Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-12-11
tbe Ca,,faStrr 1nttlIigentet
LANCASTER DECEMBER Il, lss6
The Interstate Commerce Bill.

The committees OF the two houses OF
Congress are said to have agreed upon the
features of the interstate commerce bill
and there is strong probability that it will
become law 1t forbids railroad pooling
and requires the freight rates between
points on railroads line to be posted at
its stations, and the rates with connecting
railroads to be furnished TO the commits
sioners of the government, who shall see to
their publicly. 1t forbids the charge Of a
greater freight rate for shorter than for a
larger haul in the same direction, but
leaves it in the power of the government
officers to modify this rule on proper Occa.
sions shown.
Commissioner Fink, who knows more
about railroad freight rate working
than any other man, and who as the com.
missioner of the trunk line railroad pools
proves himself very exceptionally qualified
: for his post, thinks that railroad pools
should be encouraged rather than dis
couraged, the trouble being, as he
conceives, not that railroads agree to the
same prices, but that they cannot be kept
to them. The public interest requires that
the prices shall be reasonable, but it also
requires that they shall be uniform. And
these are likewise, in the long run. the
railroads interests. The true interests of
the railroad are those of their customers
Just as we'll as the interests of the manufac.
turer are those of his employees. Comms
sioner Fink seems to have the strength
OF the argument. If railroads could
be controlled to reasonable charges they
could all bind themselves to charge these
prices with advantage to the public, whose
injury does not come from their COmbina,
ton, but from their use of combination for
extortion; and it is because it is so liable to
be thus used that the lawmakers under
take to forbid it, as the easiest if not the
only way Of protecting the public.
II Mr.. Fink will show how railroad
charges may be made fair by law,
while railroads are allowed 10 com
bine, hs will solve the problem OF
their treatment by the law. The general
idea is that competition is the best reliance
of the public against eXtoTtiOn; and for
whenever asked. But there IS no c0mpe-
tition where there is combination; and SO
no advantage TO the public in the many
railroads.
And in truth many railroads seem to be
a mistake. There is no public advantage
found in chartering competing roads
which are not needed to do the bust.
ness, save the advantage in their cOmpe.
tition; which has not been great, in
experience, because Of the success with
which it can be Choked. If Commissioner
link will produce his plan to procure fair
rates from railroads, without competition.
he will save great deal of wasted capita
and be public benefactor. He has been
undertaking this business himself, as the
voluntary arbiter between the railroads.
and cannot latter himself with the results
in times when there is not enough business
TO go around. 1t has been conclusivelv
demonstrated that there is nothing sOfals.
to its engage nents as railroad corCora-
ton; which is as bereft of honor as Of soul,
Mr.. Fink may think that the hand OF the
law will have power to make railroad rates
decent ; but while the law leaves the road
free to combine, it is a serious question
whether it does not leave them too strong
for it.
The provision of ths proposed statute
which requires the publication of rates ha.
Mr.. Fink's unqualified approval. He doe:
not assent to the reasonableness of the re-
quirement that a charge shall be no greater
for shorter than for larger haul on the
same line in the same direction, which be
says willrevolutionize the traffic and cause
an increase in through freights, in order
that the companies may preserve their
profitable local freight rates. His ohfac.
tlons are weak in the face of the manifest
injustice Of charging local rate greater
than through rate right by the local cus.
toners door; and as it is to be presumed
that he advances all that can be advanced
against the proposition, Its benefcence ma,
be conceded. Having borne SO long til,
executive Of the railroad pool, Com
missioner Fink naturally takes a one-sidet
view Of the question at issue, and as hi,
business will be gone under the new law
the mldness of his protest against is strong
evidence of its virtue.