The advocate., 1891-06-10

fortunes!
But Mr.. Stickney thus refers to them
in the present:
In politics they have fallen from their
former dictatiOnal estate IN cipher, If mot
to a minus quantity. The hnmiliating
knowledge is ever with them that the only
vestige of former power they still possess,
either for good or evil, is the ability to "Cut
rates, /" and thereby deplete the treasures Of
their companies.
In the very interesting chapter ON
''Method Of Railway Management" the
elevator system, with its secret rebates is
dilated upon, With grants TO packers, and
here Is an extract:
The most conspicuous illustration is the
present position of the four great Chicago
firms engaged in slaughtering and market
ing beef. Their present business was built
up by rebates paid by the trunk lines, and
each began as sort Of protege of one of
the railways. Now, with their immense
business by combining and throwing the
bulk Of it TO one line, they have become die
tators Of rates to all the great railway cor
poratiOns. These firms care but little what
rates they pay, provided they are less than
are granted to other shippers, SO that they
may Continue to maintain their present
practical monopoly. Gradually the public
mind began to turn for relief towards legis-
lation and now although about twenty years
have elapsed since the first Granger law was
enacted, it seems to be regarded asthe most
available and the most effective remedy.
The discomfort Of the people broke forth
with the fuzzy Of q cyclone, and 80 great was
the excitement that the governor of state,
as bid for votes, in public speech from
the stump, felt compelled to declare that
his party, Unsuccessful, would "shske the
railways over hell"
The chapters on "Effects of Discrim-
nation" Competition" Show Tariffs
Crew." competitive Tariffs" and "Rail-
way Passes" embrace about titty pages
Of matter, which show patient fidelity
to the interests therein considered, and
wealth of knowledge that has great uses
to the conscientious journalist, who is
desirous of obtaining information upon
unexplored ilsubjects, which he may
spread before his readers. Under the
head Of "FairnesS Of Legal Rates" the
author says:
For more than twenty years the manage
ments ofwestern railways have been en-
gagged in the prosecution of rate wars, in
which it was impossible to decide which
was acting on the offensive and which on
the defensive. Each manager has sur
rounded himself with a standing army Of
freight and passenger agents, contracting
agents, soliciting agents, clerks, typewriters
and runners. In every important city, and
in many of the unimportant towns, detach:
nents Of each OF the companies have been
permanently quaxtered, occupying the most
expensive Offices Of the most conspicuous
corners Of the most important streets. The
expenses Of these standing armies have
been enormous; but, like all standing ar
mics, they are consumers and not prOduc-
ers. Their mission is to destroy. All of
them together Have not in twenty years
produced single ton Of freight. Their
whole duty is to get the freight which
others have produced routed over their line,
''honestly If they 6An, but get it." From
time 10 time during the twenty years war
the chiefs have made solemn compacts Of
peace. These treaties have been signed,
sealed and delivered with all the necessary