Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-13


Up to class goods designated are miscella-
neous: from the fifth on they are -four, grain, fire
brick, blooms, pig iron, iron ore. stone, etc.
The rate from Pittsburg to Philadelphia is
81 so on sixth class grain, -four, etc, or more
than 9oc per ton on the average haul Of say l27
miles OF course some classes of through
freight earn less than 90c per ton on the aver
age distance, but there is only per cent of the
tonnage through freight and then compute the
charges on the short hauls and high class
goods and you must be convinced that all ship
pers do not pay tariff rates, or millions of dol
lars do not show up in the annual statements.
REGARDING THE REMEDY. -A-
Now what is the remedy for all this discrimi-
nation, which is not against Pittsburg alone,
but is against the whole State as you will no
tice by the charges on the short hauls? Why
enforce the provisions Of the 18th and 18th ar
ticIes of the Constitution by statute law with
severe penalties, all in harmony with the inter-
State law. Had those provisions of our organic
law been enforced 10 years ago hundreds Of
millions of dollars that went into the pockets
Of a few individuals would have been divided
among the many. Yes, and the South Penn
Railroad would have been built.
The parties that slaughtered that enterprise
would not have attempted IL If criminal code
prohibiting such manipulation had been in our
statute books. Yes, and the South Penn road
would doubtless have been carrying more
freight to-day than any $50 miles of road that
has been built since it was commenced.
Captain bravo introduced bill at the last
session that would have enforced every section
in articles 16 and II, but it prohibited the free
pass outrage, therefore it was strangled in the
Judiciary Committee rooms 1t would be bet
ter for the State to pay all the officers in its
employ double their present salaries than to al
low the railroad companies to supplement their
salaries 20 per cent as bribe in the shape OF
free transportation.
The Wherry bill now pending viii correct
some of the abuses, but it only covers two Sec
tions in article H. In conversation with Mr..
Wherry relative to adding another section or
two to his bill, he said he would like to have
more added, but thought it best to make the
bill short and get commencement made to-
ward enforcing that portion of our organic law,
and perhaps that is the best policy
A VERY SHARP INQUIRY.
Mr. Carnegie complains of the 70 cents rate
on coke from the coke regions. n suppose the
average distance is about GO miles.1 One rea-
son he gives is that about the same service is
given to Chicago parties for 80 cents per ton.
There is certainly no equity in those two rates,
but there is more serious phase demonstrated
in those charges than the difference between
30 and 70 cents. You will notice go miles is less
than half the average haul, while 20 cents is
near 80per cent Of the average earnings. That
shows that even coke is paying more than 80
cents per ton on 127-mile haul, while frst-class
freight pays S6 40 per ton. Where does the
less than 80 cents per ton?
1t has been condemned as unjust and op-
pressiveeo tax our citizens excessive rates TO
sum aggregating 81 6OO,O 900 annually. Of course
it is; but it hurts worse and is more demoraliz-
ing to tax them millions of dollars that don't
show up in the annual statements.
In regard to the difference on long and short
hauls, the committees of our exchanges adj
dressed letters to the Joint Executive Commit
tee on Freight Rates, relative to excessive rates
r,I,k a
through rates some years ago. Albert Fink,
Chairman of the committee, wrote September
25, 1888, "That it is the practice of all rail-
roads, and no doubt correct one, to charge
somewhat higher rate per mile on freight
hauled a short distance than on that hauled a
long distance, because the terminal expenses
of the railroad companies are the same in
either case. The charges for the cost of NOV
ing the freight per ton per mile are about the
same"
Thus you see, Commissioner Fink is on
record against any more charges on short hauls
than on the long haul. except a fair charge for
terminal expenses"
There are other important measures pending
before our Legislature at present that are init
Nand of as much importance to our city and
State as freight rates. First. the bill to carry
out the third section of Article l6 of the Con-
stitution relative to 'the right Of eminent do
main."
ALL EFFORTS N. G. so FAR.
The provisions OF the bill and Its trtDulatons
in the Railroad Committee were thoroughly set
forthin the columns of The DISPATCH on
Thursday morning. Several committees have
been before the Railroad Committee Of the
House explaining and urging the necessity of
the law; but, from the information we get in
Thursdays DISPATCH, their labors ''were no
good" The immense tonnage of our city, as
set forth in the pamphlet laid before them, the
sharp competition with other cities. requiring
that heavy tonnage won't bear charge Of
IS to $40 per car for hauling in wagons:
the revolution in switching charges in our
city since the Pittsburg and Lake Erie Rail-
road and the Junction roads were built, say
fronts and 81 per car reduced to 000;all of which
don't count" at Harrisburg.
learned that one of the committee expressed
himself by saying that ''the arguments in tavor
Of the bill were good, but we cannot 60 back on
our friends" Perhaps he voiced the senti.
ment of the majority Of the committee, and
they may have concluded to strangle the bill,
as the boy said, s.while it Is bornin'."
Second, the grade crossing bill, which Is In