Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-01-18
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
AT THE NATIONAL CAPITOL.
Compliance With Secretary
WINDOWS Orders.
RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
A Proposed Paradise For
the Negro.
PORTUeAL'S MANIFESTO.
Recognizing the Republic
of Brazil.
PoRTueAL's MANIFESTO.

THE INTERSTATE COmmERCE Law
Request for the Repeal OF Long ana
short Haul and Anti-Pooling Bills
mr. M orie of Massachusetts states his
Views.
WARRINGTON, Jan. 17-Representative
Elijah A. Morse, of Massachusetts,, addressed
the house committee on commerce to day in
advocacy of his two bills, one for the entire
repeal of the interstate commerce law, and
the other for the repeal of the long and short
haul and anti-pooling sections. He asserted
that the law had to a large extent stopped
railroad development and building and 1t
had been estimated by good authority that
the law had caused q shrinkage of more than
200, O0O, 900 in the value Of railroad prop
erty in this country, without any compensa-
ting advantage to the people. The old cus-
tom of high rates to competing points and
then nominal rates for long hauls he said
had resulted In an interchange of commodi-
ties and products throughout the United
States to the common advantages OF the
whole country. Under the operations of the
interstate law this condition of things is
reversed. The people of New England who
have water power and natural facilities
for manufacturing and have exchanged
their products with States possessing agri-
cultural advantages must now pillow rocky,
sterile soil deeper with view to increasing
their own food supply, on which freight Is
increased. The manufacturer must locate
nearer the cotton fields, the iron or coal
mine and his principal market, in conse-
quence of largely increased freight. # the
law has righted any wrongs. said Mr.. Morse,
it has created vastly greater ones-inter-
ference with competition in the carrying
business. He denounced the provision Civ
ing the commissioners discretionary power
to suspend the operations Of the long
and short haul clause, and demanded
that If the law was to continue In
force, it should be made applicable to
Canadian railroads, whish were now, by
lower rates on long hauls, securing
millions of dollars worth of business that
belonged to American roads. Moreover tho
law was favorable to trusts and tended to
give all the railroad business to the trunk
line monopolies to the injury of local roads.
The statement in the annual report of the
interstate commerce commission, that the
tendency of freight rates has been down
ward, Mr.. Morse declared was absolutely
and unoualifedly false as applied to the
whole country. He read published state
ment of Ave of the largest beef packing
companies of Chicago, showing that their
charges for transportation of freight had
been increased $3.50, 900 since the interstate
commerce law went into effect. The present
rate, the statement of the beef
packing companies, showed was 14I
per cent. greater than the average published
rate for the six years preceding the passage
of the interstate commerce law. The freight
rates not only upon the meat products Of
Chicago, but nearly every other product had
been increased by the working Of the inter-
state commerce law. There are, he said,
perhaps q few articles, such as furniture,
drain pipe, etc., that have by some means
procured very low classification from the
railroads upon which the freight may be
lower than formerly, but upon the great
mass of merchandise shipped over the coun-
try the freight rates have been much higher
than prior to the passage of tho interstate
commerce law and the name of the law
should be changed If it is to continue to "a
law to prevent the interchange of commodo.
ties at low freight, and to protect the trunk