Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-23
IN IMPORTANT Letter
Addressed to the Interstate Commerce
Commission

Commission
BY THE RECEIVERS OF THE BALTI-
MCRE SOHO RAILROAD CON-
PANIy<THD MANAGEMENT is SIN
-EERELY OF OPINION THAT RAD
ICAL STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN.
, The following letter, addressed to the
Interstate Commerce Commission by
the receivers of the B. & o. Railroad
Company, is an important movement
| by leading transportation corpora
ton and may be depended upon to
! create something akin to a sensation
in the railroad world. The B & o.
/ management has felt for long time
that rates had gotten so low that some
thing radical was absolutely necessary,
and as it appears to be impossible to
lessen the cost Of transportation with
out cutting wages, the maintenance of
rates appears to be the only practical
way out.
| The letter follows:
| Dali llMOINE, DeGeIHDer -lSt 1880.
Hon. Martin A. Knapp,
chairman Interstate Commerce Com
| mission, Washington, D. c.
Dear Sir:-Within the territory north
of the Ohio river and east of the Missis-
| sippi, the railroad carriers are transport
ing the larger part of the interstate traf-
| fic at rates less than those shown on the
| published tariffs filed with your commits
.:o
| rates.
While this condition continues there
| will exist the unjust discrimination and
| the unjust preferences and advantages
| between persons, localities and particular
! descriptions of traffic, the prevention of
| which is the main object of the act of
Congress establishing your commission.
| Only by securing the uniform charging of
| the published rates, can the just equality
\ of service and of charge required by law
he secured either between persons or be-
| tween localities.
| Heretofore the Baltimore g. Ohio rail-
| road company and it's competitors within
| the territory above mentioned have main
tanned joint agencies or associations I'M
der various agreements intended to act as
| a restraint upon each carrier and to pre-
|
petitive traffic. 1t has been the practice
| fer each carrier to report to the joint
agency or association any departure from
! published rates by competing carrier.
to the end that the facts might be fully
| ascertained and the unfair competition
| stopped.
| The Supreme Court of the United
| States has now finally determined that
=, Act tO
railroad carriers and in legal effect pro-
| hibits any agreement between them which
restraints competition in any degree, even
| though such agreement goes no further
than to secure the observance of the re-
straints imposed by the Act to Regulate
Commerce. 1t is therefore no longer law
| full for the carriers to create by agree
ments between them joint agencies or
| associations as formerly, to prevent the
cutting of rates, however unlawful. With
out some impartial body to investigate the
complaints of one competing CARER
| against another and to check illegal rate
cutting if found to exist, it will be prac
| tically impossible for the railroad carrier
alone to prevent that form OF competition
| between them, however earnest the great
majority of the carriers may be to stop it.
not only commands the respect of the
| railroad carriers for its impartiality, but
also in it's powers to investigate COM
plants of illegal rate cutting and to put
stop to all illegal practices far sur
passes any association which the carriers
have ever created by agreements between
| themselves.
We see no reason why the commission
! SbO al tp o a
effort to prevent competition from taking
the form of illegal concessions through
secret rates, drawbacks, rebates and other
devices: and we see no reason why the
carriers should not seek the aid of the
commission in such an effort by reporting
| 20 the commission any departure from
published rates. to the end that the facts
may be fully ascertained and the Illegal
practice stopped.
THE receivers of the Baltimore & Ohio
railroad company will maintain, on and
after January list, 1888, upon the lines OPP
Grated by them, the rates. fares and
charges shown on the tariffs published
| and filed with the commission as required
| by law.
I'VE believe that all or nearly all of the
railroad carriers within the territory
| above mentioned will likewise maintain
their published tariff rates from that date
| To prevent a relapse, however. to the con-
| ditions now existing, 1t is necessary that
no important carrier shall long depart
from the published tariff of rates. Should
| such a departure occur to the detriment OF
the interests in our charge we shall in
| woke the aid of the commission to stop it,
| We hope and believe that many other
| carriers will do the same. In the antici-
| patton that the other railroad carriers
| formerly associated with the Baltimore &
Oha railroad company in traffic associ-
| atoms will adopt the course decided on by
us and above outlined, we have taken the
liberty of transmitting TO each carrier
| copy of this letter.
! With great respect. we are,
Yours very truly.
(Signed) JOHN K. COWDN.
(Signed) OSCAR G. MURRAY