The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-04
i POOLING LAW SUGGESTED.
my a q. rnwARns.l

fality Of the Jrnt Tr0ffic ns;ociatlon NO
olef4i she biggest question ttat VIII con.
IRON, the PEOPLE OF lh!s country very soon
il Involves nothing more nor less than th,
total abolition OF The trlfsts md combines
OF tho country.
liz the first step. bill will probably
be introduced at the coming session OF
congress to permit railroad pooling under
government supervision ard restriction. II
Is sincerely 10 be hoped tlraI such bili
Will be Introduced and passed. but there
Is not much gTound for the realisation oil
tho hope In tho face of a republican con-
rrese and sss proverbia love for the
trusts.
People who have been led ~ believe that
the railroads are the arch cnefnieS OF the
peosle and THAT railroad po@ q; tr@tc
association L. used as nm instrument By
l.ls sl4tfoals TO rob the people are cnsEey
mistaken Tho railroads are asking for
this pooling arrapgement for Their own
preservation ana MS a means of sery-
img tClo people at talr rates. bo1leye
eta demonstrate this to any fair-nrinded'
tmproiudicod man.
Tho boa. orfnion OF the country is that
some sort Of Arrangement, call 1t pooling
Or what you plsnso. 10 necessary TO pre-
vent abe destruction OF railroad properties
by rake wars that are rianous and ihat
this must be done under a strict govern
ineut supervision. Besides accomplishing
the restraint OF rr4nouS competition TO
government supcrvlsion would also pre-
yent the pAu.ing OF rates at such n Myure
rs to be hardship and an oppression upon
commerce.
Now Will tell YOU why this necessary
legislation is golpg TO b. hard OF enactment
Tho opposition that VIII be most osieltlye
aralrsa such legislation viii net cctne from
those who have heretofore Thought that
The transportation companies are lie ca'iso
OF all our economic woes. 1t VIII come
from the very Institutions which these
men have said that railroads foster and
which the polit!ainfs OF all parties nre
agreed must he destroyed II We are TO
have in THE country. IN the future. true
business liberty.
The trusts are the powerful enemies OF
supervision when she last pooling bin
was brought up In congress 1t was de-
fented by three OF the giant tr7Ists-tha
sugar trust. the Standard oil trust and the
meat arist. Since then trusts have multi
billed IN number and increased in the.r
power for harm. This creates more need
than ever for sensible pooling blll and
t{t m lars sgft1 ltaI la
more powerful opposition 10 1t,
The complaint of business men is not
that railroad rates are TOO high. They nd
init az rule they are fair. What they
complain OF bitterly ANA justly is that the
great concern set better rates than the
omalic- shipper. 1t 10 probably natural 10,
railroad to give better rates to u big
shipper who ships ten times as much as
the little concern IN the Same length OF
time bur, Geie pursuit of that idea has been
brought TO such pass that the big ship
uers like the Havemeyers. Rockeiellers
and Armours are bigger than tho railroads
and can dioaate terms on freight.
They offer tlle1r freight to road n.
n certain figure. II ,he road refuses IL
rival road gets II and 4, knocks a hole III
tho gross receipts of the road refusing It
big enough hlr bankruptcy to crawl ont
OF &C. Thus tho railroads are made 10 bid
against each other for yhla business The
road that gets 1t at cut rate has only
started cutting for It VIII be naslo TO con-
tinua doing so or lose The business. Any
body with tho faintest naturalization OF IN
telect can see that uhis condit!ou OF ,,f- |
fairs has Il tendency to compel the smaller
sh.puer 10 pas tho greater part OF the cost |
of the transportation Of the large shipper. |
who. by reason OF tic rates he or It can |
compel the roads to make, can Indersel |
the smaller a4ipper IN the markets, Tbis |
power Of tho trusts 10 make their own |
rates enables them to crush out compeu- |
tiol his power OF the trusts has alway, |
rendered ineffective any pooling agrnnge-
ncnts tried By railroads befors tho desl. |
sion OF the supreme couIg. Offers OF BIZ
SHIPMENTS BY Trusts iniuce freight agents
10 break pledges 10 associates and Violate
iho Interstate commerce law In tho matter
81 determinations, This yesy day US nt-
ornoy for the Chesapeake and Ohio rail-.
road admitted bstone the Interstate COM
neroe comm ssiou THAI his road had given
had Disseminated on rates and
iaai IL was compelled to do 1t or 40 into
bankruptcy, 10 have their yards filiol wlah
'eupues."
with the trusts multiplying. the situation
grows worse for tho railroads every year.
Every big trust has such volume OF pro-
duct that the railroad TO whlca Il Is Of
Tered can not refuse to take It at tho trusts
own figures, without materially reducing
,s gross receipts and tho result is to keep
~ It's gross receipts at sacrifice. while
me small SHIPPER is made to contribute 10
The net receipts.
This Is q trelnnndonR nnnrnInn ,n.r -.