The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-28
THE FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS.
Senators Cullom, Sherman and Conger Dis
cuss the Interstate Commerce Bill.

WASHINGTON, April q. Mr. Wilson was ap
pointed member of the following committees
On claims. ON pensions, and on tenth census
also on naval affairs, during the temporary alb
ssnce of Senator Jones, Of Florida
The bill providing for an extension Of the
executive mansion was passed. It appropriates
100000 for the purpose.
A bill was passed to provide for tho allotment
Of lands in severalty to the Indians on the
Round Valley reservation, California "ie
A bill was passed providing for the addition of
third story tc the public building at Dallas,
Tex, and appropriating $4,000 for that purpose.
The interstate commerce bill was then taken
up. The question was on Mr.. Camden's proposed
amendment to strike out the words from the
same point of departure" from the long and
short haul clause Of the bill.
Mr.. Cullom said the committee had given the
subject Of long and short hauls a good deal of
consideration, and felt that it had gone further
thar the State Of massachusetts had gone in
that matter. No country In the world had an
absolute long and short-haul law for railroads
There was 10 this country belief that the short
haul people were swindled in order to make up
for the losses on the long haul. Tho committee
had eudeavored, by this bill, to prevent the pos.
sibility Of the railroads recouping themselves out
Of the short-haul people for losses on the long
haul The committee, he said, had not been
able to bring their Judgment to the conclusion
that 1t would be wise to insist that there should
never be greater charge for shorter than for
a longer haul He wished such law could wise
ly be passed, but II passed, as things were, such
q law would be greatly injurious to the business
Of the country ~. ....ts
Mr. Sherman could not see how the commit
tee. having recognized the long and short haul
principle, could resist tho amendment proposed
by Mr. Camden. Without that amendment he
did not doubt that the rate from Chicago to New
York might be charged for Pittsburg to New
York. That would be great injustice to Pitts.
burg: II was impossible to stop short Of extend
ing the long and short-haul principle to interior
points on railroads, If 1t was to be applied to
great points on the same railroads. If there was
any justice in controlling railroads to one point
the principle must be extended to intermediate
points 1t was said that 1t sometimes costs more
for . short haul than long one. That was not
so; it could not be so. It had never been shown
to be 30. There was no ground of equality for a
larger charge on short haul than a longer one
IL we were to make law about it all. we could
not escape going the whole way. One of the
great evils Of our time was the concentration in
our cities-the RESULT of railroad arrange ents
lat the expense Of local communities The fight
on the few words which Mr.. Camden had moved
to strike out from tho same point Of depart
ure'] showed that tho object was to keep,up the
privilege Of making heavy charges from local
points In Ohio. Indiana and West Virginia, and
all intermediate points
Mr.. Miller opposed the amendment, and Mr.
Harris and Mr.. Beck advocated it. 8
Mr.: Conger also favored It. The people of
Michigan, he said. had for years been suffering
extortion from railroad charges The bill. as It
stood now, was in favor Of the great cities and
against small towns and rural districts He rid
iculed the idea that the general provision of the
bill relating to extortionats charges was Of any
use against corporations If the railroad man
ayers Of the United States had come together
they could not have got up bill better calcu-
lated to serve their interests against the water
routes than this bill would serve them. If the
bill passed there would be no further need of i'm
proving our water communications-the railroads
would have the water-courses absolutely under
their control
inurned. -.