The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-19
LONG AND SHORT HAULS.
ARGUMENT OF A RAILWAY MAN TO
cUlLoM'S COMMITTEE.
Why Through Rates are Lower Than
Local Rates-A Bill on the s,H.iect
Reportrd-oar National Legislature
Miss 2syard's Death.

WASHINGTON CRY, Jan. i9.--Senator
Cullom's se;e committee on interstate rail
road Transportation win report to the senate
soon bill enboiyiag tie results of tho in
ves;igstiocs made ty it last summer and at
daily sessions held during during the present
session. s great many interesting arga-
nents il writing have been submitted 10 it,
,mong which oae by President Perkins, OF
ne Chicago, Darlington q Quincy road,
yhi presents the railroad side of tie qaes-
icA
M Perkins thinks Tie oest rlethoi OF
preventing extortioa az unjust disyrimina-
tion is by appeal to ths courts; but he says
that very little, if any, eXtortion or unjust
dis riminstion is practiced, in evidence of
which he points to the fact that few cases
are taken u court o. made puOlic and that
the re ords of state railroad commissions
show very few complaints ana siiil fewer de-
cisiols ~ the commissions against the
roads, through rats, he says, are
generally lower than local rates, because
through ilsness is Wholesale business
larger in GnoInt and therefore less eNpen-
siVe % ,lunsa ?, ard for ihe additional rea-
sons tina. tAs competition for il is more
severe and taat through rates are more gen.
orally affected ~ direct water route com
petition. But ii is obviously iueXpe iient to
require RAILROADS 10 reduce local rates be-
cause tie co .oined inlu nceS o. large az
-regata tra..-c N the competition Of other
railroads. wafer routes, or rival markets,
which influences axe not f1lt at lCcll points,
may make It for tLei' interest TO pa;tici-
pats in the through business on
"a very small margin of profit,
Ii ali traders We're compelled to sell
everythin, on the bass OF the lowest
margin Of prost which they might find il
necessary to take on some one thing the ef
!ecG would be the same, over wider field,
as the effect of re iuiring railroads either to
give up tie through business or reduce their
local RATES corresPoniinsly. Perkins con
concludes:
1T is true, and viii remain true as long
as railroads are conducted on business Trin-
ciples, that trade centers will be able to OBJ
tain lower rates of transportation than local
points for precisely the sans reason that
such places are aoIe to obtain many conven-
fences and Injuries which lo1el points do not
and can not enjoy. Ta5sa who desire wafer
and gas iu their houses, or May and cheap
amusaments, or the lowest rates
OF freight must go TO where
there are enough Other pzrsons who
desire the same to make it profitable
to supply them. This is not because rail-
reads wish il 10 be 50, but because in the
nature of things it must be SO. 1t has been
said that railroads make thu trade eenters,
tut such is not the fact The tendency of
railroad is TO puc different trade c-nters on
M equality Iy the annihilation Of distance,
Dat the5 10 more make teG.er5 o. population
and trade than 10 the oJhsr manufacturers
Or traders vino seek 81 Ii p7iIts for their
own profit. Most, ii not eli, the cases of
alleged unTeasonableaess in railroad Charge
sill, on careful investigation, be found to h
Cue L mislrp :cde-sion OF uaEIlcrssGni-
Jag Of the facts"