Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-12-07
RAILROAD FREIGHT BUSINESS.
The Subject Of Pooling Their Business Con-
sidered in the House.

Washington, Dec. 6--In the House,
Livingston tDem.) of Georgia, reported
the fortifications appropriation bin fort
the year ending June 80, 1896. O'Ncil
(Dem) of Massachusetts,, reported the PEN
sion appropriation bill for the same year.
The bill TO amend the Interstate COM
merce law TO permit railroads pool their
business, was taken up. Cooper said he
would offer n substitute for committee
bill, a measure which placed pooling CON
tracts absolutely under the control of the
interstate commerce commission, which
should be empowered to modify or suspend
them. and whose action should be final.
Morse said he would vote for the bill he
cause it was step in the direction of the
total repeal of the inter-astate commerce
law The law was q dead letter and had
never been enforced except in spots, and
never would be. The only live thing
about the law, and all that kept it alive,
was the paragraph which provided for the
salaries OF the commissioners and the cX
penses of the commission. The commit
tee could not bring in bills TO repeal the
other sections OF the law too fast to suit
him
Daniels (Rcp) of New York, opposed
the bills tending TO enable railroad COM
panicS to manage their properties to the
detriment of the interests of the public.
Morse asked Daniels what measures he
would propose TO prevent the diversion of
the traffic from the United States to Cana
dian railroads. which had been the effect
of the interstate commerce law.
Daniels replied that he would place the
Canadian railroads ON the same rcstrlc-
tions imposed by law upon the railroads
of this country. He said that large mum
Der of roads are being operated by the Uni
ted States courts today, because of their
bankruptcy. This was because the roads
cndeavorcd to slaughter each other.
Reed asked why this slaughter went on.
Daniels-As it stands now it is one
railroad company running out another.
Rced--ls that desirable to have?
Daniels-No, the remedy is with the
directors of the companies and not by ap-
peal To Congress.
Reed-That remedy does not seem to
have been applied.
Daniels-Then it is for the shareholders
to elect other directors who will apply it.
Reed-That does not seem to have been
applied. 1t seems to me there is some
thing more serious behind this question,
nature. This competition is inevitable
under the circumstance, II is sure to lead
to unrestricted competition. Now, does
the gentleman regard competition as the
sole governing power that ought.to be
invoked"
Daniels-By no means. 1t is expected
that these railroad companies will OBJ
serve reasonable rules in reference to their
| ~ LIT, i,,f, .
be sufficient to restrain them from carry
ing it to any great extent.
Rced-Yet it has not.
Danicls-That is owing to the bad man
| agement of the railroad directors.
Reed-This bad management seems to
be universal?
| Danicls-No should say not. Look at
| the New York Central.
Reed stated that Daniels had admitted
that the practice of cutting rates to such
an extent as to iniure competing roads
existed all over the country.
| Daniels said that was not wholly due
! to the management, but the diminution OF
| business.
Reed admitted that had something to
do with it, but said it was fact that these
roads had been i'll competition, and the
question was how to get them out Of the
rate-cutting except by permitting them
| to make an agreement. The roads would
say they were forced TO compete to get
business. Competition was beneficial to
people to great extent; but when il
went TO the extent Of destroying public
facilities, ii was disadvantage TO the
public. What the public wanted to get
was a regulation which would give them
| suitable freights and not destroy institu-
tions which were valuable.
= After an exchange of remarks with
| Bryan and Sickles, Reed said: "It ought
to be the object of legislation 10 benefit
all the people of the country, and in or
der to do that there ought to be a full un-
derstanding of the qualifications and per
meations of the business. it Is not enough
to say that railroad is a soulless corpOr-
alton and make an end of the matter,
Railroads are owned by human beings
who have invested money in them, and it
is of as much advantage to the community
to have good railroad as to have good
manufactOry or good streets, or any other
good thing.
"Our experience in Maine has shown us
that it is much more advantageous to have
united railroad which furnishes trans
portation at "A reasonable rate and fur
nishes every facility for it than it was to
have two or three rival railroads cutting
each others throats, and the outcome Of
consolidation there has turned out far bet
ter than any of us anticipated. l opposed
consolidation, but l watched he result
and ! found that the combination re
suited in better stations, better trains and
better transportation facilities of every
kind.
After further remarks by Reed, the
House adjourned.
Wants President Ineligible 10 Reelection.
hington, Dec. 6.--Leprescntative
f Nebraska has introduced joint