, 1889-01-31
BILL ON RAILROADS
His Views on the Interstate
Commerce Laws.
How 1t Affects Passes and Pre-
serves Good Feeling.
a system Of Accounts by which News
paper Mes and Raiiroad Ofaoiais
Dwell Ia Harmony.
On board = railway train which 10 just J
in the act Of passing given point, (

u the act OF passing q given pom" {
Since the passage Of the interstate com.
merce Law. = measure which has no doubt
contributed more 10 the literature and less
TO the pros psrity to the country than any
thing else sincs the oriRination OF Adam Q
Great Ample trust when the country was
new, many people who are not drawing
salaries AZ intercourse commissioners nave
frequently wondered how tho old thing
was working. They have noticed with
pardonsble pride that rates have gradual
" changed from 10 much per 100 pounds
ON tirst. second and third-olass freights, to
20 much and half on same character OF
freight, aud that there IL . prospect for
the consolidation OF all great trunk lines
and feeders. whereby rates will ultimately
reach % much and three-fourths per 100
pouuds with all responsibility and the en-
tire onus resting on the shipper: ..,H. :.
especially by the laity. as to how newspa.
pers were meeting the law and. what
methods were employed 10 preserving an
armed neutrality between the press and
the roads without the use OF pasaes. OF
course the general taxpaye recognizes the
fact that the locomotive and the periecting
press 70 hand In hand. 20 to speak, hav::
ing, ~ may say, grown up a. boys and
girls together. and 20 IL ia generally be-
iieved that there l. a tacit understanding
between them whereby the prsss can swap
kind words for. transportation. and still
dodge the penitentiary.
But how is 1t done2
Simply by keeping running account
and BY the use OF system OF debits. and
credits between the roads aud the paper.
20 that IL il only = business transaction
and not IN evasion of the law, 20 that
passes are Of course abolished and tickets
or mileage 90 over hecounter 10 exchange
for little acts or kindliness which any
child may show. In this way an (editor
who cultivates sunny deposition may
scoot up and down over the whole broad
land eating worthless cooking apples and
thro wing the debris under the seat OF the
man Who does not advertise. ..G.r. stA Il
In this way general good feeling 10 pre-
served--the taxpayer, as represented IN
congress, feels that all is we'll, and the
editor, whose money is mostly in pon-tax.
able bonds or the rust and burglar proof
treasury OF land which 10 more prefera-
bic than this, feels contepted, while the
railroad continues to drag out q miserable
existence, borrowing y tew dollars nO-
and then to pay . dividend with. and
from time TO time in the columns. OF the
paper. ito attention having been called to
them by some one. .ia. h,,t
But very few, evea Of those who know
of the plan, really believe that an actual
account Of this kind 10 kept. OF course,
time tables and regular standing sdver-
tissments can essily be settled for at reRu-
lar rates, but do the roads actually keep
IN account Of other matters which 20 10
- news? ! am free " sav that did not
believe In the existence of such an ac-
count myself until day before yesterday,at
which time | was permitted to glance
over and even make notes from page or
tvo Of the ledger belonging to road, tie
name Of which shall be considered SOL
emnly fictitious, so far as am con-
cerned.
1t shows how the road. in order to COM
ply with the Law. is put to great inconven-
ience, 30 that the fierce and virtuous inter-
state commissioner will always find, no
matter at what unhallowed hour he may
approach, that the kind word which can
never, never die, no never die, and which
are tar more valuable to lofty, high
spirited, tender hearted and rock -ballasted
railroad than wealth or honor oe land.
grants, are made 70 balance the transpor-
tation accounts and all Is we'll.
l append q few items OF accouptDtaken at
random and using names which are, of
course, extremely fictitious. II IL entitled
"Ths Spieelpeter. Eaglesburg, Shakerag
q Polypus railroad, in account with the
Squrreltail Echo and Volksblatten.:
The paper 10 charged Is follows:
April 2d.-To mileage-book; 500 miles
issued to Squesty J. Fountain, asso-
editor of the Echo aud Volksblatten, who
somethinR; SO.
April 3d.-To mileaQe-book with red
conditions ON the back; issued TO the
senior editor of the Echo. and Volksblat-
ten, because be really needed it; $40.
May lst.-To yound-trip ticket for
Asti Place. who went over to Muskrat val
ley to write up the new side-track at
that place and also pick up few subscrib-
ers, and possibly some job work $50.
May l0th.--Io conditional 1000-mile
ticket; issued to ''Sans Sarah bellum,"
humorist OF the Echo and Volksblsttsn,
with the understanding that 90 long as he
uaes them in prolonRinR his absence other
books will be forwarded him and charged
to the paper; 90.
The paper is credited as follows:
March 3lst-By following news item at
half cent . word. "The derai lment re-
farred to in our lest issue a. having taken
place ON the Esrlesville branch Of the
Spiegelpster, EaRlesburR, Shakersg Il
Polypus railroad turns out TO have been
csuard. We make haste to print the cor
rection, and also 10 regret that these COL
umps, Which have erstwhile been 80 fair
ard uusuIlied, should prostitute them.
selves TO such Hy.up-the-creek rumor
about one Of the most genial and urbane
roads il has ever bean our lot TO associate
with. A road that minds its own busi-
nsss; road that has endeared itself to
one and ell by thousand little thoughtful
acts and joint resolutions, . road which
has never gone out of its way to inJure
any man. woman or child, and II il did so.
! has walked up like . man and paid for
such persoa, and always at much higher
price than sucD person was really worth
70 said road. What other road weuld pay