The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-01-31
THE COMMISSION BILL.
ADDEEss or NIX. nIcHARD McoY
Delivered Before the Committee on Roads.
UAnccr OF Revolutionary Liquidation.
Experience of Other States.

Commission bill.
Sir Chairman. ltiss wise axiom ia tic AZ
fairs of men 90 let vel enough alone. ~ t"l'
iunature ia the affairs OF our state. when iho ~
dnsfrlal activity and progress OF recent years
hang in Tho balance, when the tlmidlty OF Hl'os
tors causes the suspension OF work on heN .illS'
Of railroad. when proposed lines. upon NN''''
our people have set their hearts. are postponed
Whan managers OF good railroad plopti'o' ~ y
having dliIculfy IA financial ncAOi i"t4'''' 90
especially when we have icss 10 coMpi"ih -.
IMAM af amy former period-fhls. say. - most
unfortunate tlfu. % destroy confluence ~ " Ii
is called. ami should hc IN 4at.' 4"''i r.
roads Of our state. I use tho torn
hostile deliberately. 10 unrrenaicea anu a, ~
tolhgent man can rcnd VIA. - n''D''i H." - mr.
Kent Oh without noticing now aHtt4sD. =. - -.
visions are and now Yorlious ID - I'd hlFo 81" oo
prOyiSl0ns the force OF laW ana pul 'tii. ~ wy
hands oi men who may be lncompotent liD ION.
lack Of special training, vcnal from III ull.-
oslfy or dCspOtic from love O.. lower az" @u.
fhOTity. ] is 90 The credit ~ 'lftihl"n7 ,ias
fhcy have 80 long Declined 20 al9p. 1 i D it
other Southern states have iaceu "i'HoVs
getting the satisfaction they thptcicI'
shows that the teaching OF inc iathcI' - SUN
reelected from the SONS. The ldt@ OF teEilaiink
airectlr tho market uTlce Tor carrying freight
o. passengers probably never entered luto lAo
y,i,,d..f tne trainers 0f the Constitution and We
ii,.lD - $50 sio,.e toward patsrnsl meddng
utfh fha .rQs exercise OF private fiGhia. lOi,
sfter all that has been SAID 0f inc pubic iulic-
tons Of railroads. ono iact remains tuAs ths
money inycstet lu them i0 li+t"to money anu
ehouid LIE uscI Dr. the men Who have 10 acc mt
~ tho stockholders as lons as me CONTRACT
stipulation, lotWecn the moor 9Fators ana Tue
state are complied with. hese contracts,
known As charter are NOT hampered with oo-
iecfionf be c0uall ous. such rs raio eupciV VISION
o. the State; on me contrary ihe Hialc aEIeeu
fhat the r0aas should make their own rates 10 y
certain maximum, aud challenge any non
10 saw whether they have not been mora
liberal with tho public than tho terms OF
their charters demanded. Rates are the COM
modify that rail- Dads have 20 sell os much as
grain or tobacco belongs TO the farmer. 10
flem fbc manager looks for revenue 10 meet
a iInds OF Obligations, and hold THAT o. ha'c
three men. lrTcsp onsibie TO tho owners oil me
properly, tell INN what he must charge. now
and when he must make up his train cto.'i az
interference unWise unnecessary a1a unFoa-
AonRhlc jnwise. because 10 inpalrs me anne
OF the property as an luve, inent, dainhRes al
values ~ thin the state ana Hohe i.oiV ~ tiiIn
That OF the former, whose suo i'ih "'.t 'I'T
weight OF taKaflOu. Ia proof OF TN. p'siilph
cite tet lLIlny prescntcl hy DoIi iessu'" AN
Morse Iu the lity-nrst Congress. NAY 1891
when he introduced bin for tue TCpea. or tue
Inter -tnt8 Commerce law.
nrom the burlington 1owal Hawkoyel
One Of the strongest appeals against the
Interstate Commerce law IN rs present form
comes ~ or the farmers An immense peuuon
has been ent 10 ongreSs pJ agilcultuilsts oi
tho West asAing for re cal OF the long and
short haul clause. Tins provision OF the laW.
AZ Will be remembered. was avOwedly enacted pa
the interest II large business ceuters. and 10
las by no means proved satisfactory 90 them
u mas however so the farmers claim, been little
short OF disastrous to their interests.
one o. the chief elements IA binding up tie
farming a erests OF the West was the chesp
through rates 10 the seac0ast. u he railroads
were ia the habit OF making those fales a. IOW
as possible 10 meet their expenses aud repaid
themselves from local rates with - larger mar
Gin OF profits. The long AMI snort haul pro-
vision OF the Interstate law struck 70 Tins GUS
tom by fOrbidgmg through rates lower than
local rates between intervening points on the
same line. Then the state legislatures. ~ f2r
instance in our own state Of Iowa came IN with
their limitations OF rates on local tfafhc, ana
TINS the railroads IN se4tdeienso kept through
rates az such figures 30 the cost OF worklnS
their roads de handed tcr tins STATE uI
affairs tho farmers ,Ay they are greatly injured.
