The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-27

RAILROAD POOLING.
Now that the United States Supreme
Court has decided that all pooling ar
engagements which railroad officials may
make are in violation of law the representa-
lives of companies are asking for the en-
actment of a law which will authorize a
system of pooling under the supervision
OF the Commission.
Such a measure has had the sanction of the
commission End has received favorable ac-
ton In one branch of Congress.
1t is said by those who should know that
the overthrow OF the pooling system. as far
as it is a system, by the Supreme Court
will have a serious effect upon railroad
properties because the fierce competition
will incite railroad wars and cause reduce
.ti0ns which will be ruinous. There are yet
those VINO will welcome such conditions
because they imagine that rates of trans
portation so low that they will not pay
operating expenses and afford a return on
the capital invested are to the advantage
Of the general public. If it is for the advan-
tage Of the public that the carrying bust
ness of the country shall be done without
profit. or at a loss. then il would pro-
mote the public welfare if all branches of
traffic and industry could be conducted I'M
der conditions which would afford no return
to capital invested and compel a reduction
of wages.
1t is time that the railways be consid-
cred as a part of the great capital and in
dustry of the country. They cannot be
made war upon with less impunity than can
other branches of industry. Grant that
many roads have not been we'll managed,
that men have come into possession of
some of them by indirect methods, and as
many other things as we may choose to
bring against railroad corporations, We
property and merchandise depend more
upon them than any other agency. They
constitute the arterial system of the coun-
try through which pulsates the lifeblood
of the commerce which sustains every in
dustry and makes what were once the lux
uries of the few the comforts and neces-
saries of the many. 1t is time that intel
ligent people consider some of the advan-
tages derived from railroads. and especially
TIC ldNt lidl ItiSnl rates III lit OnllCu
States are only half as much as in the
cheapest country in Europe. and that sem
sible people give less heed to demagogues
whose stock in politics is denunciation of
railways as monopolies.
The country wants solvent railroad COM
panies which can render effective service.
afford the million men employed living
wares and civa thoco ubo ouun +hor1 e,,t,
returns as will make them remunerative.
which many of them are not at present.
With the facilities of railway transporta-
ton largely i'm excess of the business. the
maintenance Of values in railroad properties
and of wages for employees requires what is
called a pooling system established by law
and under control of the Interstate-Com-
merce Commission. As much as the rail-
roads. the people need a pooling law which
will make equal rates for all shippers be-
tween given competing points. Without
such a law the large shipper can always
get the advantage of the smaller. Because
of the fierce competition between the chief
competing points. men and companies hav-
ing large shipments have been able to get
rates so low that those doing less business
in the same lines have been driven to the
wall. The Standard Oil Company. the Sugar
Trust and like m~onopolies under the pres
ent system have been able to realize large
profits from the smal concessions received
in the charges for transportation.
Congress is asked to give the country n
law which will establish the cost of trans
portation per ton between competing points
and which will require that all the receipts
during given periods shall be divided among
the roads doing the business in PROMOTION
TO the part of the carrying which each
road does. No valid argument can be pre-
scented TO show that such a law would not
be generally beneficial.