Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-29
OUR COMMERCE BILL.
DISCUSSION OF IT BEFORE THE HOUSE
COMMITTEE ON ROADS.
Freight Rates, Long and Short hau's'
Free Passes, &C., Talked OF
without Result.

The Senate Committee on Roads and
Internal Navigation (Alr. Heaton chair
MANI met in the Senate Gambler last
night at o'clock to consider the bill
that has passed the House, the design OF
which is to make the commerce laws
OF the State conform to the interstate
bill. There was large attendance upon
the session OF the committee, including
a number of prominent railroad-men.
MINOR MATTERS.
The committee first took up the FOL
lowing House bills, to which there was
no opposition. and reported them:
To consolidate the Brighthope Rail
way Company with the Farmville and
Powhatan Railroad Company.
To incorporate the Petersburg, En-
trick and Matoaca Railroad Company.
To amend the charter OF the Farmville
and Powhatan Railroad Company.
COMMERCE BILL.
The commerce bill was next taken up.
The first gentleman who addressed
himself to the subject was MIR. Mccoy,
who. as manufacturer of lime at Riverton
station. on the Shenandoah-Valley road,
does a very large shipping business. He
expressed satisfaction with the present
laws on the subject, and said he gets
rates that are reasonable. He stated
that in a year he shipped as much
as 10000 tons of lime and other
articles. He could see no good reason
for changing the law and expressed him
self especially as opposed to the fourth
section, which deals with the long and
short-haul question. Railroads, he said,
deal with their patrons very much as
merchants do with their customers.
The railroads know that it is not to their
interest to deal harshly with shippers,
and their agents and managers are al
ways ready and willing to remedy any
wrong or grievance. Commerce, the
speaker thought, should be regulated by
markets and not by miles, and to leave
this section in the bill would tend to in
lure Richmond and other Virginia cities
and carry much of their trade to North
or South Carolina.
Mr.. PITCHER.
Mr.. Pitcher, of Fauquier, brother of
the member OF the House from that
county, was next given audience. He
in the main endorsed the position taken
by Mr.. Mccoy, and followed in the same
line of argument that he pursued when
he discussed the subject last week. AS
an illustration of what reasonable terms
the railroads give, the speaker stated
that he shipped from a station III his
county to or beyond Raleigh, n. g., at
the rate Of IL cents per hundred. He
further stated that where he had few
years ago to pay - cents, he has row,
under the operation of the interstate
law, to pay % cents.
Our COMMISSIONER.
General James G. Hill, Railroad Com
missioner for Virginia, as an illustration
of the benefit that would be derived
from the passage of this law cited just
one case He and Mr.. Koiner, for a
constituent of the latter, had endeavored
to get special rate from Charlottesville
100 miles this side of Markham, Mr..
Pitchers station) TO Raleigh and other
North Carolina points, and twenty-five
cents-fve cents mere than Mr.. Pitcher
had to pay for a greater distance--was
the best rate that they could get. He
favored the bill as it came from the
House.
KEEP IN THE FOURTH SECTION.
Mr.. Anderson, a member of the House
of Delegates from Fluvanna, spoke in
favor of the bill and especially the reten-
ton of the fourth section. He related
the facts in case in which he was di-
rectly interested in which he was charged
$40 on a car for sixty-six miles, while
others shipping two hundred and nine
teen miles got rates inside of Sl5 per car.
1t was against such discrimination as
this that he was fighting.
Messrs. Anderson, Pitcher, and Nc
Coy questioned each other for some
time, repeating in a great measure points
that had already been discussed.
PERFECT THE BILL.
Mr.. Bullet. assistant to the president
of the Norfolk and Western railroad,
was next given audience. Their general
counsel, he said, had intended to pre-
sent the case TO the committee, but at
the last hour was incapacitated by sick
ness.
Mr.. Bullet said he appeared not as
opposing the bill, but to advocate its
perfection if it was to be enacted into
law. He presented brief containing
extracts from the report to Congress Of
the commerce commission and decisions
of courts bearing on the questions
raised. He first objected to the bill be-
ing left in such shape as not to apply to
water transportation, as this would give
the steamboat companies very great and
unjust advantages. Next he claimed
that the provision that the expenses Of
the commission shall be borne by the
railroads is unconstitutional, and quoted
from such opinions as be thought ap-
piled to the principle involved.
The question was asked whether the
expenses of similar commissions in other
States we're not borne in like manner.
Mr.. Bullet said he knew of no State
where such was the case except South
Carolina, though there might be others.
General Hill stated that such is now the
law in New York, Massachusetts,, South
Carolina, and several other States.
FREE PASSES.
The next provision upon which Mr..
Bullet touched was the section prohibit
ing the issue of free passes except in
special cases where the applicants for
them are poor and worthy. He con-
sidered it bad policy to leave this section
in the bill as it stood. Let the law
stand as before or make it posi-
lively prohibitory against the issue
of any pass. Railroads were expect
ed to do everything that they are
allowed, and this provision would
be greatly abused in addition to forcing
the railroad authorities to pass upon the
condition of the applicant.
Some one suggested that all members
of the General Assembly might come un-
,