The Russellville Democrat., 1889-08-08
THE ROCK ISLANDS POSITION.
General Manager st. Johns Reply 70 tne
 Statement of Alton 0ficials-
From the Chicago Timesl

From the Chicago Times,l
 General Manager St John, of the Chicago
 Rock Island X Pacific road, authorizes tne
 following statement in reply 70 AssehS4olI' ~
 recently made by Vice President ;. '.
 MoMullin of the Chicago < Alton ID pup lished interview;
 ssMr. McMullin. in recentpublished inter
 view has clearly defined the present posi-
 ton and policy of the Alton road lt IS
 to insist on through rates being made on
 basis that will give to 1t q fair share or the traffic which goes to and comes rom
 points west of Kansss City. He Illus
 frates his meaning by citing shipment oi
 live stock from Topeka on the hock islano
 road through Kansas City to Chicago.
 Upon such a shipment the tariffs of all the lines as heretofore adjusted provided TOT a through rate somewhat less than the gum of two locals This practice was in accordance with we'll recognized prin- ciples of rats making as universally prac, ticed by carriers, and has been approved by the interstate commerce commission,
 which in recent case used the foloWlng language AS throughrates are made by the American system of roads, agreed percent- ages of the total rate. considerably less Tn amount than the local rates of roadsrecelY- 1 ing such percentages, are usually leading feature, and it is emfnently proper as general rule that this should be SO. 1 Commerce and trade require 1t and cofnpe- tirion compels 1t. Such rates. wheE %--- sonably and fairly adiusted te local busl' ness are greatly saySGou in the law, bc- i cause they furnish cheapened rates and ] greater facilities to the public, while at the i same time they give increased employ
 ment and earnings to larger number oi l carriers
 Tn the rates as adjusted heretofore ] upon livestock traffic from points iss aan- 1 sas Indian Territory, Texas, etc. through l Kansas City to Chicago, the difference be- | tween the sums of the locals and the ] through rates was an entirely reasonable l difference and the tariffs in question were | precisely upon the line of the resolution 1 which Mr. McMullin quotes approylngly l Notwithstanding this. he says that he pro- i poses to get what he calls fair share of 1 the tariff by reducing the local rate from l Kansas City to Chicago to the amount or 1 the proportionate rate between these l points charged by the Rock Island on the 1 through shipment
 'sThis statement Is certainly candid His l line has no extension west Of Kansas Clty. 1 The Rock Island has He proposes to make | the latter divide with him traffic which l originates upon the extension that it has | furnished means to construct and this he l will do by reducing the established rate l from Kansas City to Chicago This deciara- 1 tion follows his announcement at the com 1 mencement of the same interview that the l 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 l products from Kansas City to Chicago in ac- i cordance with the policy above stated Naturally and inevitably when the Alton 1 reduces its rate from Kansas City to the l division of the through rate charged upon ! the lines where the livestock shipments 1 originate those lines must meet the reduc- 1 ton in the local and at the same time re- | duce their through rate correspondingly. 1 This is necessary for their preservation; {; | they will not think that they can rensona- 1 bly be asked to cut their lines in two for | the benefit of the Alton, nor can the latter l justly expect them to surrender traffic l winch they have constructed long lines of | road to secure This step will apparently 1 involve new reduction by the Alton to l the level of the new proportionate ratea; 7 1 and the process will be repeated until all
 the lines are doing business at loss and
 somebody surrenders
 'sThe association has no desire to punish
 the Alton for it's withdrawal nor for any l thing else. Action necessary for the pro
 lection of its lines against the Alton's raid
 will probably be tsken however"