Omaha daily bee., 1892-12-15
WANT PERMISSION TO POOL
Railroad Men Seeking to Have the Interstate
Commerce Law Amended,
OBJECT OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES
Presidents Roberts, Dcpcw, ingalls, and
other Prominent Railroad Men Give
Testimony Before the Interstate Com
merce Committee of the senate.

WASHINGTON, ID. c.. Dec. 14.-Chauncey NJ.
Depcw, President Roberts of the Pennsyl-
vania system and Chairman Walker of the
Western Traffic association addressed the
senate committee of the Interstate Com
merce commission today in favor of amend.
ing the commerce law so that railroads could
form pools under the supervision of the Inter
state Commerce commission.
President Robcrts.of the Pennsylvania
railroad said that in his Judgment the inter-
state commerce law had not operated for the
benefit of the public in the matter of pre-
venting discrimination. He said in the
course of his remarks that he wanted to inn
press on the committee the fact that the law
as now drawn. precluding railway companies
from making arrangements in reference to
traffic agreements, induces radical violations
of the law by the companies and the shippers
as well. The companies were not violating
the fifth section of the law Chat preventing
poolng). but in observing its provisions they
were violating some other section. Mr.. Rob
crts did not thing the commission should be
allowed to regulate rates, because it was not
in the interest of the pubic that it should do
so. Nor was the pooling system the best;
but it was better for the public than the
practice now existing. Mr.. Roberts was of
the opinion that it was of as much inn
portancc to the public at large that the rail
way companies should not be allowed to
charge too low rates as it was that they
should be permitted TO charge rates that
were too high. Pooling might be authorized
by congress- subject to cancellation by the
commission If found unjust.
MIR. Depcw's Testimony.
Mr.. Dopew, president of the New York
Central, said the interstate commerce law
had been established to prevent discrimna-
tion; but its effect had been to promote
trusts beyond anything that had ever been
dreamed. There were eight roads between
New York and Chicago. But for all the
public, there was put one. If an ironclad
rule of equal rates, under equal conditions of
time, was established. the New York Cen
trail and the Pennsylvania would do eight
tenths of the business Other roads would
go into bankruptcy, with all the attendants
of bankruptcy. In this way the law pre-
venting pooling was creating trusts. If this
law continued in force five years longer, Mr..
Depcw thought there would not be AN lndc-
pendent business man i'll any of the large
cities in the United States. 1t was creating
trusts and this condition of affairs was being
brought about by the miserable operations
OF II law intended to prevent them.
In response to the query of Mr.. Cullum as
to how the evil was to be cured, Mr.. Depew
said that under the proposed amendment
tracts upon a business basis and could
agree upon rates, which would be always the
same to the public. The law would cnl-
power the companies to enforce their agree
ments and the public would be protected by
putting the matter under the control of the
commission.
In discussing the existing conditions, Mr.
Depew said that it would soon be impossible
for manufacturers to exist except at ter
niina points, a statement which caused Mr..
Bricc to ask If he was to be understood as
meaning that New York and other cities OF
like character would be favored to the dis
elimination of such places as Lima, Newark
and other places i'll Ohio, which The Ohio
senator named.
To this Mr.. Depcw replied that under the
operation of the present law, such places
would cease to exist, except to be summer
residences of United States senators.
President ingalls, Opinion.
Mr.. Ingalls, president of the Big Four ant
Chesapeake & Ohio roads said that two sit
uations confronted the railways of the coun
try. Ii they went into competition under
the law, the railroads would become bank
rupt, or in the end be forced to make a com
bination which would put them all under one
control and the power to regulate then
would slip from the grasp of the legislatures
The general public now paid the full rate
while the big dealers were the ones who got
the advantage of the rebate. Under the eX
listing law, Mr.. Ingalls, said, the small deal
ers were being driven out of business tothl
great detriment of the whole country. Il
was for the interest of the whole country
that the railroads should prosper. a million
men were employed in the business anC
twice that number We're engaged il
manufactures that furnished railway sup
plies 1t was to the interest of the rail
roads to enforce the law, and if the law
which the companies were now seeking t,
have amended, had been in force, the priu
cipnl competitor of the Chesapeake Il Obi,
would have been bankrupt SO many case!
of violation had they made against it, Ii
conclusion, MIR ingalls, said that it had CONF
TO the point whore the roads were compellet
TO get under the shadow Of the law to keel
business. If the amendment sought passe,
IL would not result in an increase of rates
but in equal rates, and in many cases, in re
duced rates. Many of the railways hut
done all they could to break down the in
terstate commerce law; but they had be
come educated and We're not in favor of it.
Mr. Walker, of the trunk lines, spok
briefly and said the object of the bill was t
suppress unhealthy competition, not health
competition.
The committee will probably hold anothe
meeting next Wednesday.
INTERSTATE COMMERCE LAW.