Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-16
HOSTILE TO ALL COMBINES.
And Very Friendly to the Canadian
Railroads.
cHIcAeo's BOARD OF TRADE.
The Special Committee From That
Body Surprise the Interstate
Commerce People By Their
Hostility 20 Pools.
Want untrammeIed Commerce.

CHICAGO. July 15.-TSpecial Telegram to
THE BEE. "A special committee from the
Chicago board of trade appeared before the
Interstate commerce committee to-day.
The investigation began by formal reading
by Secretary Stone of report on the ques-
tions submitted by the committee to the
board Of tr de July 4.
To the question "Do Canadian lines of
transportation in the United States affect
the commercial interests Of the United
States favorably or unfavorablyl" the reply
was:
"Probably as whole they affect it favor
ably, in so far as commerce is favorably af-
fected by having open TO it as many channels
of trade as possible"
''ln what manner does it affect such inter-
ests7"
'Eirst by smashing pools and all traffic
arrangements that have existed between such
roads as the Michigan Southern and Michi-
gan Central, and second, by the equalization
of freghts to points in New England where
American lines charged exOrbtant rates
under the Interstate commerce law. The
Grand Trunk line, of Canada, was the pio-
neer in the dressed beef trade, which before
they encouraged it was continually dis
couraged by American roads in the interests
Ol UuelT live SUCK tuu ydTu
''Is traffic originating in the United States
and which would naturally belong to Amer
ican roads diverted from them by Canadian
roadsl"
at has not except in the case of perishable
goods The Canadian lines were among the
first to build and operate transfer elevators
here for the preservation of the identity and
the weighing of grain in hopper scales, as
required by tbs law of the state, which law
IS now openly detied by some of the American
lneo pantarnp The Canadian lines
have won the larger share of this business
from the west by such and kindred
measures and uniformly just and
equitable treatment Of their patrons,
and not by favoritism 10 one shipper over
another, as is evidenced by the popular re-
gard had for these lines by western mer-
chants. We do not consider any additional
legislation necessary No further restric-
tlons upon the commerce between the United
States and Canada by water routes should
be tolerated, but this committee would rec
ommend the enforcement Of the interstate
commerce act and such laws as pertain to
the bonded regulation of United States
products passing over the great commercial
highways of Canada as will allow them to
pass as untrammeled in the future as in the
past. The adoption of any legislative meas
ures calculated to rest iict the transportation
facilities now enioved by all will, IN the
opinion of the committee, bury in impen-
etrable oblivion the party that accom-
plisbes it,"
The committee also suggested additional
legislation to make it unlawful for railway
corporations to combine for the formation
of railway associations like the "Trunk
Line" the Central Traffic." the "South-
western" and Interstate Commerce
Railway" associations, or railway trusts OF
any description, believing they destroy COM
petition and evade the law
This latter statement appeared to come un-
expectedly to the Interstate commerce COM
mlttee and created with them somewhat of
sensation. They Immediately abandoned
temporarily the consideration of the rela-
tions with Canada to develop the board Of
trade idea of traffic associations and pools.
''This is indeed, an important question:"
said Senator Hiscock, land the attitude of
the board of trade in this city is consider
able of surprise to me. The concensus of
public opinion, both among railroad men and
shippers and particularly in Boston, where
we were last in session, is that these associa-
tons and traffic agreements are the only
luton of the present complications. would
like to ask whether the denunciatory SEN
tences IN your report are a deliberate
opinion or are merely rhetorical"
The committee evidently did not anticipate
this turn of affairs and evaded an immediate
answer by the protest that they did not un-
derstand that they were present to consider
the question OF pools. Individual members
of the committee were examined on this and
other points, and from each was elected the
strongest opposition to any traffic agreement
or dIfferentlals for the weaker roads, on the
grounds that it prevented free competition.