New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-12
TUE FALL IN RAIL RATES.
vAN,S ALLEGATIONS OF EXTORTION
DIsPROvED BY THE FACTS.

..rvs or CHARGES OF THIRTEEN GREAT
r,rxX LINES SHOW THAT RATES FELL
MUCH MORE THAN PRICES OF
COMMODITIES.
,,ore has been so much said by Western Popu-
49,. regarding the railroad corporations and the
.rh,tant rates charged by them that it is timely
" show how much and when such rates have
..r reduced. II is only a short time since Mr..
p-van. whom many persons are hailing as the
LAT worthy and competent man for the Presi-
a.rcy declared in carefully prepared speech
.hot the rates charged by railroads had not been
.nduced as much the prices of commodities. 1t
.,sv have no influence with most of his supporters
.so, he is ignorant of facts and reckless in state
usnts but there are many good citizens, never
.,s,ess who hesitate to believe that candidate
A., such a high and responsible office would make
statement so important without some color Of
Justification
The rates charged per ton per mile on the three
.,eatest trunk lines-the Pennsylvania the New
York Central and the Erie-form the best availa-
rio test OF the general cost of transportation prior
a. 1867 and are known as far back as 1900 BE-
shining with 1862 rates are also obtainaoie on
,hese three and four other Eastern trunk
unes-the Lake Shore. Michigan Central. Plus
",r. Fort WAYNE and Chicago and the Boston
.rd AIhanv-and these seven transported Tor
80 nearly quarter Of all the freight moved on
~ the railroads in the country. Their rates,
..uovsr for a long time determined the charges
So rail for transportation OF farm prooucts from
,ho Vest to the Eastern seaports
r1c1-REs on THIRTEEN GREAT ROADS.
=, 1868 and lalcr years. rates can be ADDED also
=, second important list OF trunk hnes' hameiv'
N. ak largest transporteTs al the "es'--the Ih'-
..oo and Northwestern, the ST. Paui' the Ch'caso'
burlington and Quincy. the ROCK lsiaho' lhe ILL.,
,os Central. and the Chicago ana Alton. lhese
,..rsnorted for many years ano'her consioerape
h.,. AZ all freight moved by RAIL- ana also oe'er-
mined for a vast agricultural region the charses
,or transportation to the lake ports "here Has'-
W ~ limos came into competition with water
yates The thirteen great ROADS toee'her ahoiu
...-orah,v reliable test of the general cost OF
,r.nsportation throughout the country oo'h HUN
80, Farms to Eastern ports, and from East
avn seaports and manufacturing "orhs u west
gu ,ns,mers as will he shown by comparison
=, these rates with those charged on all roaos IN
~. .o,,rtrv and for all classes of freight for the
later years. ooo
rhsrs ar. also available for the year 1860. and
Hnet
.ctu.uv charged for wheat by rail from chicago
:, Nev.york. the rates for other grain and most
tam nroducts being generally altered In close
correspondence with the rates for wheat These
or.-.es. are obtained by dividing the rates
charged for all the days in each year by the num-
her q, DAYS: but for few years-1S'o. 1ssl' 1881
and 1888. in which published rates were not Cd
served-the rates actually charged nave oeen oo-
.rI. Por Gazette
Commissioner Fink For the years 1S''-lo'' IN
elusive the average rates charged for transpor'a-
,ion ~ wheat per bushel by lake and canal are
also given. and for the years 1Ss2-ls9o inclusive
the average charge for transportation per Ton per
mile on all roads in the country as reported by
Mr.. Poor, statement having value because IL
shows how closely the reductions on the main
lines have accorded with those on all the ROADS
throughout the land.
COST OF TRANSPORTATION.