The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-25
IT WILL NOT DO.
Opinions on the Interstate Law.
What Loading Business and Rail-
road Men Have to Say.
Receiver McNulta Thinks It d
Splendid Thing theoretically,
But IN Absolute Failure Ia Prac-
teal Application.
Ha Thinks In Three Years There VIII
Not Be Solvent Railway Company
In tho West and Southwest II
II 10 Not Amended.
Opinions on the Interstate Law.

Cnlc,oo ILL.,, Dec, PA local paper
! prints interviews with number OF lead
ing Chicago wholesale merchants and also
with two well known railroad managers,
giving their opinion Of the Interstate Com
morcc law, based on It's working, up to tho
present time, The majority of the mer-
chants express decided opposition TO Il,
holding that 1t proved Of little benefit, and
in many eases was working absolute injury.
All Of them favor radical amendments and
some OF them want it repealed ut once.
Receiver McNulta OF the Wabash Rail-
way said: Theoretically, the law APP
pcarcd to be all right Practically, il is
radically wrong. It's effect has been, and
must continue to be, directly the opposite
of what il was in cnlcJ. That il has and
may, for time, continue TO give much
lower rates, is unqucstionably true. II
presents a case where too much Of good
thing is obtained, and where ultimately
all ol the advantages gained must be re-
paid hundred fold. II seems to me that
two-at the outside thrco-ycars Of
the condition OF affairs that has
existed during the past spring and
summer would not leave three
solvent railroad companies in the West,
nor the Southwest. While this Is true il
is beloved by those best qualified to Judge
that the earnings OF the trunk lines have
been increased Sl,OOO,OOO oycry month
under The operation Of this law. Tho
natural sequence Of this in my opinion, is
the absorption Of all the roads in tho
country 10y the present trunk line cor
puraliuns. When the Western roads arc
worn Out and bInkruptod, no one else will
be- able, ur II able, IN view ui the result 10
| the present owner, willing 10 buy them,
and thu outcome which would be- reached
IN q few ycans would leave three, or at
most live corporations controlling all OF
| the railroad, in the luitcl States. with
| thC country iuuituually diyi led between
| them. Then | fancy that the three or
! five managers would have no trouble IN
| agryoiug upon and maintaining rates that
would We vnincnAy satisfactory ~ tive Ia.
tcrcsl represented hy them. In that ciso
| the only remedy that | can think oi would
! De Governmental oWnrmhip or control
| that would bc cpuyil, 6 to oWnprihip.
| folly 10 talk ui lis unconditional raupal.
lhrr must Boz legal railroad restriction.
bat With ID there must go railroad uro.
iyriiUu. whoa the owners uf thp fail-
ruid property are restricted from en-
cruIrhuE ou thr property aud rights II
u,hrm they must hg protected lrUm tho
cncIplchmyut ui others upon their rights
and property Something similar ~ tho
English clearing house system should 10
adopted nni carried ont under tho dircc-
ton ol experienced government officers
with long terms uNrd Tor tenure oi office,
aud salaries equal 10 those paid railroad
ulliupn Occur ing similar CsIUHsihlo posi-
lions, tiu pn .yut commission u you like.
Tho Canadian ruIli should bp compelled
Ia CONFORM to the same mites that loy-
Ufn the American roads, aud while ID ia
truo That We cannot enforce those rule, in
Canada We can place burlrns upon or
even prohibit Bn interchange at tmtic
where they violate Thorn. The compete
ton with natural waterways should 10
expected. Ur provided iur under thu long
AMI short haul clause, u that clauir h not
wholly repealed, H ! think u should be-,
~ least until thu practical workings ui tho
law Without d can De- ascyrilin,I. Tho
law h9u.l prohibit The bulldiugoi parallel
railroads tu Doc maintained ut public cx-
pUu.n iur tHU same reason that 10 would
prohibit tic construction oi wagon roads
eide by side.
"No interstate road 10 10 iulorstato
business should br allowed a. hc con-
sifuriui except upon thc finding VI tho
Interstate Commission ur other Federal
authority that 10 was needed to do tho
business, and that 10 was not being built
tu squeeze money out of some other mad.
There should Boz Federal prohibition In
regard 90 competing lines anil limit II
control Boo tbu extent ui any one line and
D. lateral branches aud feeders. flr cNlm-
pie prohibiting the trunk lines from c1n-
trolling vest of Che pre- mo trunk line ter
minus aud prohibiting ih" lines east Ut tho
Missouri River from controlling roads 10
the westward aud so un in nli directions.
Equality aud pUrmluuurr Ut rates afruuiis
important than lower Increase the fitcs
JD per cent, secure pCruancucy aud uni-
iurm.iy and @ greater b.ncit viii be- de-
rived hy patrons than Do tkc rate $50. 10.
durrd 30 pee cent. allowing existing .upr-
u.afIuus boz favor 1T localities competing
Tor the business. Above all tbu.. what
over lhr provisions 81 Co., hN mIy lr. IL
should bu rgidly enforced. o. oppressive
aud detective features UI.i thus be-
brought out and modification proinply
obtained"
General Manager S. John, Of the Rock
Island Road. said che uN has uniouht-
cdly abolished much discrimination,
which b. no. admirable usult. The long
aud short clause has in b1mr eases pro-
duccd satisfactory results. while in Others
b. hls wrought worry great injury both TO
shippers and carriers. 10 j not easy to
say now upon which side OF the account
tbp balance would be- i0url u 10 was care
fully made up. This clause gives short
lines very decided advantages over long
ones, ior the reason that tlio longer linCe
cannot reduce their rates % and from in-
tcrmclialc stations ior thc purpose Il
securing q portion ol the competitive
traffic ID competitive points beyond. Mr.
st. John cited an example in his COM
plny'a experience un their - iiul Il
Minneapolis line. Whyro they have pfnc-
ticilly withdrawn iIom through traffic bo-
cause ID could not stand the necessary to
duciIous 90 intermediate stations.
The iicrcst Wau known o. railroads
have mgcd under the OPEN iun Of ihc law
In spite Of the TACT that }. Nu thought