Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-10
SAVE Us FROM THE KANUCKSI
The Imploring Prayer of the Rail-
road Presidents.
BLAMING THE INTERSTATE LAW
IL Fcttcrs tho Home Roads, While II
Leaves the Foreign Corpora
tions Free and I'm
trammclcd.
Subject Them to American Laws.

Subject Them TO american LAWS. \
NEW York, MAY 9.--The senate nter.state
commerce investigating committee met again
to-day. The first witness was President
George b. Roberts, of the Pennsylvania
road. He stated that his road had very Its
tie actual business relations with any Can
adan road. In answer to a question as to
what he had TO say of the relations between
the Canadian roads and those of the United
States, he replied:
'Snce the United States has begun to
regulate railroad companies by special lcgis-
lation, the latter have been placed ut dis
advantage in their competition with those of
Canada. The effect of the Grand TrunE
roads being independent of the legislation
which affects those of the United States Ia q
constant menace to the latter | do not
know that at present the Canadian roads do
any serious injury to American commerceC
time the managers see ht. The
Canadian Pacific is heavily Subsidized by
the government so as to encourage the de-
velopmept of the country. Both the Grand
Trunk and Canadian Pacific roads draw
their supplies from England free of duty.n
When asked what remedy he had
TO suggest IA an amendment TO
the law that would place American,
and Canadian roads on an equality
Mr.. Roberts said that any foreign corporal
ton doing business should be subject TO the
same laws as the roads of this country. Sem
ator German asked President Roberts the
same questions that Wman answered yes|1
terday, whether or not il would be fair
proposition for the United States to demand
that all Canadian roads doing business in the
United States should conform to American
laws or else stay out of the country. Mr.,
Roberts replied that he thought it perfectly
fair demand and one which should be made
in the interest of American roads.
He was in favor of pooling. }
When President Roberts had ended,
President Van Horn, of the Cana
dian Pacific, in answer to question from
Senator Cullom as to what per ccntage OF
traffic was taken from tho United States,
said he did not know the exact figures, but
aside from coal, the per centage taken was
very small. He then, in reply to Il question.
detailed the history of the Canadian Pacific
road, and said that the government had in
many ways, financially and by privileges,
aided the road. IT has not made any money,
but many of its bonds have been bought in
with the money made from the sale of lands
which the government originally gave the
Canadian Paoitc The total amount Of
subsidy and aid given to the road by the gov
ernment amounts to n little over S62. .000, 900,
according to Van Horns statement. The
transcontinental: trade from China, Japan
and the western part of the country over the
Canadian Pacific is constantly increasing. 1t
gets about 10 or II per cent of all the west.
ern and Pacific trade.
''The impression is general" said Presi-
dent Van Horn, ''Lhat the relations OF the
Canadian Pacific road with the government
are exceedingly intimate, but l assure yo6
that the relations are anything but intimate,
and not az cordial or intimate those bes
tween the Pennsylvania road aud the gov
ernment at Washington. Then nearly all
our rails and materials come from the United
States. Altogether we have no advantage
over the American lines rs, although labor
is somewhat cheaper with us, the greater
portion of our coal comes from Pennsylvania
and Ohio, and therefore costs more than it
does your roads"
Van Horn was followed by President and
General Manager Newell, of the Lake Shore
S Michigan Southern. He testified that his
road suffered severely from the competi-
tive practices of the Canadian roads, and Of
fered to furnish the committee with docu-
mentary evidence of unfair dealings and
methods of the Grand Trunk railroad in par-
ticular, which, he said, was one of the larg-
est carriers out of Chicago. Secretary Gull
lom accepted his offer.
President and General Manager Ledyard,
of the Michigan Central, said his road was
losing business rapidly by reason Of the fact
that the Canadian roads were practically
free to do as they pleased, while the Ameri-
can roads were fettered by the interstate
law. Ledyard was quite bitter against the
Canadian railroads, and favored special Leg
lslation against them.