The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-11
ABOUT DISCRIMINATION.

For reasons well known, the word dis
elimination is particularly and peculiar
y abhorrcd by transportation companies.
From the standpoint of law, dlScrimind-
ton is stated as the legal term now in
common use to describe breach of the
carriers common law or statutory duty
to treat all customers alike. AS applied
TO matter of freight rates, it is, "a charge
of unequal rates or the granting of un-
equal facilities to one shipper as COM
pared with others for the transportation
of goods Of the same class an equal dis
tance under like circumstances"
Under such definitions railroad would
he guilty of unla discrimination If Il
transported the products of one company
for instance. one in which its own
stockholders held large intercsts-for
less price than was named to other com
panies or Individuals operating at the
same points and shipping the same class
of goods.
This is of interest in view of the price
at which coal has recently been sold al
Buffalo and various points in the west,
and in Canada.
One contract, taken in Detroit, allowed
SO. A net at Buffalo. In Chicago the best
price is $3.50 net, or S5.04 per gross ton.
The all rail rate to this point is quoted 1t
$3.50. The rate by lake is as follows:
Dock charges at Buffalo .,........,.....S 80
Vessel freghts OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. %
Yardage and commissions, Chicago... LIZ
insurance '.''''.'.''.''.'.''''''.''' .o3
SI.67
Deducting this from the selling price,
S5.0i, leaves $.37 at Buffalo. The aver
age selling price at the mines in the Wy
oming and Lackawanna regions, for
chestnut stove and egg in the proportion
of the output of each, under the present
tidewater contracts, is s2.23 DeductiuS
this leaves Slli for freight from the
mines to Buffalo, as against S2.2j, the reg
ular rate or $2.0o, which may he charged
for shipments GcinG forward by lake.
CONTRACTS AT BUFFALO.
In the Buffalo contracts, which are
given in fun in the Notes, the bid of
S9.G5 per ton net. or Si.0l rer gross ton.
for stove coal, less iS cents for carriage
and commission, equals 1851 delivered.
This coal sells at the breaker. under the
tidewater contracts, for $232, thus loav-
ing sl.29 for freight.
Another notable case is in the contracts
at Toronto, Canada. If these contracts
were taken by companies, firms or inIl-
viduals who acted as the representatives
Of or selling agents for, any OF the trans-
portation companies then 1t is evident
that such companies are guilty of dis
CIlilllllhilpl dSHliSl lut hlltld dNpl a. dlllSA
whom they charge a freight rate % $2.25
to Buffalo, or Sl.S5 TO Oswego.
Take. for instance, "A company like the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western. The
price of all coal at the mines, Is cstab-
lished by the returns from the selling
contracts-that H. the price which this
company pays for coal which it buys
from operators other than itself, and,
since this is the average paid generally
throughout the Wyoming valley, 1t may
be taken unqucstionably, az the market
price and, as such, applied to the OUT
put of the collieries operated by the rail-
| road named.
lr, now, this company should have en-
tered into a contract with one of the
bidders in Toronto, and, knowing the reg
ular scale of charges from the Bridge to
Toronto, have agreed to haul the coal
to the Bridge for whatever sum remained
after deducting such charges ana also
the market value of the coal at tho mines
then had 1t received for such service 1.G4
or M,06 per ton, and refused To allow this
rate to other shippers, demanding from
them S225 for the same service, there
would be clear proof of discrimination
| which would be actionable under the law,