Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-08-17
lie RocK IsLAMp.s PoslTIoN.



From The Chicago 1lmesl
General Manager st John Of the Chicago.
Rock Island & Pacific road, authorizes the
Following statement in reply to assertions
| recently made by Vice. President ]. O.
MoMullin OF the Chicago & Alton In pub
lished interview
MI. McMullin, in a recentpublished inter-
view, has clearly defined the present post
Ton md policy of the Alton road. 1t ID
70 insist on through rates being made on a
basis that viii give TO 1t fair share of the
ualilc which goes to and comes from
| points west OF Kansas City. He illus
trates his meaning by citing shipment Of
i've stock from Topeka on the Rock Island
ROAD through Kansas City to Chicago.
Upon such shipment the tariffs Of all the
lines as heretofore adjusted provided for
through rate somewhat less than the
sum of two locaa This practice was
IN accordance with well recognized prin-
ciples OF rate-making as universally prac-
tced by carriers, and has beeR approved
by the interstate commerce commission,
which in arecent case used the following
language: AS throughrates are made by the
American system Of roads, agreed percent
ages Of the total rate, considerably less in
amount than the local rates Of roadsreceiv-
ing such percentages, are usually leading
feature, and 1t is eminently proper as a
general rule that this should be SO. = y
Commerce and trade require it and compe-
tition conipels 1T Such rates, when rea.
sonably and fairly adjusted to local bust
ness, are greatly favored In the law, be-
cause they furnish cheapened rates and
greater facilities to the public, while at the
same time they give Increased employ
ment and earnings to a larger number Of
carriers
In tho rates as adjusted heretofore
upon livestock traffic from points In Kan
eas, Indian Territory, Texas, etc, through
Kansas City to Chicago, the difference be-
tween the sums Of the locals and the
through rates was an entirely reasonable
d1irerence, and the tariffs In question were
precisely upon the line of the resolution
which Mr.. BIcMullin quotes approvingly.
Notwithstanding this, he says that he pro-
poses to get what he calls q fair share of
the tariff by reducing the local rate from
Kansas City to Chicago to the amount Of
the proportionate rate between these
points charged by the Rock Island ON the
through shipment
This statement Is certainly candid His
line has no extension west of Kansas City
The Rock Island has He proposes to make
the latter divide with him traffic which
originates upon the extension that 1t has
furnished means to construct and this no
Will do by reducing tho established rate
from Kansas City to Chicago This declara-
ton follows his announcement at the COM
mencement of the same interview that the
Alton does not cut any rates; it only reduces
when necessary to meet cut rates OF other
roads Yet the Alton has Just forced a
large reduction in all rates on live stock and
products from Kansas City to Chicago in ac-
cordance with the policy above stated.
Naturally and inevitably when the Alton
reduces its rate from Kansas City to the
division of the through rate charged upon
the lines whore the livestock shipments
originate those lines must meet the reduce
ton in tho local and at the same time re-
duce their through rate correspondingly.
This is necessary for their preservation:
they will not think that they can reasona-
bly, be asked to cut their lines In two for
the benefit OF the Alton, nor can the latter
justly expect them to surrender traffic
which they have constructed long lines of
road to secure. This step will apparently
involve new reduction by the Alton to
the level OF the new proportionate rates.
and the process will be repeated until all
tho lines are doing business at loss and
somebody surrenders
1.-THE association has no desire to punish
the Alton for its withdrawal nor for anv
thing else. Action necessary for the pro
lection Of Its lines against the Atoms raid
will probably be taken, however"