The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-16
Observation-Disclosures Law.
Gen. James H. Wilson Tells How 1t Is Evaded
and Offers Remedy.

Gen. James H. Wilson Tells How 1t Is Evaded
and Offers Remedy.
WASHINGTON, March 15.-Gen. James H.
Wilson deliversd'a two-hours' argument before
subcommittee OF the commerce committee, on
defects in the interstate-commerce law. He be-
gan with statement that the law was rot yet
perfect, and it would have been next to a miracle
if it had turned out to be perfect Since last
summer he had been engaged in an earnest in
vestigation of the operations of the law, and
persuaded that violations of its spirit and
letter were much more frequent than the COM
missioners believed them to be- 1t is now well
know, he said, that persons interested in large
shipping houses have been secretly appointed
agents of the railroads aud put upon salaries for
the purpose of securing freight. The salary
amounts to a rebate. and is a fraud and outrage
upon other shippers. Another form of illegal
discrimination is TO bill grain or produce from
Chicago to Liverpool London at
agreed through rate and then
to stop IL, through the agency of
the railroad, at the port OF shipment on the
fimsy pretext that vessel-owners cannot be in
duced TO perform their part of the service for
that portion of the rate which left after de-
Quoting charges fixed by the tariff of the land
lines. This is equivalent to q rebate of the
ocean freight, and is a fraud upon the law and
an injury to other shippers. There are, he said.
such as the granting of free passes for sepsrate
States traversed by railroad and good only in
the State named the billing of freight under a
different classification from that to which it be-
longs. deranging the railroad scales, so that
overweights are largely increased; overlooking,
hauling beyond the proper distance. paying nm
usual car mileage ca-tage, warehouse, elevator
and other charges. These are all secret prac
tees that can be carried on successfully only by
concealment.
General Wilson next called attention to what
he called a secret source OF disturbance to the
fair and equitable working of the Interstate
commerce law caused by the uncontrolled COM
petition o. the Canadian railroads in transit
trade. He showed that the shipping of this
country is protected in the carriage of domestic
freights and contrastcd with it the condition of
the American railroads which unprotected
against the Canadian competition permitted by
an article of the present treaty with Great
Britain. which prominent newspaper has said
was interpolated in the treaty, and which is not
termnabie. The Canadian Southern, the Grand
Trunk and the Canadian Pacific are the princi-
pal opponents of the American system. The
Grand Trunk company is active, unscrupu-
lous foe of the American roads, and is
protected by the Canadian govern.
ing transportation. The Canada Southern.
with true English effrontery and contempt of
Congress, and with charter procured by trick
cry and deception. if nothing worse. from the
Legi stature OF Maine. is now building a cutoff
through that State which will presumably
terminate the road at St. Andrews. n. B. These
Canadian roads transported in 1857 five million
tons of dead weight eastward, through a part of
the United States. the Canadian roads are
cutting into and injuring the American roads by
making rebates, granting passes, charging more
for the short than the long haul, and entering
into all kinds OF secret engagements vita
American contractors. Without the aid of our
obiiging government the Canadian roads could
not carry per cent. of traffic. and there is
every reason to believe that the Grand Trunk
people drew up the resolutions adopted almost
simultaneously by the Chicago Beard of Trade
and the Boston Chamber of Com
nerce declaring that these roads opened up new
highways for the commerce. of New England
and the West 1t IS by taking advantage of
that system of rebates. cut rates and secret
agreements that the great packers have built up
their enormous fortunes and turned 1000 900
tons of traffic over to CanAdIsn roads The
proposition that tha Dominion government
shall pass Law similar the inferstats-eom-
meree law will not remove the difficulty as long
as the conditions are so different It cannot be
b4 doubted that IL would be prudent TO shut ont
those roads from American trade, ~ We now do