Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1886-04-22

mendment similar to the one nov 's"posed
only received IL votes in this body quote
from my speech in the C0Rgressio'al Record,
pages $50 and SS7:
Inmv Judgment. many ofthe evils complain
ed of against the railroads are the result uf I'M
wise and undue competition betweer il.e roads
which forces them to do things which r. I'M
natural and unhealthy in business INIT OF
view. and believe that careful and 'fosres-
/ sive legislation will result in great a' antage
to the railroads as well as TO tic poOpl BY pro-
tecting the roads from the ne, - lies { their
/ own errors for in nine cases OFT OF tca ,hc I'M
wise action of one road in making ui ne dis
/ elimination forces all the other comp roads
not only TO do the same thing and o. 'l"pt Tor
/ the time being the same policy. hu wen AT
! times to go TO q further extreme in same
direction. IL is now well establish i'rinci-
pie in railroading that the movemc' of car
| loads of freight costs the railroad 80 uch per
/ ton per mile on the average. This annunt Is
ascertained and known by each rnad with al
most mathematical exactness. Wemay assume,
if you please, for illustration, that this cost IS
! at the average rate of cent per ton per mile
for all the freight hauled over the whole line OF
/ road, and il is equally well known that long
/ hauls can be made at somewhat less cost IN
proportion than short hauls. Ii is, therefore,
/ a fundamental principle in railrOading that
] the dNGIdEt rates VI lulud-C ltl Ai4ii lhAHN ~
/ kept up to point necessary to yield the road
fair profit on its capital from its gross bust
ness. Now, when road takes its through
] freight from competitive points on n long haul
at less than il can afford to do the business per
mile and make profit, or at less than II can
afford TO do the business and pay actual eXpen-
ses, it must make up the deficiency on its ave
rage business from non-competitive points be-
| tween the starting place and the market 10 be
reached, and the lower it is forced to take
| through freight the higher il must charge on
its local freight
This is the result of competition forced upon
railroads by themselves rather than their vol
untary action. For it is fair TO presume that
railroads as a matter of business would not Of
choice discriminate uniustly between shippers
| but would equalze rates TO reasonable eX-
! tent to produce the average earnings per mile
/ required if they could follow out their own
! Judgment of what would be equitable and fair
and their own inclinations to do it.
And again:
There can be no good reason assigned TO JUS
! tifv railroads in making these determinations,
and do not think they do make them from
choice, but from necessity, 10 bring up their
average earnings. There can be no more rea-
son for a.rairoad charging more for half the
/ labor than for twice the amount of labor than
there would be for any other interest governed
/ by the rules affected by machinery and labor
/ or than there would be for charging more for
making one pillow than for making two plows
/ or for a cart To charge more for carrying load
/ half mile than it would for mile over the
same road or for a hod-carrier to charge more
TO carry brick to the first story of house than
| he would to carry the same brick to the second
| story over the same ladder by which he reach
ed the first story. The cost of transportation
/ to a railroad is measured By the wear and tear
/ of the road and equipment, and the expenses
/ per mile for fuel and labor in moving the train
| and there is no theory that ! have ever seen
/ advanced that satisfies my mind that these
/ physical conditions are varied 20 any great eN-
/ tent per mile IN proportion to the distance.
It may be urged by Senators from the
| Western States that this amendment will
! tend to increase The through rates from Chi
cago st. Louis, and other large Western
competitive points. admit that on It's face
it will have this tendency, but it will have
! the cOunterbalancing effect in reducing the
rates to shippers in the same States outside
! of the large cities Under the operation OF
the amendment they will be relieved of bur
dens now borne on shipments into these
centers from the interior, and so the princi-
pie will in the end adjust itself without det-
riment to the consumers or unjust influences
on the large commercial centers. ! have no
complaint to make of the cheap rates given
to the Western cities. ! have no objection
TO that What / want is that the nearer
shipper shall not be charged more than the
more distant shipper, and 10 that extent be
made TO assume and bear his burdens. But
why should shippers from the far West cul-
tivating cheaper and more productive lands.
ask to receive cheaper transportation for the
same kind of products than is given to per-
sons nearer the market, cultivating less pro-
ductive and more expensive lands?
Why should the ship er of the same kind
of products in the State Of Indiana, Ohio,
Tennessee Kentucky, West Virginia, Vir
GINA, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and other
States similarly situated geographically be
Disseminated against and compelled to pay
more than is charged from Chicago or St.
Louis? | think it is too plain for argument
that the true principle is, that the nearer
shippers should not be charged more than
the shipper at a greater distance under any
circumstances or under any conditions.
Mr.. President, have directed my re
marks mainly to that clause in the section
| limiting It's provisions o. The same original
point Of departure because that limitation
| embraces BY far the widest range OF excep-
tions in the application Of the long and
short haul principle. It's application, en-
bracng all sections Of the country, gives ii
almost universal application, and for that
reason is Of much greater importance than
the provision extending discretionary power
to vary the rule where there are competing
water ways. This only affects comparative
ly few localities. ba' that provision, in my
| Judgment + ,-n very Objectionable, for II
d scrimina'c- against water transportation
by allowing fhp railroads 20 compete a
gainst such transportation ~ ruinous rates
| in order % taxi the freight that naturally
belongs 90 zach modes ot transportation.
If railroad rau not afford % take freight
! from competitive 1uinis. t1nt might other
wise 90 By water transportation, at rates
| that Justify 'hc sam, ;.a,,- H. taking freights
of the same kiai from nearer points, then
| the water routes -l.ouid be allowed 10 carry
it without legislative interference against
their interests. II make this exception
would i'm some cases interfere with equality
and Justice as between railroads Thus
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and
! Norfolk are competitive points for exporta-
ton; the railroads leading to all these cities
are in competition at the same points in
many sections where limited water trans
portation exists
The railroads leading to one Of these ex-
porting cities may have water competition,
while the roads leading to another export
! city may not have water competition. The
| effect of This rrovfso ,voull lac oifbar 70 al