haul than it does for a
longer haul. which includes the shorter.
Shippers are willing that the railroads shall
receive fair and remunerative rates; they
do not complain so much OF the rates as
they do of the unfairness of determinations
that gives one section advantages over an
other section, one town over another town,
and one set of manufacturers over other
manufacturers that makes lands in one To-
cality worth more than in another locality
less eligibly situated with reference to the
markets And they especially complain to
see carloads of the same kind Of freight
passing their doors from more distan: points
to the same markets at less cost than they
paw for Transporting the same class of freight
to the same market less distance.
Albert Fink, trunk line commissioner,
and perhaps the highest authority on rail-
road traffic in this country, says in his evil
dence before your committee, on page 81 ::
ulated when proper through tariffs are MAIN
tanned: hence the first object should be to Sc
cure the maintenance of properly adjusted
through tariffs that are reasonable to the pub
lie and TO the railroads. This done there will
be no difficulty in adjusting local tariffs and
preventing unjust discrimination. 1t IS rule
generally adopted by all railroads TO properly
adjust local tariffs to the through tariffs when
the latter are reasonable and fairly remunera-
tive. For example, the tariffs of the PenDsyl
vania Railroad are so arranged that no higher
charge is made from any station east OF Pitts
burgh to Philadelphia than from Pittsburgh TO
Philadelphia, nor from any station this SIDE oil
Chicago than from Chicago. That Is rule gen.
orally adopted by all roads.
Senator HARRIS. Never 10 charge more Tor q
short than for long distance?
Mr.. FINK. ! do not say never, because
there are conditions under which this may be
done without any injustice; but II IS the gen.
eral rule, III making tariffs that whenever a
proper through tariffs established, under which
the railroads can live, they regulate all the To-
cal charges so as not to cause any unjust DIS
elimination between the through and local
rates but when the railroads get into hght'
as some of them are at present, and when they
charge 10 or u cents a hundred Oh grain from
Chicago to New York, less than the cost OF
Transportation, not because such low rates are
a commercial necessity, but simply because the
companies can not control the maintenance OF
reasonable rates on account of discussion a.
mong themselves then the local rates can not
be graded down to suit those through rates,
and unjust discrimination between local and
through rates is the unavoidable result.
The CHAIRMAN You say the local rates can
not be graded down?
Mr.. FINK. They can be of course; but the
result would be that the roads would very soon
have to stop running, because they would not
make enough money to pay their operating
expenses; and it is in this way that the great
difficulty arises, which has given just cause TO
much complaint, that in times OF war between
the railroads. when proper, well-regulated tar
ifs are not maintaine the local interests SUI
fer. and unjust discrimination exists. The re-
medy, however, is not TO put down the local
rates but to put up the through rates to pro
per basis which would be just and reasonable
both to the public and the railroads.
The CHAIRMAN Do you mean by the Govern
ment?
Mr. FINK. That is the question. There can
be no doubt there must be some control eXer-
cised over the railroad tariffs that will prevent
unjust discrimination. If the railroads can not
govern themselves, then | think it is proper
that the Government should step in and give
aid to the railroads. In that case the question
would be whether the Government can give
any aid at all, and what that aid should be.
1t will be observed that Mr.. Fink, who
speaks with as much knowledge and author
ity from a railroad standpoint As any man
in this country, comedies the justice of the
long and short haul principle, but assumes
that through rates must control the local
rates: and as the railroads, by reason or
competition, rate cutting, and rate wars, can
not control the through rates, that the local
rates must not be controlled. That Is to say,
that railroad managers must be allowed to
cut each others threats on long hauls from
competing points and make up the deficlen-
CIV on the balance of the country by higher
rates on shorter hauls. Mr. President, is it
not plain that if Mr.. Fink will reverse his
proposition and give stability and something
like uniformity to local rates he will solve
the problem of uniformity and stability to
through rates? For if railroads arc prohib-
tied from charging more for a short than for
longer haul, which includes the shorter
haul. and they know that competition and
rate cutting at distant points means rate
cutting all through to the end of the line IN
the me direction, would the roads not be
forced in self preservation to maintain uni
form and fair through rates in order to main
tain proportiOnate local rates? And why
should not the local rates be made to gov
ern the through rates to the extent that the
charge for a short haul should not exceed
the charge for the longer haul The more
especially so since the intermediate points
supply so much the larger proportion of the
freight
All railroads must depend chiefly for sup
port on the traffic originating along the
lines of their roads, and for that reason
ought to encourage and build up their local
business This is a well-recOgniZed fact
Then why should this great preponderance
of local traffic be subordinated to the capri
ces of a comparatively small amount of traf-
fic from through competitive points?
Take for instance, the tonnage over the
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad on its main line east
of Pittsburgh, and the statistics for the past
four years show that a fraction over 80 per
cent. originated on its line, and only about
10 per cent. of what is called through freight
originated and came to it from lines west of
Pittsburgh And what is true of the Penn
syvania Railroad is true to a greater or less
extent of all other railroads. This state
ment differs greatly from the general i'm
preston in regard to the extent and volume
of what is called through freights, and call
the attention of Senators 30 it: that 80 per
cent. Of the freight traffic passing over the
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad east Of Pittsburgh
originates on its line. and that only 10 per
cen. comes from west of Pittsburgh-the
proportion may vary on other roads. And
vet this small percentage OF through freight
is the subject of nearly all the railroad wars
hot Il fef