The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-05-07
SPOONER'S ELUCIDATION
OF ONE OF THE POINTS IN THE
RAILWAY DISCUSSION.

Effect of the Attempt to Regulate Rail-
way Charges for Long and short Hauls
Action of the Senate-Fil-i-bus-ta -tah--
Judge Treat and the Great Disaliower.
WASHINGTON CITY, May THE senate
Wednesday adopted the amendment to the
inter state commerce bill making an abso-
lutte prohibition against charging as much
for short haul as a long haul by vote of
~ to II Among the speakers on the sub
lect was Spooner, who maintained that as
matter OF fact the bulk of the profitable
railroad business of the great trunk lines of
the country consists OF local freight; that
the through freight constitutes a very
small per cent OF the total business and a
much smaller per cent of the profits; that
consequently, as simple business propo-
sition if the railroad companies by
legislation shall be compelled to choose be-
tween the profits of the local and of the
through business the through business will
be sacrificed and the local business retained
III other words, the railroad companies will
prefer profits to losses. Spooners argument
is that the through freight rates are the
result of competition; that they are estab-
lished at the minimum of profit and are
consequently less than the actual cost; that
if the companies are compelled to make the
charges for the long haul proportionately as
high as the charges for the short hanl it will
be the rate of the long, or least profitable
haul, that will be increased, and the rate of
the short, or the most Profitable haul, that
will be retained The result will be an
actual increase in the cost OF transportation
between the east and the west on the trunk
lines, and ultimate effect on this state of
facts would doubtless be an increase in the
cost of breadstuffs to the eastern consumer
and lower prices for wheat in the west
Thursday several special orders were ar
ranged AMI the inter state commerce bill
came up again; Wilson of Iowa offered an
amendment providing that the prohibition
of the bill against receiving more for
shorter than for longer haul should not be
construed as authorizing any railroad com
pany to charge mu h for a shorter as for
a longer haul. He did this, he said, to pre-
vent the companies from holding that the
bill gave them implied authority to charge
as much for haul of 100 miles as for
haul of 900 miles. long debate fol
lowed.
morning at 40, the time being occupied
principally in filibustering by the majority
of the Democrats against action on the bill
for the relief of certain officers of the volun-
teer army. Rogers of Arkansas moved to
strike out the proyisos granting bounty to
the soldiers who We're discharged to receive
promotion prior to their re enlistment as
veterans and to all volunteer soldiers who
were discharged on account of disease con.
tract,d
Thursday Tucker of Virgiaia, from the
judiciary committee, reported adversely the
joint resolution proposing constitutional
amendment providing for female suffrage
Committee reports we're submitted as fol-
lows; Appropriating $1,000 for the survey
of a water route to connect the Detroit river
with Lake Michigan; authorizing the Kan
sas City, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad com
pany to operate road through the Indian
territory.
In the morning hour Hatch of Missouri
called up the bill to create a
department of agriculture and labor
Dilatory motions were submitted by
Breckenridge of Kentucky, Hewitt of New
York, and Blount OF Georgia, who OPP osed
the measure and the hour expired without
any consideration OF the bill having been
entered upon. Ths house then went into
committee of the whole on the river and
harbor bill and after discussion the COM
mittee rose and reported the bill to the
bouse The only amendment reported from
committee upon which a separate vote was
demanded was that directing the secretary
of war to negotiate for the purchase of the
works of the Monongahela Navigation com
pauy. 1t was agreed to-l2+1i2
Question of sympathy.
WASHINGTON CITY, May The house
committee on foreign affairs had long dis
cussion Thursday over the resolution OF
o. Neill of Missouri, expressing thanks to