The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-12-01
THE RAILROADS.
Annual Report of the Inter-
state Commission.
rHE POLLY OF RATE WARS.
A Suggestion that Rate Cutting BE
Fsrbidden-A Tendency To-
ward Consolidation.

fSrbidden-A Tendency To-
ward Censolidation.
WASHINGTON, Nov. ao.-The annual re-
port of tse interstate commerce commits
sion IS nov in type. Froa IL the follow
ing is taken: From the best information
nov aTAilabls the railroad mileage of .aa
country on the S9th of June, isss is essi-
mated 81 l52,7SI. of which 1si2 miles had
been completed and brought iuts over-
alton within six months preceding that
day
A summary is made Of the formal com
plants. of i07 cases submitted 30 have
been decided, six have not vet been de-
etded. nine hearings have not vet been
completed. = Here Withdrawn ~ set.sess.
10 suspended by reaaesf and niue assigned
for hearing.
THE LONG AND SHORT HAUL
The long aud short haai provision is OBJ
served in the section Of TIE country north
of the Potomac aud Ohio and east of the
u sSouEf. The eases in which a greater
charge is made for shsrter transportation
are few. and their circumstances are such
that complaint is not often made that
they operate epprcssiYeiy. With some ex-
ceptions, resulting from ocean competi-
ton. the rule OF tue short haul provision
of the law has been put In force upou
iranseontineEisl roads. where its opera
ton and effect can be observed, and
under what now appears 10 be favorable
conditions. In the southern and south
western states the commission has had
reason 10 think carriers were moving
more slowly in bringing their tariff on
conformity with the general statutory law
than in other sections. Not being salts
.1a ata.Na- -. E4.-r..
hended and observed, the commission
has ordered an Investigation 10 be made of
the whole subject
GENERAL EFFECT OF THE Law
The report then takes up the subject of
the effect of the Interstate commerce act
upon common carriers. and says although
some railroad managers have declared il
10 have had damaging effect the commits
TONER is possessed of no evidence showing
Shat the general result has been otherwise
than beneficial. Railroad business has
suffered IN the past yesr not because of the
interstate commerce act, but owing to
strikes. new parallel lines and rate wars.
CAUSE AND PURPOSE OF RATE WARS
In reference 10 the rate wars in the
Northwest and among the trunk lines dur
ing the year, the report says As is com
monty the case IN rate wars, the trunk
line difficulties resulted from suspicious
on the part Of carriers respectively that
their competitors were cutting open rates
and reductions were made to remove the
freight which the parties to the agreement
claimed was their due, but which they
were not getting because Of secret cutting
by others. The efforts Of the commission
10 obtain evidence of the practices sus-
peetesi has been wholly ineffective, and the
war of rates proceeds without the possibility
OF external authority inierposing to bring
IL 10 an end.
The making of unreasonably low rates,
the report intimates. is often for stock Job
bng purposes or TO compel the purchase
of the road by competing lines Persons
having control Of the railroads may delib-
erately make insufficient rates in the ex-
pectation of profits to be indirectly and
Improperly derived therefrom. Every
case Of war may be regarded as one of this
character. Present profits are sacrificed
on the calculation that by erippliug a rival
or forcing an agreement or compromise on
some matter of contention the loss viii in
time be more than made up. Ia the ma
iority of such cases the losses exceed the
gains.
The s;atute had not conferred upon the
commission any power TO ordei any iu
crease of rates which it can see are not
remuneFatiye. In general, therefore. il
may be said that railroad managers pos
sess the power TO destroy the interests, not
only of their rivals, but of their own
stockholders. They will recklessiy make
y
tion often becomes of high moment
whether il IL wiser to meet the reduced
rates of competitor or let the business
go. II the decision Of this question il
left by important lines in the hands of
subordinates who apparently have no
other interest upon the subject beyond the
rule that every cut must be
promptly met" nothing seems more
surprising than the fact that railroad man
ayers who viii neither take steps by law 10
put stop TO secret cutting OF the rates
which he publicly charges, nor furnish
evidence upon which others may do so,
will. nevertheless, sacrifice for his share
holders millions of revenue 10 punish a
competitor
IN the unity of the railroad interest it is
reasonable to expect that the carriers of
the country will, where practicable, make
snch joint arrangements that the public
shall ind an arrangement with one ade-
quaie for the purpose OF any single trans
action. There should be some means of
enforcing among carriers the obligation,
moral or legal, thai would grow out of such
arrangements.
TENDENCY TOWARD CONSOLIDATION.
The tendency among railroads seems
likely TO be In the direction of cousOlida
ton as the only means OF mutual prOtee-
tion against rate wars. But anything
equivalent to what is now ieehniea ly
called trusts could hardly be supposed
form IL at pleasure. Lacking cOncentra
tion OF authority the railroads can do
much towards better relations with the
public and do better service by frs; estab-
fishing better relations among themselves
The need of this is yer. imperative. In all
cutting of rates the party beginning makes
charges OF iusiuuatlous against c0mpeti-
tors Carriers cutting rates have pro
claimed that reduced rate, were all that
conld be justly zone, and when persons
having experience know that persistence
la such rates won lead directly u bank
ruptcy, an Impartial oi server is compelled
10 say that such m th0ds do not belong
20 the present age.
While the commission is not prepared
10 recommend general legislation towards
the establishment and promotion Of re
lations between carriers tuat shall better
serve public Interests than these which
are common. 10 must nevertheless look fssr-
ward tu the pussi bliiiy 81 something OF
that safure becoming a. some time impeTs
i've unless great improvement la the
existing conditions is voluntarily inaugu-
rated.
IMMIGRANT TRANSPORTATION.
immigrant transporta ten is considered,
aud various facts stated which developed
upon two Investi ajiuus held IN New York
city. Ia view OF ali tine circumstances The
commission recommends a reception place
larger tHau ga~tl. tanieu. ffam y aiCh
migrant rauspuriaiion saAll be excluded
Interior lines should have agents there on
an equal footing The payment Of com
missions for "rOutigg' immigrants aud for
procuring the shipment of immigrants
from foreign countries should be- declared
Illegal aua made punishable. The com
mission should have power TO fix imni
grant fares These objects cannot be fully
accomplished except bs tue federal gov
erumeaT taking complete control Of the
whole subject
MINog EVILS.
Tie subject oi capital cation l. recog-
nized Es exce-oingly Important, but il -
believed II can ogfy b. haad..i grasiualis
and in detA J. There are Provisions against
false billing, clss.ihratlol. weighing, or
report OF weight OF asonaaie prefer
efaces or advantage. Ine cofs mission bs-
lieves that penal preY f+isfis aka list Wfungs
Of This nature sh0ala rlabrar~ sl~e the
owner OF the property ~ ams parts sSing
for the owner or co2-ig4cF of the property
who shall be a I,aFiy - suy kasn unisE-
fal conduct Toe CONAN = on suggests
that the qRcs. .ion thus falSsa hr > ttlea 6g
an express prAyIsion-
Another question If euissfra slon ought
ais.B % b,e settled ~ legislation, in 9riivf tt
/ take away the p7steHse eu which ccffa3n
through lines are uuE Claimed 70 he itfa
lines in fat. and through iias ,aIlF Ia ai'-
Eearaare- The Commission tanks y
T lipe j. in fact a through huc hf reason of
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