Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-15
THEY FAVOR POOLING.
Railroad officials Give Their Views
on Interstate Commerce.
THEY SAY 1T HELPS TRUSTS.
It Aids the Big Roads and Threatens to
bankrupt the Little Ones.
ROBERTS, DEPEy AND INGALLS, TALK


prominent railroad men. including Chauncey
NJ. Depew and President Roberts, of the
Pennsylvania system, were before the Sen
ate Committee on Interstate Commerce
this morning to advocate the passage of tine
amendment to the interstate commerce
law BY Mr.. Cullom, to modify the existing
law so as to authorize railroad companies to
form pools under the supervision of Inter-
State Commerce Commission, and to wipe
out the penal clause of punishment pre-
Ecribed, etc The full committee was pres
eut and speeches were made by Mr.. Depew,
Nr. Roberts, Mr. Walker and Mr. Ingalls,,
these gentlemen urging that the great ma
jority of the railroads of the country were
in favor of the proposed amendment.
President Roberts, of the Pennsylvania
road, said that in his judgment the inter
State commerce law has not operated for
the benefit of the public in the matter OF
preventing discrimination. He said IN the
course Of his remarks that he wanted to i'm
press on the committee the fact that the
law as now drawn, precluding railroad COM
nanies from making arrangements IN refer
ence to traffic agreements, induces radical
violations of the law BY the companies and
the shippers as we'll The companies were
not violating the fifth section of the law,
that preventing pooling, but in observing
its provisions they were violating some
other sections. Mr.. Roberts did not think
the commission should be allowed to regu-
late rates. because it was not IN the inter-
est OF the public 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 importance to the public
at large that the railroad companies should
not be allowed TO charge too low rates as it
was that they should not be permitted to
charge rates that were too high Pooling
might be authorized by Congress, subject to
cancellation by the commission if found to
be unjust
Depew Says 1t Promotes Trusts.
Mr. Depew, President of the New York
Central. said the interstate commerce law
had been established to prevent discrimina-
tion, but its effects had been to promote
trusts beyond anything that had ever been
dreamed Of There were eight roads be-
tween New York and Chicago but for all
the purposes of the public there were but
one. Ii an iron-clad rule of equal rates
under equal conditions of time was estab
lished, the New York Central and the Penn
5ylvsnia would do eight-tenths of the busi-
ness. The other roads would go into bank
ruptcv, with all the attendants of bank
ruptcy. In this way the law preventing
pooling was creating trusts. If this
law continued in force five years
longer Mr.. Depew thought there
would not be an independent business man in
Nnv of the large cities of the United States.
1t was creating trusts and this condition of
affairs was being brought about by the mis-
erable operations of law intended to pre-
vent them. In response to the query of
MIR. Cullom as to how the evil was to be
cured, Mr.. Depew said that under the pro-
posed amendment, the roads would be
authorized to make contracts upon busi-
ness basis and could agree upon rates
which would be ALWAYS the same to the
public. The law would empower the COM
panies to enforce their agreements, and the |
public would be protected by putting the |
matter under the control of the commits |
sion. g 50;
In discussing the existing conditions,
Mr.. Depew said that it would soon be i'm
possible for manufacturers to exist except
at terminal points-a statement which
caused Mr. Brice to ask If he was to be
understood as meaning that New York and
other cities of like character would be
favored to the discrimination of such places
Rs 1 ma Newark and other places in Ohio
which the OHIO Senator named. To this
Mr. Depew replied that under the operation
of the present law such places would cease
to exist, except as to the summer residences
OF United States Senators.
Ingalls, Fayors Ii.
Mr. ingalls,, President of the Big Four
and Chesapeake and Ohio roads, said that
two situations confronted the railroads of
the country. If they went into competi-
tion under the law the railroads would be-
come bankrupt, or, in the end, be forced to
make a combination which would put them
under one control, and then the power to
regulate them would slip from the grasp
of the legislators The general public
now paid the full rate, while
the big dealers were the ones who
got the advantage of the rebate. Under
the existing law Mr. Ingalls, said the small
dealers were being driven out of business,
TO the great detriment of the wqole coun-
trv. 1t was for the interest of the whole
country that the railroads should prosper
A million men were employed in the bust
ness, and twice that number were engaged
in manufactures that furnished railroad
supplies. 1t was to the interest of the
railroads to enforce the law, and if the law,
as the companies were now seeking to have
il amended, had been in force the principal
cornpetitor of tine Chesapeake and Ohio
would have been bankrupt so many cases
of violation had they made against it.
In concluding, Mr.. Ingalls, said mat
it had come to the point where the roads
were compelled to get under the shadow of
the law to keep business. If the amend
ment sought, passed, it would not result IN
an increase OF rates, but in equal rates,
and in many cases in reduced rates Many
of the railroads had done all they could to
break down the interstate commerce law;
but they had become educated and were
now in favor of it.
Mr. Walker, of the Trunk lines, spoke
briefly, and said the object of the bill was
to suppress unhealthy competition, not
healthy competition.
The committee will probably hold another
session 1ext Monday.
Holiday Gift Goods.