The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-20
INTERSTATE COMMERCE..

A Letter from a United States Senator who
Sees Many Dangers in the Bill.
Washington Special in Philadelphia Press.
A prominent Republican United States Sena-
tor has written the following letter the effect
of the interstate commerce bill, should it come
into force. He has consented to it's publication,
but prefers to have his name withheld until after
the matter is discussed. It is fair to state that
the author of the letter was not q member of
che conference committees
Robert r. Porter. the Press Washington Bureau.
Washington, Ii. c.:
Ny Dear Sir: The bill as reported to the Senate by
the conference committee is quite surprise. The
Eenate committee, after travelling the United
States and taking testimony among business men and
railroad men, reported that they unwilling, with
the information then possessed by the committee,
revolutionze the business of the country by arb
trary provision prohibiting pooling. They therefore
recommended an investigation by the commission
contemplated by the Cullom bill into the subject of
pooling, and the commission to make report within
given time. What new testimony has been In the
recess furnished upon the subject, what new
light has dawned upon the COMMITTEES; or whence it
tones, is a matter of conjecture only. The pool of
to-day is not what the railroad pool of ten fifteen
years ago was, either in its structure in its pur
oose Once its object to stife competition and
enable competing lines to put rates too high and to
seep rates too high. The paraeling of railroads in
ater years and the wild strife between competing
'oads for business have made it necessary to the
stability of rates. In the interest of the people well
IS in the interest of railroads that some agreement
hould be entered into for maintaining rates. This
ias been done by pooling, and the rates have gone
steadily downward What effect the sudden revou-
ion in the of trapsacting business which will
be wrought by the prohibition of pooling, If carried
sill have mal can tell.
The committee also reports a stronger provision
ipon the long and short Independently the absolute
provision of the Reagan BILL This hardly fail to
be productive of anything but evil to the shippers of
he country. Those who live at the end of the long
saul must suffer. The farmers and cattleraisers of
the West, and the dairymen and all whose products
must seek the seaboard for market for export will
quickly feel it. The low through rates which have
quilt up the West and the East will be thing of the
past. If the low through rate must be the maximum
# the local rate it needs argument to show that
he low through rate must be abandoned. It will be
out and the local rates will not be lowered that
shippers at the end of long haul will be injured and
shippers at the local points will not be benef ed The
great export cities of the East-New York. Philadel
phia Boston. Baltimore, etc.-wll suffer- The
ufacturers dry goods grocery and other merchants
who have heretofore been accustomed to sell in the
Eastern market to merchants and dealers in
She West and far West will suffer. The
products of the West, as far posi-
Die. will find Canadian outlet Canada has al
ready furnished the money to build railroads from
Minneapolis to connect with Montreal This legisla-
ton win, think In the long rum not essentially in
jure railroads, although it will lead to consultations
and to the absorption of the smaller roads. If en-.
forced, 1t viii be q curse to the people. II not
forced it will be calamity that it enacted for il
will stamp a failure the attempt after long effort.
at intelligent regulation of interstate 1t is
amazing that in legislation which is experiment,
and which deals in such vital way with threefourths
had any experience in the transportation business
should be so daring and be willing to go fast and
Confidently
UNITED STATES SENATE. Dec. II. 1886.