The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-09
CANDID ADMISSIONS

There was fine exhibition of candor
at the rate cutting investigation by the
interstate commerce commission in Chi
cago on Tuesday. The commission had no
difficulty whatever securing admissions
from the railway officials that the law
was grossly violated, fact, however,
which is tolerably we'll known to the
public, especially the shippers, who suffer
through such determinations. Railway
tariffs are deliberately violated. Agree
ments as to traffic last few weeks and
one road begins to cut rates and the whole
combination falls to pieces as the other
parties to the pact discover the perfdy.
1t was admitted that the roads destroyed
records Of their business, not considered
essential, and among the non
essential business was the record of the
amount of provisions carried from Chi
cago to New York by the Pennsylvania
railway and the rate. 1t was admitted
that provisions and dressed beef were
carried to New York at from to cents
less than the published tariff. Packing
house products east bound from Kansas
City were carried five cents under the
tariff. The disclosures showed general
and constituencies disregard of the law
The railway men admitted that legalized
pooling would be of great benefit in con-
trolling freight rates. Judge Knapp, the
chairman OF the Interstate commerce
commission, announced his belief that the
only solution of the rate-cutting difficulty
lay in legalized pooling, kept in control
by the commission, which would make the
contracts between railway companies as
to maintenance Of uniform rates as bind
ing as contracts between private parties.
The anti-pooling section of the law of
1887 was against the judgment of. ma
jority Of the Cullom committee, which, in
1886, reported that it did not deem it pru-
dent to recommend the prohibition of
pooling ''the ostensible object of which
is in harmony with the spirit of regu-
1ative legislation" az.
Judge Reagan, through whose instru-
mentality the section was added, ad-
mitted after he had seen how it worked,
that he had changed his mind and fav-
ored an amendment allowing the rail-
roads to enter into traffic arrangements
with one another.
The states commissioners of railways
and the national board of trade and other
important business bodies have earnestly
recommended the permission of pooling
under the authority and supervision of
the Interstate commerce commission. Such
amendment would be in the interest Of
the public, the shipper the railway and
railway employe, because it would give a
uniform rate and just rate and no dis
elimination against small shippers The
railways would manifestly be able to OBJ
tain and maintain the lawful schedule
rate, which they cannot do now. Unjust
determinations on the part of the rail-
ways are more fragrant and injurious now
because they are more secret and insid-
ious than formerly. False billing and
false classification, false weighing and
other Irregularities abound, and the soon
er the law is amended SO that all rail-
way companies shall charge according to
their published rates and make contracts
under the commissions supervision, the
sooner will roads and shippers both be
benefited. .rss>-.