The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-09
RAILROAD RATES.
Judge Cooley Defends the
Interstate Law.
VIOLATIONS BRING Losses.
Meetings Held in Sew York asd
chiea&s locking 10 suPPressisn
Of Cutting and seaIping-

Bosrog, Jau. s.--Ihe zznuai eiizllsE
Of the Boston Merchants Association,
which took place here this evening n
the Hotel yendome. proved ~ oeca-
sion Of unusual significance. Among
the invited guests we're Chairman
Cooley, Of the interstate commerce
commission, Prof. KY o. Johns Hop
kins university. Francis Z. IhGrber,
Gov. Ames. President Capen 81 Tufts
college, Gen. Francis 4. Walker
Josiah Benton, Jr., and Gen. y. 7.
Banks. After dinner Combination and
Competition" and ailied subjects was
announced a. the topic for discussion
Judge Cooley was the first speaker
He said in part: The urgent call for
modification in the interstate act,
which comes from rail- cad circles. has
sprung up recently The period dur
ing which the law operated most 10
the benefit Of the railroads was pre-
ciseiy that during which it provisions
we're best observed. | think that an
undeuiabIe fact, and, il Il Is. il i de-
serving of more attention than up TO
this time il has received from
the managers OF the rail-
roads. u was also the period
during which the Iaw was complained
Of least. There are very vigorous
complaints now. They relate mainly
70 the clause Of the acr which forbiGs
q greater charge for a shorter h3ai on
the same line. IN the same direction,
where the circumstances and eondi-
lions are similar. and that which
makes pooling unlawful. The
rst-mentioned clause eIn5Odles
principle right in itself.
In large sections OF country.
roads have come into conformity with
it and not suffered loss from doing 80.
IN others II was not practicable TO do
50. az least Immediately, but the diff
culties will diminish as managers
come to a better understanding among
themselves. Tbs Law intends that the
railroad business OF the country shall
be done openly and with full publicity.
This equal and just purpose IS
defeated by contriyances that are clear
IN opposed TO the intent of the law, if
not 10 its terms. Now when parties
are thus busy in cORtTiving methods
for rendering the Law Of no effect and
their eyasions of its purposes are seen
10 have = direct tendency 10 diminish
corporate revenues, they are hardly
the parties 10 put themselves upon the
stand TO prove that the law IS iniuring
their roads.
Evils or POOLING.
/ must insist that the argument now
made for pooling is radically unsound
and vicious, because il rests upon an
assumption that violation of the law
by one Is justification for violation
by another. The sentiment in railroad
circles on this subject is not only OPP
posed to sound public moral
ity, bat il necessarily tends
to the perpetuation Of the very
evils under which the roads are now
suffering. Pooling with legal sanction
would have all the elements of weak
ness that attended the old pooling, ex-
cept one. When the pool As it used
To be formed broke up, there was no
enforcing such obligations as had
been incurred while it existed.
There was no compelling pay
ment OF balances. With leg
allied pooling there might be the
power TO do this. Pools antagonize
a leading and most valuable prin-
clple OF industry III their attempt,
not TO curb competition merely, but to
put an end TO it.
SOMETHING ELSE MUST Reform.
"All these things go to show that
something else needs reform
ing besides the law. One
who investigates railroad mis-
demeanors will be surprised
to find how many OF them. though
plainly opposed to the spirit OF the
law. may still be practiced legally. The
crying evil in the railroad service IL
the combination between the scalpers
and general passenger agent. This
INSCRIPTIONS practice will be broken
up just as soon As there are applied in
railroad matters the maxims OF bust
ness prudence which are expected
70 control in other interests. II the
combination in the same person OF
the two characters. of railroad man
ager. in whatever official position, and
speculatOr in railroad stocks. could be
rendered impossible, we might hope TO
have a time when the question. What
is right and wrong in railroad matters?
would be heard a good deal oftener
than il is now, and the question,
What can be done in evasion of law
without encountering its penalties
good deal more infrequently.