Those in Kansas and Nebraska ia particular
attribute the low Iltcs OF produce ~ thelf
locellics TO TINS cause; and they now demand
that the part OF the law which is proving a
grievous burden TO them be repealed. 10 thus
appears that tie interstate legislation has by no
means justified itself as yet.
From the Denver Tex Herald
Mr. Morse claim that the law had, stopped
railroad Development and caused a slriDkage of
over 500 0loOj IN the value Of railroad pro
porty, without cOmponsatlng advantage, to the
j sOpIc may be difficult 10 rrOHe By cold facts
and figures, but he is Unquestionably right
when he says that the old custom OF high rates
90 competing points and lon rates for long laGls
is infinitely moro satsfactOry to the people at
large than the present custom established by
law. lie knows What he Is talking about, too,
when he declares that the law. by not applying
10 Canadian roads l. throwing millions OF dol
lars worth OF traffic over 10 those roads which
- Senator Reagan the father of the Interstate
Commerce law. SO 10 D, reported. VIII not be a
candidate FOR reelection Possibly the report
is put out as Il 'fccler. but our observation
goes 10 show that such action on the part OF
Mr. Reagan would not meet with q very strong
protest IN any quarter. unless perhaps from GER
tain railroad magnates and weil-fed members
Of the interstate COMMISSION. What the Sena-
tor intended should be the GROWING glory II
his senatorial career has proved 10 be n mill
stone about his neck. Like Dick Deadeye, he
L M.
The Financial Chronicle for December O. 1891,
has an article entitled southern Hallway
Growth that should be examined 10y all repre-
sentatyes of Virginia CONSTITUENCIES before cast
ing their votes for the proposed measure. Feel
ing deeply e0hcit0Gs for the continued pros
uerity of Our business interests 1 ask your ~
dulgence while present an extract from tins
article. II IS based on tho reports OF lie cen
sus Office After speaking of the average rates
IN the Middle States and Middle Western sta es
with larger centres OF population the writer
proceeds 20 present what lie terms useful
and instructive contrast:
That any group OF southern States should
show averages on the same level with those OF
the two sections mentioned. which 10y reason Of
density of traffic and the lreponderance OF the
lower class OF freight possess special advantages
IN that respect is clIcnmstahce worth more
than a passing notice. The census investigation
makes the average Tor the four Southern states
only little over "A OF cent per ton mile III exact
figures s66-lOO0 OF cent, while Tor the VI ddle
States the average II gwen as SOs-1Oll and for
the Middle Western 6S-l0OO In the New ing
bulky freights the average per ton per mile is
as much as ! 41O-10)1. The change since 1880 has
been most remarkable. At that time the average
for the four Southern States was l459 cents,
while that for the Middle States was 1914 cents,
and for the Middle Western States 0 .So2 cent
that is. the average WAS then a. per cent. higher
than for the Middle States and over 90 per cent.
higher than Tor the Middle Western States
whereas now 10 is lower than the one and but
little higher than the other here are the
averages for each of the groups for each Of the
last ten years both on freight and passengers:
AVERAGE PER Ton or FREIGHT PER MILE.
In centsl.
-Four Southern States-iSSO 1850; 1881, 1853;
1882. ii09. 1873, 25f 1884, Il6i; 1885. 09S5. 1885,
0.o,l; le>l O.e0S; losS, 0.1ol; loSl. 100.
Middle ates-lss0, l0ii; 1881, O.9Sl 1889, O.qS2;
lSs O.soS; 1854. 09ii; lsS5 OoO3; 1885, 0Sl9; 1857.
0.S2,: 1898. Oslo: 1889 O.SOS.
Middle Western-iSS0, 0.S92; 1881, o.so9; lsS2,
n1os; 1883 oslo; 1891, Os,6; 1852 06S; 1886, O.6si
1887. OIL; 1888. 1850; 1859, 6Si.
New England-lSSO. Sfs: ISL, 1.722; 1882 lbs;
1871 is2o; 1874. 1861; 1850 l.5l6; 1885, l5S3: 1887
lte7: 1855. I.5g1; 1889, 1fsO.
AVERAGE PER PASSENGER PER MILE
In centsl.
Four Southern States-lSsO. 8024: 1881, G24:
1889 1850. los3 24i6; 1891; 1870; 1885. 1887; 1856
230l; 1881, 2.330; 1873 2l53; 1889. 2a07.
Middle States-lsSo, 2232: 1881, 2l3O; 1882 2Og7:
1883 2lti 1881 2O9i; lso5, 1896 1886. LODI; 1881
2OJl; 1888. 1885; 1889, 1895
Middle Mestern-lSS0, l67; 1881 ESQ; 1852.
2t5.; 1893, 206O: 1851 2.l42 1885. 1893: 1856,