St. Paul daily globe., 1888-01-30
INTERSTATE COMMERCE..
Mr.. Fink Thinks Rates Are Not
Excessive, While Mr.. Dey Claims
Thnu

Iney tfe.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 2S.-At the open
ing of the days session of the interstate
commerce commission, Albert Fink,
commissioner of the Trunk Line associ-
alton, was recalled and crosse Xamined
by Mr.. Sterne. In the course of his eX-
animation, Mr.. Fink referred to the
charge of complainants that tariff rates
Oh small quantities of miscellaneous
goods had been increased since April /.
1887, and that it is now excessive, and
stated that he had recently made care
full computation of the cost of handling
local freightS and had found that, as a
rule. short haulS of certain classes of
local miscellaneous freight was accom-
pliShed at an actual loss, in view of the
terminal expenses of loading and un-
loading. In response to an inquiry from
Commissioner Cooley, Mr.. Fink stated
that commission representing the
roads west of Chicago had been for sew
eral months in communication with
committee from the Trunk Line aSSOci-
alton, with view to the adoption of
uniform classification for the whole ter
ritOry. He also stated that the roads
south of the Ohio river had expressed
themselves as anxious to join similar
movement, and that in all probability Il
meeting of representatives of the roads
would soon be held in the interest of
this movement. At the conclusion of
Mr.. Fink'S testimony, Peter A. Dey,
chairman of the Iowa state board of
railroad commissioners, and appearing
at this hearing at the request of the
governor of the state of Iowa, asked for
and received permission to address the
commission in opposition to the peti-
tiOns of complainants. He referred to
the second and third sections of the
interstate law, and maintained that they
were in harmony with the carload
classification. He claimed that the car
load was the natural unit for freight
which required carloads and that 100
pounds was the natural unit for less
than carloads. The Western claSSifica-
ton had 660 articles i'll its carl0t Sched-
ule and this, he claimed, had always
been the rule west of the Mississippi
river. He stated that in small lots the
average load of cars crossing the Mis-
while in car lots the average was
about 27.OOO pounds per car. For the
year 1856 he said 4.216,S7S tons crossed
the Mississippi river east-bound and
1888, ,223 weSt-bOund. The tonnage
crossing the Missouri river in the same
year was 1,2l5,533 east-bound and 1, ,426,-
| 292 west-bOund. For the year 1887 the
| tonnage crossing the Mississippi east
| bound was AL ,544, weSt-bound 3,6O1,-
| 566. The Missouri tonnage was |, ,236, ,S31
east-bound and 2,015,147 west-bound
To abolish carload rates would, he said
place the Western jObbers, so far as his
| customers were concerned, at diSad
vantage of at least 10 cents per 1O(
pounds, as compared with the New Yorf
jobber. This difference he thought
would enable the three complaining
| firms in this case to close every jobbine
| house in the West. He claimed that the
Western retailer is in full sympath,
with the carload rate. He did not be
lieve that it is the policy of the govern
ment to crush out the distributing cen
tiers in the West. He commended tn,
policy of the great beef and pork pack
ers in distributing their establishment
| so as not to concentrate too many mel
in the great cities, and thought if tin
government intended to interfere i
should be guided by the same rule
With Mr.. Dey's remarks the hearin!
was closed. Counsel will at some futur
date submit briefs for the consideration
| of the commission.