The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-08-15

condition the present law is powerless to
control. If it is asked why sthe criminal
remedies are not applied the answer IS
they have been and without success. The
business of railroad transportation is car
ried on to a very large extent in cOnced-
ed violations of law. Men who in every
other respect are reputable citizens are
guilty of acts which if the statute law
of the land were enforced, would SUBJ
ject them to fine or Imprisonment"
THE REMEDY.
It would seem that the remedy is easy
and simple. 1t is to give the Interstate
Commission power to reduce rates. When
a discrimination of this kind has proven
the current rate too high, it should be
made the duty of the Commission to re-
dude the rate to the general public per-
manently at that figure. A ratchet and
pawl arrangement of that kind can alone
give the general public justice and stop
determinations.
The bulk of the receipts of railroads,
hv~e-sevenths ON IN average or say one
thousand millions dollars I'm round num-
bers for the year ending 80 june, 1899,
anne from the carriage of freights. l
nave not the time or the knowledge to
ECOAAL ONIg l. AZ OAJ OA4N OoAAy OJ - l
the most serious defects in the freight
rates. So close is the calculation ON
these points that it is said that Is of a
cent per bushel on wheat between Chica-
go and Liverpool, will determine it's rate
and we know that Ito of a cent per ton
per mile added OH freight would tax
over 100 millions more annually out Of
the people. There should be no power
to add it except by the peoples consent,
given through the Railroad Commissions.
UNRELIABLE RETURNS.
Our commissions have dome a great
work in securing improvements in the
classification of freights and the publici-
ty of rates, and towards the accuracy of
returnS-thOugh the reliability of the re-
turns made by railroads is, as yet an un-
known quantity. On some systems they
can doubtless be relied upon and on 9th
ers not at all. Until "a uni
form and reliable system of returns
can be compelled, we shall be
more or less cropping in the dark in our
search for that elusive but much desired
reasonable rate" which the law allows.
When there is no suppression or inten-
tiOnal misstatement in the returns, there
are sometimes such errors as charging
the rental of leased lines to operating ex-
p~enses-Which is in effect making the
public pay the rentals for them-and
sums spent for lobbying, subsidising
newspapers. and such purposes are al
ways covered up in a lump sum, usually
under the head of terminal expenses. The
traveller and the shipper has to pay for
debauching his W public servants.
1t is true that compared with foreign
countries, there has been a decided re-
ductiOn in freight rates, and if there were
no determinations, we might think we
had approached, in some sections of the
country, a fair rate. The introduction
of larger engines, tlabOr-saving devices
and other economies, however enable the
railroads tO#haUl very much, cheaper
than formerly. BY the introduction Of
larger engines alone, the Union Pacific
Railroad saved $1,04Q,000, in 1894 over
the cost of. doing the same volume Of
work in 1890. =:
EXORBITANT FREIGHT RATES.
That we have not yet reached a rea-
~SonaDle and fair freight rate is shown
not only by the frequent reduction to
favored parties, but 4by the large guam
titles Of freight carried from our eastern
and indeed our, Lake States, oyeF the
Canadian Pacific Railroad and sthence
down to CalifrOn6a points, instead of by
the natural and shorter routes through
our own States. Then while freight
rates in the greater part of the Northern
and Western States are more bic
tnan formerly, those South Of the POtO-
and Ohio We're adjudged excessive
by the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion in the case of the Freight Bureau
of Cincinnati VS.. Cincinnati, New Or
1ooy. or,I HEovoo ,Ilo;1.OoJ - 1877 IT q
479, which was begun by the Freight
Bureau of Chicago and Cincinnati for
the purpose of reducing rates from those
two cities to eight Important cities in the
Southern States. No tribunal has ever
reversed this finding that these rates
were excessive. The United States SUI
preme Court merely held that the Inter
State Commerce commission had no pow
err to reduce rates-the more is the pity
out it held that Congress could confer
that power upon the commission. The
statement of Mr.. Campbell, general
freight agent, proven recently before the
Commission was to the effect
that freight rates in the Southern States
are eXOrbitant. Indeed it is a matter of
common knowledge and can be shown at
any time by a comparison of freight
charges on the south side of the OHIO
with those ON the North.
GRIPPING THE SOUTH.
In fact the embargo laid ON the devel-
opAlent of the Southern States by the ex-
tOrtionate charges for transportation is
the chief factor i'm retarding it's growth.
If the members of Congress from those
States would unite in support of a bill
comforting upon the Inter-States Com
merce Commission the right to reduce
rates whenever in the opinion of that
able and conservative commission rates
are excessive, they would do more for
the progress and prosperity of that beau
tiful section than can be done by any
other single measure in the ordinary
range Of legislation. In some sections
of the South, the charges are so high,
especially in the trucking business, that
the real owners of the soil are the LOE-
don and New York bankers who W
the principal railway systems of the
South. Their transportation charges
take all the porfits, leaving the nominal
owners of the soil a mere pittaHce. Their
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