The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-01
UNANIMOUS.
Railroad Magnates Are All in
Favor
az the PaSSnrn of the Foraker
Of the Passage of the Foraker
Pooling Bill.
WILL BE NO RATE WAR
All the Roads Instruct Their
Agents
To Maintain the Schedule
Hitherto in Force.

New York. April 1.-The Tribune TINS
morning says: There IS no sign u 9I.i
outbreak or rate cutting among the
railroads as a result Of the Unlteo
States supreme court decision IN lle
4rsnsroissourf freight association case
q d Simons. general eastern agent OF
the Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe sald
last night. I have been trying touay
to ind out if rate cutting has been done
in the east or the west and nave Ia1leu
absolutely to locate sihsie ms ,o4i'e.
I have received explicit INSTRUCTIONS
not to deVia from the publsheo @ laIIIL
rate, no matter what our coiApet!tot9
may do. 1t IS my opinion tIlal' no ny
WithStanding the dissolution the 1atC9
will be maintained but If Jhey are Re
duced, it win not be secretly put Dy
open tariff. The best test OF the Illalit- nan
tenance of rates is that we are get
ting business today at full tarlI rates
that we would not obtained If shippers
saw any chance Of rate deTnoraliza-
William H Clark. general eastern
freight agent Of the Missouri PaclIIc
railway said: THE supreme court oS
cfsion makes it illegal tHr the railroads
TO associate together for the purpose OF
making rates; which IS conSttue0 70 -
mean no restraint of tr2Hc- 4hereLoIe
having withdrawn from Sucn aSSocld-
flo, it would be Just as illegal for them
to enter into any demOraIzatlon OF
rates because that would mean 10
q
cl1ustanCeS regardless of published tar
ih. Railroad companies all realize that
to enter into any war OF rates at tne
present time without the restraining
influence of a proper association to help
them to recover their normal condition
would mean dire disaster not only to
the revenues, but to the personnel OF
the lines. Therefore there is not the
slightest prospect of any rate demorall-
1atiOn at present
REPRESENTATIVES of the Chicago, Mil
4 < Panl and the &. B. q ..
railways said that they had instruc-
lions from headquarters to maintain
ates
The Times this morning says; AL
though the eastern trunk lines and
their western connections will continue
to operate under the joint trafnc agree
ment until compelled to cease from so
doing by an adverse decision OF the
United States supreme court, the rail-
road men almost without exceptlon,are
preparing for a vigorous campaign IN
favor of the passing Of the pooling law
by congress. Chauncey NJ.
DepeW. chairman OF the joint
that in a proper pooling law lies the
only solution of the existing railroad
troubles.
The bill introduced by Senator For
aker, he remarked yesterday was de-
signed to enable railroad managers to
made satisfactory agreements and keep
out of Jail. One result of the recent
cOnfere ce of railroad lawyers was to
emphas. ze the unanimity of sentiment
in favor of legislation that will legalize
pooling The presidents OF some OF the
trunk lines frankly aVOW their willing
ness to have the joint traffic assOcia-
tiOn declared illegal by the supreme
court because they believe that the
conditions thus precipitated would
fore congress to pass remedial meas
ures without delay. The Foraker pool
ing bill is satisfactory to most all of the
railroad men and the members of the
interstate commerce commission as
we'll.
That bill practically nullifies the anti
traffic contract clause of the Sherman
antitrust law and gives the railroad
company the privilege of making such
traffic contracts under the supervision
of the interstate commerce commission.
Eastern railroad men believe that the
legalization of railway pooling would
have better effect on the general sit
uatiDn than a supreme court decision
in favor Of the joint traffic association.
Even the assurance of the legality of
the last named association would not
help the western roads, for the reason
that the first supreme court decision |
killed their principal traffic agreement. |
J. F. Goddard, chief arbitrator of the
joint traffic association, was asked last
night his opiniOn as to the effect of the
passing of the Foraker pooling bill. He
said:
4 think the measure is timely and in
the direction of the preservation of con-
servative business methods on the part
of the railroads. The public is largely
interested in this matter not only as in
venting a general disruption of
G 1mercial conditions"
Commissioner George R. Blanchard
said:
i think that the Foraker bill should
be supported by the public as well as
by the railroads for the reason that
under its provisions the shippers are
put upon an equality. When rates have
been made on reasonable standard
regard 1t as much the duty of the s-0v-
ernment to protect shippers ard rail
roads jointly by requiring uniform oh
EerVauce or rates and fares as it is TO
ENFORCE the government import and in
ternatiOnal revenue traffic laws
J. D. Laying, vice president and zen
eral manager of the West Shore and
vice president of the Big Four. remark
ed:
IF the interstate commerce .coun7is-
sion approves of pooling contracts ana
has the power to terminate them when
they Oppress the public, it would seem
to me a wise thing to pass law look
ing in that direction"
Henry Fink, president of the Norfolk
and Western, said that q pooling law
was absolutely necessary to the coun-
try in order that the interstate com
merce law can be carried out.
Aldace F. Walker. chairman of the
board of directors of the Atchison, To-
peka & Santa F'e railroad. and formerly
chief arbitrator of the trunk lines said:
This BILL which is designed to amend
the interstate commerce law, has for
some time been in process of careful
preparation. 1t is by no means ex-
clusively railroad measure. It repre-
cents the work of years in the direction
of revising and improving the law de-
VeI'TfainADg doubtful questions of inter-
pret tatfon and increasing its utility and
efficiency It was not drawn with any
special reference to the recent decision