New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-21
FREIGHT RATES DISCUSSED.
DENoUYCING THE DISCRIMINATION.
EMPHATIC ACTION TAKEN AT LIVELY MEETiNd
or THE PRODUCE EXCHANGE.


The call-room OF the Produce Exchange was
a scene Of unanimous and undertaking excite
mcnt yesterday 1t was packed from the lowest
to the highest seat. The members there congre-
gated with intense in motive and uniimIteu
in sentiment. That sentiment was that the
Atlantic seaboard was being made victim
by the railroads and that this was accomplished
through rebate arrangements with steamship
companies for foreign shores and through us
eliminating rates which were bound to lnIure
Atlantic commercial relations. The speeches
of the occasion wer, emphatic and vehement
Alexander T. Orr, the president of the Exchange
was in the chair lie took his scat before a
packed house. The men he looked down ana
up and face to face upon wore determined look
they were not to be trined with. The procedures
Of the day opened with the presentation OF 'ne
following report signed by j. Hobart HerricR,
s. S MARBLES, and Thomas Lee Gill, the Spechi
Committee:
they had the subject Of violation Of the interstate
Commerce law by discrimination against seaboaiu po
under consideration for three months past Ihey souE
il the nret place, personal In.ciNlew WI" inc u 10
dents OF the various trunk lines, by whom they "ee
ceived in very friendly manner and every dsp9slton
expressed Of their desire to put stop to the
being practlscd through bills But their envio
~ have confined expressions Of approval OF
the objects Of the committee and OF them have ac
ceied request that they would become parties 10
friendly suit" test the legally Of any discrinhauo"
Immediately after the appointment Of the committee
application made TO the Interstate Commerce ooin
investigate and check the evil ana aekis do
to the methods of procedure to which the commission
replied through its cram?n inclcstg copy OF the tuts
of procedure and requiring formal complaint 70 DC u
An application made to the Central Traffic AsSoeiauoh
also met with courteous treatment
Al result Of the public meeting held on the I'm IN
change, September 10, 1887 the efforts Of the com
ndtec, other reasons to them unknown the
system OF cutting through stopped about the
before the evil was stopped, contracts were aaS
all the large Western shippers, running TO or pyou
the LIST Of December And 1t is singular coincidence
that H. the month OF December cutting RECOMMENDED IN
its most aggravated form. Thcroupon the committee
made formal request Of the Interstate Commerce Com
take up the subject under Section IL Oh INC
law which gives them unIucstoned power " investi-
gate the whole dniculy Copy Of letter hereto at,
tachcd marked A. 10 which the Connl ssioneiS lepheu
.ce cony Of letter hereto attached B in which,
while admitting the Of the Commission 10 ihNcst
gate Section - they yet declare that they deem ~
best that their action shall be invoked by formal CON-
plalnt. ~ 49,, ,os
Your committee therefore, recommended that the Boarn
Of Managers shall appropriate sum- not exceeding
90 600 he purpose Of employing couisci W Dfhg
formal complaint before the Commissioners and as TINS
committee was appointed in accordance with resolution
passed az a public meeting of the Exchange we rec
ommend that public meeting be called, at which the re-
port committee shall DC read that the members o
our Exchange, citizens Of the City and State OF New
York I'm general and Its public press may oe afouS ~
the danger every commercial interest of inc seaooau
which the continuation OF this asrant evil Is sure "
entail ,....
Your committee have also had some correspondence
with neghLorng cities, and in Philadelphia committee
Of cooperation appointed and II Is believed that
active and influential committees from the principal sea
board will be found ready and anxious to cooperate
any line decided action which may be adopted by the
New-York Produce Exchange
The correspondence incorporated in the report
read as follows:
TWO INTERESTING LETTERS
New-Yori. Feb. 1. 1888
Hon. T. NJ Cooley, Chairman OF the Interstate Com
ncrce Commission, Washington. ID. Z.
Dear Sir 2lst Of September 1887 the Special
tn Xorl. prudu Ncla
elimination Through Freight Rates had the honor "
addressing the subject Of Discrimination against the
scaboari cities By the railroad companies In favor oil the
export trade Of Chicago and other Western points and
your duy received enclosing for our mstruc
ton copy OF the Rules OF Practice In cases ana pro-
ceedlngs before your Commission all of which was duiy
considered by our committee.
Within short timo thereafter. the personal rep
resentati0n this committee TO the officers Of the trunk
for other unknown reasons the eva pi'et
caliy ceased for about months Since the hrat Oh pe
ceuber, however, the principal tuhk lines hSNc aS"ii
commenced at Chicago aud other cities to unaWiuuS ana
openly discriminate against the entire seaDoao 10 suc al
extent as to absolutely prohibit the movement OF either
grain or provisions New-YOrk city by our merchants;
Within week through rate 70 Liverpool has peeh Oetcu
AZ 20 100, with p IL per lVo 70 .New H
Under a careful consideration OF the Interstate oon
,oorcc ar, We nnd the powers the Commission rs eX'
pressed Section H. would seem to give au,noi' ,,
your Commits zion to into the management Oh the
business OF all common subject To the PROVISIONS
OF this act and would most respectfully call your at
tention to Section j. and ask that immediate acton Dc
taken should honorable body consider our icu'
for action under this section admissible
will that the OBJECT OF the NcN-
York merchants is not OF punitive character Is no
adequate damage for the destruction OF the commercial
interests Of New.York could be accorded by any court
hut that the practice should and the unjust and
wicked discrimination be terminated. The undersigned
would therefore behalf OF committee Respectfully
request as early an answer as may SUI. your
J. HOBART HERRICK. Chairman.
Washington. Feb. 10. 1888.
j. Hobart Helick, ESQ, Chairman Of the NeH-AofA
Produce Exchange New-fork city. -
Itvfup tn my absou
Of the Sd instant did not reach me until TINS o
ing. =. Ito
have no doubt Of power Of the Commission to take
up independently subject like that mentioned by you
investigate 1t with view to see whether the act "
regulate IS obcycd in its spirit but the Conns
sion for many have deemed 1t best that as u, rs
action should be invoked by formal COMPLIANT lm
Importance OF this may to some extent Dc unuei 49,
when YOU Informed that uD to TINS tnie' Ior .V
plants have been numerous as entirely 10 Oecupf my
attention OF the Commission, 50 that IL Nouai
have quite Of Its power to enter upon ahS III
dependent Investigation without putting some OF tee
aside altogether and it has now in It's hands complaints
that must occupy its whole attention for at least month
TO come one Of these will call IL to NewYork on the
21s inst whore Commission will be in session iof
few days II you desire personal interview with Its
members there viii be- opportunity for IL while We remain
In Inc CITY, 's'' T. NJ COOLEY.
DTNOUNcING THE RAILROADS.
Mr. MARBLES, in presenting the report maze
speech which drew forth all the latent and super
fetal enthusiasm of the members. lie declared
that the railroads had got around the Interstate
Commerce Law by extending their tcrmini to trans
atlantic ports and charging the same rates as 10
Atlantic ports. And rebates had been adopted |
in the execution of the scheme For instance nc |
had found that 90 cents the hundred with rebate |
of cents had been charged TO transatlantic ports
while the rates TO this city were 33 cents
Mr. Qunby read a letter from his chicago |
agent indicating despair from this sclisame cauSe
H. T. kneeland went on in the same VEN, ana |
then after wild demand for speech, j.; IL. |
IIerric took up the burden OF the day. wren
the committee called on the railroad companies, |
he said, those corporations were courteous oue |
they were weak In practical means TO settle Tue |
frol,hln. tLor .lnrnnlr into Themselves llhc |