The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-09


One of the speakers in the antitrust con-
ference in Chicago in 1898 declared that If
the favoritism of railroads could be stopped,
monopoly. which is the evil feature of COM
bination, would be prevented The speaker
who made that declaration was not an
on the platform as Mr.. Bryan and Bourke
Cochran, his opinions attracted little at
tention. Subsequent revelations, however,
disclosing the rebates which railroad man.
ayers had been giving for years to large
shippers proved the correctness of the
outrageous concessions made twenty years
ago by the leading lines to men who now
constitute the Standard Oil Company, and
with the confession of the leading trunk
lines that they paid back to the great pack
ing concerns which have controlled the
freights paid one is not surprised at the
statement of the attorney general published
on Wednesday. Rebates and discrimina-
tory rates constitute one of the chief re-
strictions upon competition" is the Ian
guage of the statement of Attorney General
Knox, speaking for the administration.
The legislation which the administration
urges should relate. first, to such concerns
as fatten on rebates on transportation"
Such legislation, rigidly enforced. would
break up monopoly, which is the design Of
some combinations, and put end to mo-
nopoles which have existed for years.
1t is probable that few men outside Of
railroad managers are aware of the extent
of this evil of rebates. In the fierce COM
petition between competing lines each has
naturally bid for the business of the large
shippers i'm spite of "gentlemen's" agree
ments and the most solemn pledges of
competing managers; they have after
time permitted their agents to make re-
bates to large shippers, so that there has
grown up competition i'm cutting rates in
the interest of the large shippers, while
the lesser ones pay the full advertised
rates. Railroad managers have from time
to time shown a disposition to get rid Of
this losing and unjust practice. but they
seem not to have any faith in each other
They have asked for a law to legalize the
pooling of the receipts of trunk lines. so
that there would be no temptation to cut
rates or rebate, but the cry of railroad
monopoly" raised doubtless by the favored
shippers, frightened Congress from pass
ing a carefully -guareed pooling law.
There are those who will insist that the
putting of goods made by so-called trusts
upon the free list will break up monopoly,
but 1t would trouble these persons to name
the line of American productions Compel
ing with Europe which is controlled by
single corporation. In iron, cotton, wool,
glass and all staples there are enough COM
petitors to prevent monopoly. and there
will be more when the small company
shall be sure Of the same rates of trans
portation as are paid by the large COM
panies that may receive rebates. There
are three great monopolies in the country,
the Standard Oil Company, the mammoth
packing concerns and the anthracite coal
combination. No one of these is in the
least affected by the tariff. but all of them
have been built up by railroad favoritism
due to the fact that they have been the
largest shippers. In view of such facts 1t
must be seen that the rebates of railroads
contribute more than all other influences
to the creation of monopolies and the re-
striction of trade.
And here question may be asked: Why
do railroads ship plate glass made in Brus-
sells from New York to the Mississippi
river for one-half the rates charged do
nestle plate glass from Pittsburg to the
same points? Such a rate annuls the tariff
as a protective measure. If the duty on
plate glass were cut Is per cent. such a
discriminating railroad rate would destroy