New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-02
terminal facilities at the western end of the bridge
and the water front
HOW TO REMEDY RATE WARS
GENERAL APPROVAL OF THE INTERSTATE COM
MISSIONS REPORT.

MISSIONS KEfOhl'
Comment on the report Of tho Interstate Commerce
Commission on the part of railroad men was restrained
Yesterday by the fact tina, the official document has
not reached their hands and been properly diges'od
In Wall Street IT only casually considered an1 INC
voyvs EXPRESSED on II largely governed by tho
attitude OF people toward the stock market Dlsap-
polntcd bulls hailed with ghoullsh glee tho severe
structures passed upon stock jobbing motives IN pre-
clpitatlng rate wars. Bulls who wcrc not disposed
to glvo up hope I'm tho future considered That mo
severity of the criticism inspired by Difference
to popular prejudice. Some bears failed TO see fha
the report lent much strength TO their views of the
situation II will probably take several days for al
street operators digest the report, and they may
not I'm many cases digest II at all Vail street IS
fond Of nocling together, letting other people do Us
thinking and being Influenced only by results "r inc
promise OF them.
mission as to tire motives which generally 2reclpao
was Of rates They are usually those managers who
resent the building Of new roads for the blac kmanS
nu,pose OF being bought out by strange Inc thas
suffers by unjustihable competition or VINO '"'oo
TO the yielding of any road 10 tho dcta'cs Oh 'np
food combinations or trusts which at the Vest ~c
seeking to secure absolute control over produccr Gar
rier and consumer, or 10 the RECKLESS acuo" VI ~
roads in old territory which think MAJ they '"' o "
undue advantage in the future hy creating Temporary
decentralization OF rates. The tone OF the oo'nni'
lon with regard TO combinations OF competitive ro%ls
IS regarded as indicating recognition OF INC 'on
dency in that direction which must result ~ '"7
logical reaction from unrestralned rivalry, aAe III.
furious to shared elders and the public some rsrosd
men think that the tone of the Commission IN
sympathy with the difficulties of railroad management
under existing conditions would be more pronounced
II public opin,:n had been educated up 10 moro
tolerant and considerate plane
A high officer OF one OF the trunk lires says;
"Thc Commission recognizes what most ranroau
willing to admit. namely, that rate wars arc
usually caused by tockiobbIng. 1t does NOT go quito
SO far as railroad would like In recognizing 'he
difficulties that exist in maintaining rates under the
present law and the possibility of improvement II
the law were made more elastic as applied 10 ac'ua'
operations Of the railway system without diminishing
the control and protection of the public An instance
Of how these trusts and combinations in products anu
commodities enabled to control rates IS frhlsheu
In the dressed beef The dressed bcci pu'lh'SS
Is In the hands Of four or five men. On equal ra"s
the Grand Trunk doesn't get any business Inc DINER
roads allow rate ten cents lower. The Grand Trunk
still gets no business. The other roads allow
larger diTerentis but still the Grand Trunk gets no
business Then the dressed beef trust says TO the
Grand Trunk: Assure Us Of permanent rate OF
thirty cents say. and you shall have all orr trade
some crl Of act Is made md, presto, tine Grand
Trunk takes all the traffic thirty CENTS and the Other
roads cannot get a pound at seven cents ms
policy Will Inevitably be extended by other comblna,
lions Of capital if It IS not checked by some lcel
afforded by law Under the old pooling system a
road would be built alongside of an Old one for M,
sake of being bought up and would be denoralze
immciiatcly Again the bad faith Of road which
thought is delinquency would not be discovered lcl
finally ~ a general OF rates for the purpose OF
self Protection The remedy IS 10 be found nor In re-
duclng the control OF the Federal tommls ION Dut
IN extending it that II shall say not only thar rac
are urea sOnably high but that they are unrra onaOy
low in re-estabshing the power of tho road, 70 form
agreements for peaccably dividing traffic and backne
these agreements with the force OF law m moi ohy
preventing injurious monopoly by railroads, oui IN
preventing luxurious competition on the part OF black
mailing spcCuiatOr,'