The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-10-16
THE INTELLTGENCER.
wnEELINe, October "a, 1907.


BENEFITS OF LesaiiLsd Railway Pooling.
Mr.. Robert p. Porter. the, well known
traveller and newspaper writer on econ
omical subjects, has lengthy, timely
and interesting letter in the Philadelphia
Inquirer on the subject OF railway pool
ing IN England, and Its benefits and SUI
periority over the American system Of
railway competition. He discusses the
matter exhaushvely, and in a way which
shows that he has devoted great deal
of time and study to the question. He
shows that railway pooling In England,
which is legal, has developed a healthy
competition which has not only been
beneficial to the public, but has kept the
roads prosperous and clear from the con-
ditions of bankruptcy in which many of
the roads OF the United States have been
plunged by ruinous rate cutting.
The system of pooling adopted by the
English roads Is popular with the public,
because travellers and shippers are all
on equal terms with each other; there is
no favorltism, no rebate, All competing
roads between given points charge the
same rates to the same points regardless
OF distances. and the cutting of rates is
unknown, the maximum rate, of course,
being legal one. Mr.. Porter says:
Under these agreements, which appear TO
be absolutely kept as to passenger traffic.
bn Ntybn1n FnfrtYlur flo nj tho limited
Kingdom is practically pooled. For eN-
ample, there are four great railways COM
peting for the traffic between London and
1iverpool-the London and Northwestern,
the Midland, the Great Northern and the
Great Western. Tho London and North
western is tho shortest and most direct
way, and therefore the fare Is based on
that route. Between II and the Great
Western there Is d difference of some forty
miles, yet the fare on all four roads is
identicaly the same. regular pool once
existed between these roads for the Llv-
erpool traffic, but when II expired matters
had adjusted themselves in matter sat
isfactory to each company, and the COM
pact or agreement has been substantially
kept without the form Ola pool or course,
II any one of these four companies began
TO cut rates they would be met by the
other companies until all had enough OF
such folly, and entered into an actual
agreement again. This. 1t should be re-
membered, they have a perfect legal right
TO do. Thus we have here, and there are
hundreds Of similar instances in England,
n tacit agreement as to competitive rates,
namely, that each company shaull secure.
by legitimate means, ali the through
traffic 1t can, the rates of fare being SINH
lar at all competitive points. Again, the
distance between London and Birmingham
is llS miles by the Northwestern, andf29E
miles by the Great Western, yet both
charge the same and do the journey in
the same time.
The policy, Mr.. Porter argues, has
made prosperous railways of these roads
that were laid out for legitimate pur-
poses. and made the path of the rail
way wrecker" more difficult in the Brit
ash Isles. The public benefit may be
understood in view Of the fact that the
misery entailed upon hundreds OF thou
sands by lily considered and fraudulent
railway enterprises in the United States
has been greater than any cheapenlng OF
freight to the shipper has been advanta-
geous. AS 1t Is the railway stocks and
bonds of England are safe and profit
able Investments for the savings Of the
people. A railway clearing house exist
ing by authority Of law was established
many years ago for the purpose of
affording in respect to passenger and
goods traffic uniform facilities "as If such
lines had belonged TO one company" Mr..
Porter continues:
For nearly half century the Railway
Clearing House has fl0urlshed and grown
with the railway, until to-day every rail-
way company In England IS n party 10 this
association, and It's headquarters on Scy-
mour street, Euston Square has practice
ally become the railway parliament Of the
kingdom. To be sure, tho Clearing House
hns nothing TO do with tho fixing OF rates.
either Of passenger or goods traffic. It
has, however, all 70 do with the carrying
out of arrangements made between differ
ent railway companies In itB PASSENGER
department, the Clearing House divides
or pro rates the moneys due each COM
pany on all tickets issued over more than
one road. In us parcels department It
not only looks after the division OF rn-
Celpts between railways, but between the
railways and the British government it.
Heli, which employs the railways TO carry
the parcels sent By post In this way In
stead OF declaring the association Illegal.
the British government becomes an active
partner In the association which hpIlCvo
more than anything olso has brought up
the standard OF railway companies In
England.
1t appears, from Mr. Portcr's article,
that the clearing house has full power In
relation 10 enforcing classification.
avoiding the evil Of fraudulent classIn-
cation with which honest railway man
ayers in this country have to contend.
Tho objection that ths agreement among
tho railways savnrs too much of the