The sun., 1890-08-19
Our Dishonest NoiGhbors.

Our DishoneSt Noighbors.
Sir JOSEPH H1cKsoN, the chief admins
trative officer OF the Grand Trunk Railway
Of Canada, has at last become alarmed at
the prospect Of our Government taking
some steps to resist the encroachments
Of the Canadian railroads. Heretofore
those railroads have had everything
their own way at Washington. and
through their agents in the Senate,
in the House, and in the Hobbies,
have effectually forestalled all Legislative
attempts to interfere with their predatory
course Under the long-and-short-hau
clause Of the Interstate Commerce act our
roads are at the mercy Of their Canadian
competitors. They are bound hand and foot
by Its provisions, and have absolutely no de-
fence against the rival and foreign corpora
tions who under Its powerful protection
plunder them at will
Sir JOSEPH HIoKsoN has arisen to protest
against this view OF the case, and has issued
an address to the press in which he Gays
that the Canadian railroads. In their
competition with our roads, derive no
advantage whatever from the Interstate
Commerce act. he asserts that the
law affects the American business OF
the Grand Trunk Just as 1t does the business
Of the American lines, and that therefore
the complaints Of the latter are unjust and
without foundation, and are merely intend
ed to cloak the real design, which Is, he
says, to wholly exclude the Canadian rail-
roads from carrying United States traffic.
This Is an untruthful and dishonest state
ment, but it is characteristic Of the manage
ment Of the Grand Trunk Railway, which Is
a dishonest corporation, bankrupt and dis
reputable, and which exists only by levying
blackmail upon the railroad corporations
OF this country. Sir JOSEPH HICKsoN, better
than any one else. knows that this Is true.
The Interstate Commerce act will not
permit our roads to carry any commodity
given distance for any less sum in proper
tion than they charge for less distance. II
the charge for 500 miles Is one dollar, then
the charge for 1000 miles must be two dol
lars They have, therefore, to charge to the
seaboard for every mile travelled at the rate
they would charge for one mile. The Grand
Trunk is subject to no such restrictions and
can charge what 1t pleases for such part OF
It's haul as Is upon Canadian soil. When
its representative attends our trunk line
meetings where rates are fixed and adjusted,
he demands dlfferential, that Is, the right
to charge a less rate than the American
roads. Is this based on the fact that the
Grand Trunk has shorter line to the sea,
or that for any other physical reason 1t has
claim to secure the traffic It is not. Its
line Is much longer. and Its claim is founded
only upon the knowledge that its American
neighbors are bound by the law of their
own country and that 1t is bound by no laws
but those Of a pirate. 1t must have the dif-
ferential or the American roads must sub
NIT to having their throats cut, and that is
what Sir JOSEPH HICKsoN calls conforming
to the Interstate Commerce law, and living
up to its provisions upon parity with his
American competitors.
The real design Of the American railroads,
he says, is to force the Canadian roads out
Of the American carrying trade. This is un-
true, but 1t ought to be true. There is every
reason why they ought to be forced out OF
our trade. 1t Is our trade and not theirs,
and when our forefathers forbade the carry
ing of our trade In foreign ships they had In
view the prevention Of just the depredations
upon our interests which the Grand Trunk
lives upon. Our railroads were always
able to take care OF the dishonest COM
| petition OF the Grand Trunk until a
mischievous and oppressive act OF Congress
tied their hands and placed them at the
mercy Of rapacious and untriendly neigh
bors. They only ask to be set free to fight
| for themselves, but we hold that we should
| go further and shut the Canadians out for
all time. Their roads are constant men,
ace to our welfare. They are military,
strategic and political railroads. not COM
mercil. They were built with Government
money, they are maintained with subsidies.
and no competition between them and our
roads could ever be fair or natural.
| Sir JOSEPH HIoKsoN's disinRenuous and
untruthful statement is o poor compliment
| to our intelligence. He probably has no
very high idea Of the intelligence Of people
who pass law which guarantees immunity
| to any one who wants to rob them. We have
passed such law for the benefit OF the
| Grand Trunk and other Canadian railroads.
and. what Is worse, we keep It'll on our stat
ute books.