New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-20
COTTON rs STILL KING THERE.
A RAILROAD MAN TELLS OF THE EVILS OF
r.r,nI

SOUTHERN M1NopoLY.
The entire railroad system of the south has been
under the Heels OF tyrannical and reckles'y Selfish
monopoly VI cOton.shippers. whose eAa'uohS a'"
greed have more thaa anything else cohtnpu'9u u
bring about the depombe condition OF 80 large Il
proportion of Southern railways. The WOiklnss Oh inns
fdinous despotism were thus explained the Other day
by l.. Il. Stalman, commissioner of the sou'le'1i h'
road and Steamship Association:
Little by little {. W cotton shippers in the south
have got almost the cntirs business of cotton shipping
into their own hands They have al the same uhe
secured virtual monopoly Of the COMPRISING Oh
cotton for transportation having bought up nearly
all the congresses In the Southern elites "he u
some extent banded together their mode Of operations
Is rather baronla than federal. Each has his COM
press or congresses, and when he bnys cotton, no
matter In what part Of the SOUTH II has to be haued
to his own COMPRISING works, however much nearer
may Le other COMPRISES.
Here is where the peculiar hardshps to the rail-
roads comes m The shipper In effect saws to the rail
load company: "Yon must give me the regular rate
from the point where buy my cotton to the ultimate
point to which shall ship 1t; but Instead OF maui
Ing II directly from the former to the latter point YOU
must haul 1t a hundred miles out Of the direct
route and brlns 1t 10 my compress. where when
have compressed 1t for YOU and made Won a charge
which nets me 100 per cent profit. Won must load II
on your cars again and haul 1t back those hundred
miles or to the place where bought IT. and from
thence carry IL TO is destination. and for all this
extra hauling and handling. you ere not to receive
a penny OF added compensation; we will only pay
yon for the haul between the points Of purchase aud
final CONSIGNMENT
zone VIII naturally ask how the railroads have
come to knuckle down - such exactlons. Well II
railroads officials demur to a shippers proposition
the latter threatens TO divert from that line lot
OF cotton he has bought IN some other point OF the
compass. Then the officials knowing that he can
and viii do this nccedc his terms rather than lose
TIE other business. OF II the roads had stood
soiidly togetll> from the first, Ghey could have de-
featrd these shipping despots: but, unfortunately
they bcgan by yielding to the reductions OF Immediate
business. and surrender having been commenced all
the roads dragged into the policy
measure OF self preservation.
Then, ~ cOlr-e. necessarily followed Wild com
tlti0n. for the shippers not content with getting the
road, 10 d. great deal OF WORK for them for nothing,
virtually pat th.ir business up AT auction apparently
In order to get their cotton frsighed FOR less than
nothing. II that were possible. The consequence has
teen that tbs published rates have not been main
tain"d. have known cotton to be hauled between
points for s cents 4 hundred pounds when the put,
ishcd - cents.
In tho desp0tlsm II these shippers f. largely TO
DO found The MASON why nearly or quite half the
rouhcrn railroads arc In the hands Of receivers. II
t. time for effective action 10 be taken against
the shipping monopoly and hop, that conference
her, l. the beginning OF better rrier OF affairs. To
maintain atrs, not 70 advance them. Is all we wish
ia do