Morning journal and courier., 1888-02-17
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. OLD BOSTON MAY GRIN While She Pays Excessive
 Freights. TARIFF TALK IN THE HOUSE. Canada Put Out Over
 The Treaty. BALFOUR HAUNTED BY 0'BRIEH. 4 Fortune Left To A
 Preacher.
BaLFOUR HAUNTED BY O'BRIEH.
BOSTON MUST STAND THE BURDEN

BOSTON MUST STAND THE BURDEN Freight Rates From the West Higher Than to New York Owing to Better Facilities fin the Latter Case-The Color Line on Southern Trains.
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.-The interstate commerce commission today rendered an opinion in the case of the Boston chamber of commerce against the Lake Shore and Micbi- gan Southern railroad, the New York Gen. tral and Hudson River railroad and the Bos- ton and Albany railroad. These roads form through line and make through rates from Chicago and other western points to Boston and are charged by the complainant with making higher rates on merchandise from the west intended for local consumption at Boston than are charged on similar ship ments over the line of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern road and New York Cen tral to New York city and higher than the export rates through Boston to foreign ooun- tries and to points on the coast of Maine east of Portland, which are all equal with the New York rates and also higher than the west bound rates from Boston, which are also the game as the New York rates. The opinion says: 'fThe east bound rates to Boston are ten cents per hundred pounds higher on the first two classes of merchandise to Boston for local consump- tion than to New York and five cents per hundred pounds higher in tine four other classes. The charge to Boston from Chicago on first-class merchandise is sighty-five cents per hundred pounds, on sixth class thirty cents per hundred. To New York the charge on frst-class is seventy-fve cents per hum dred and on sixth class twenty-five cents per hundred The shipments from the West to Boston of first and second-class merchan- disc are much smaller than the shipments of the other classes, which include grain, four and provisions, and the shipments to the West from Boston and New England points enjoying Boston rates are much heavier in the first and second classes than in the others. The export rates to Boston are not made equal with the New York because the conditions of transportation are alike, but in deference to the laws of trade and the interests of commerce with the view to put Boston on an equality with the var ious seaboard cities, New YorK, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Portland and Montreal, in respect to the foreign trade upon which the railroad rate from the interior is regarded as part of the general through rate to foreign markets. The differences between the Boston local rates and New York have existed for many years and have been maintained on the ground that the differences in the conditions of transportation justify 8 higher charge to Boston proportioned to the value of the ser vice. The cost of service to Boston on ac- count of the breaking up and rearranging of trains at Albany, the heavier grades of the Boston and Albany road requiring smaller trains, more engines, train hands and fuel, the somewhat longer detention of cars in New England for unloading and relocating to go west, the very much greater volume of business as from the west to New York war; ranting lower rates account of the larger aggregate earnings of the
 
 other lines at New York, all carrying at the same rates, the great volume of traffic over the lakes Erie canal and Hudson river to New York, carried at materially lower rates than by the rail lines, and the extraordinary geographical and commercial advantages of New York arising from the unrivalled har- bor, it's superior ocean service and the com- petition of rival carriers to that port, are ele- ments that enter into and determine the rates to that city, and therefore it is natural and reasonable that upon just principles of trans portation Boston is not of right entitled to equal right with New York. The oommis- sion holds, therefore, that the difference be- tween the Boston local rates and New York rates has not been shown, in view of all the circumstances of the traffic, to be uni just or unreasonable. The complaint is dismissed. The opinion is by Commissioner Schoon- maker.
 decision was also rendered by the com- mission to-day in the case of William H. Herd vs. the Georgia railroad company. The commission held that the petitioners 6 colored passenger on the defendant's road between Atlanta, Ga., and Charleston, s. O., who had paid first class fare, was subjected to un- due and unreasonable prejudice and disad- vantage in violating the third section in the act to regulate commerce in being compelled to travelin a car of inferior accommodations of which only half was assigned to colored passengers, the other half being used as 8 smoker for both white and colored passen- gers. And that it is the duty of the carrier under the law to furnish to passengers pay ing the same fare equal accommodations and protection without discrimination on the ground of color. But if separation of white and colored passengers is expedient for lawful if the accommodations for colored passengers are in all respects equal to those for white passengers paying the same fare. Opinion by Commissioner Schoonmaker.