New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-17
RAILROAD INTERESTS.
WAYS OF SECRET RATE REDUCTIONS.
CONDITION OF WEST BOUND

TRUNK LINE FREIGHT TRAFFIC.
There some indications that the tariff on west
bound rail felghts may be subjected to tho revision
recently applied to tho west bound rail and lake
tariff out OF New-York. That revision decidedly
In the direction of reduction. wcstbound rates
claimed by railroad men to be In very unsats
factory condicon and shippers havo conhdcntiay ad
mittod that such was the case TO intimate friends.
No such thing war Of rates" Is raging for tho
tariffs under the Interstate law must be observed and
tho practices by which rates secretly cut arc
not universally INDUCED in There will be Wig
effort made TO correct the evils complained OF
before anything like an open reduction Of rates will
be made.
a wolhnown trunk limo officer said sesterday
a tclcvc that to-day, in tho shape of irregular
methods and subterfugcs OF various kinds practised
with and without the connivance of shippers, west
bound rates reduced lower than they ever
upder the old system OF rebates to shippers" There
various ways in which It is charged that the
tariff is being cut. Probably the most general method
Is that OF underhillng under Ching shipments
and this practice seems to flourish in spite of the
recent efforts made by tho trunk line conferences
put stop to It. Another way In which the rates
have been practically is in the allowance Of
sve llghteragc charges and payment of extreme figures
to shippers for the loading of cars. In one 1t
Is said good authority that q road which had
previously been paying 10 cents per 100 pounds for
loading has paid 81. As much % 10 so cents per
100 pounds has been paid for lghterage thus slclng
down tho tariff onc-third TO a half 1t is even
charged that some of the roads have paid clerks In
tho employ of shippers salaries for nominal work
which really went into the hands Of the shippers.
The illegitimate practices by which goods being
shipped West at less than tho tariff calls for IS be-
levcd to DO carried to scandalous extent. Many
railroad men anxious for a speedy amendment Of
tho Interstate Commerce law to subject a ship
per who accepts illegitimae privileges fom the rail-
roads to fine and imprisonment for violating the law.
There is no immediate prospect OF any meeting of tho
trunk lines to consider the situation Tho difficulty
Of providing rcmed for it is widely recognized by
those who complain most Of the trouble that about
tho only remedy feasible Is a heroic open Ieduc
ton in rates. This policy adopted last week
In dealing with the dressed beef troubles when a
duction of nearly 30 per cent ordered.
Friends of the New York Central Railroad claim
that that line is closely observing the tariff When
axen with participation IN the general methods they
denied the charge and pointed out that for two
months the Central had been carrying only 10
or 20 per cent Of the wesbouDd business whereas
plio to January its percentage up 80 per cent
Tho New-1oik Central people known to bo
seriously dissatisfied with the present condition Of
tho dressed beef traflc and to favor a reduction in
cents per 100 pounds. A dispatch from Chicago
asserts that tho live stock shippers have combined 10
send h5 bulk of their cattle shipments the Penn
sylvania Road in order 10 bring about a reduction
when asked about the dispatch /" II is too late IN
the Gay for the 1--we stock shippers 10 accomplish any
t9lng hing by such combination 1t might have been
effective before tho dressed beef combination
cessfn. II may he that the Pennsylvania IS pitch
Ing In 10 get the live stock traffic and starts this runor
TO explain its success"