The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-05-13
RAILWAY ROOFS.
Their Equity and Public Value Dis
cussed by George r. blanchard.
JOINT TRAFFIC COMMISSIONER
Writes UpOa ali Phases OF the Qu'''IOn.
What comPsIitlOn Means RSsultS Of
PrOSEOnoss-RsSl PurPo'o Of the Anti
TruSt Law-SOms HIEh Authorities
Quoted.



piled to purchasing and selling trans
poriatlcn as II Is to buying and vending
goods. Il Is q misnomer, because historl-
caIly and instinctively the word con-
VeyS to most minds thoughts Of bar
gaining and concession.
Buyers seek better terms than sellers
hrst ask by inviting price reductions,
easier terms OF payment, etc, and SELL
ers whose capital. manufacturing faeI-
lltles. control of specIaltles, rentalS,ctc-.
differ. may. in order 10 divert buyers
from known and unknown rivals. sell
at dlssimiiar prices adapted TO market
conditions tho proportions OF cash or
notes offered in payment their expert
snees with buyers responsibilities and
the pronts upon the entire bills sold.
All this is proper, but It would not be
proper for the Same buyers or sellers to
barter and bargain In the same ways
for different railway rates, nor would
Il be proper or legal for rival railways
20 concede preferential rates, VAried to
accord with each agents, OF each mer-
chants credit, shipments, etc. or the
capitalize tions, dividends, distances or
facilities of his line.
Competing vendors In market places
or on wagons openly cry their own and
decry q rivals wares and mlsrepresent
each others goods and methods, but
variable rates. bills OF ladinB and tick
cts. founded on Misrepresentation and
determinations, must not be peddled
publicly from railway wagons or prt-
Vately in railway Offices.
Yachtsmen compete" for prizes with
honesty. but crew may be
corrupted. = yacht purposely fouied or
It's spArB weakened. when II Is not
competition" because the contest may
be decided by fraud. The same principle
holds true In athletic games, horse
races, prize fights. etc. II the judges In
competitive exhibitions OF machinery
or art sell their awards, It Is not com
petition more than II would be * tho
railway procured the derailment OF Its
rivals trains or mlSrepresented the
time and connections Of It's own or other
routes. Prison laborers DO not fairly
compete with honest toileTs, nor would
railways be justified, because OF labor
competition, in reducing the compenBa-
tons OF their enEinemen 90 the wages
paid convict engineers.
II q yacht owner, trade or art exit
bitor or athlete violates the rules Of his
guild in IT'S contests. he Is debaFrcd
from further competition and publicly
denounced. but II the fair rates and
rules governing the far more tmpor-
tRnt public functions Of transportation
are violated by q railway which aided
to make them, that railway II given
increased patronage on exchanges.
which would dismiss their own mem
bOrs for lesser attractions Of their fair
CHARGES and rules. This r. not cOmpe-
titlon, but q reward for illegal discriml-
nations.
Untrue COmpstItiOn.
1t Is not, therefore. true competition
when one or more railways uneQuaily
alter proper public rates or rules to
which they have previously assented,
and which other and more Judlciously
managed railways seek 20 observe in
furtheTance OF law and the public In
terest, as the great majority OF railways
sincerely desire and strive to do. Nor
iS II true competition when strong and
well-melnlnE carriers. which have lost
their business to lax rivals, take some
legal chances 10 regain and keep II, be-
cause II they waited for the laws In
efficient help in such Instances all their
rival business would be lost.
Again. II one railway company offers
the tariff rate. another reduces It I'M
reasonably. and other carriers offer
further rebate IN varying ways, IL is
clear that II the frst rate was redsona-
BILE the last one II unreasODably low,
and that such devices, which are not
competition, involves loss 70 the first
shipper and the last carrier. Such con-
dItlons constitute preference. discrimi-
nation, waste and bankruptcy, and
mean that fair rate standards should be
restored.
Assume, again, one railway, sturdy
for Its proper rateR pltted against an
other plant with concessions from the
same rates, and two shippers OF diverse
business standards. and that the yield
ing railway grants the persuasive large
shipper unknown rebates. In such strife
both railways may be ruined, because
1t loses its business, the other because
II loses Its profits. and the one merchant
Is sure to be ruined: but the receiver OF
rebates will survive and Will control
his kind OF business at the point where
the rebate is granted. This Is not COM
petition within any honorable meaning.
Nor even II It DO modern law. is II
sound business sense or good public
policy to say that 20 riEhttully and
rightly place both OF said railways and
both OF said merchants on equal and
equitable conditions IS q restraint OF
trade?
When one Of those two merchants
falls, he retlreS from such strife. II but
one OF those two railways fail, It must
continue in business. and the Thought
less say 1t Is then best prepared TO take
the largest trufiic at the lowest rate 10
which other carriers must confirm or
lose their traffic. being the only trade
in which bankrupt makes values for
solvent rivals, Ond the only business
which It Is popularity bellved may be In
cren sed upon insolvsnt capital
This ts not true competition, and rail-
way congratulations based on such
false conditions inVie renewed failure.
sor they induce reprisals and the loss
OF the business they thus divert from
others.
Results Of Preferences.
Again. II all railways gave but one
shipper one cent per one hundred
pounds advantage, he would ultimately
control the cereal markets Of the nation
So would he II ono railway oil each
large shipping point Grnnted him that
preference while all other railways
thereat stood firm for right rates and
doing. The result. therefore diners
only In degree. II the same advantage
be given by one or many railways to
five shippers at the same or different
points, who may then attack each other
until the survivors are fewer. This Is
not competition. but assault aud unen.
durable fnvoritism. The protection OF
right always requires the restraint OF
wrong Especially is this true Of trans
portation, wherein both protection and
restraint must come from railway Co
operation, which is now intcrdicted. or
from the law which has 80 far with
held It's sanction to this best plan for
both
Further. the merchant who reduces