The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-25
DECIo,,O) On
S..ORI HlU
Supreme Court Holds lhs
Fore On Business
DOESN'T COME UNDER |
Reply to interstate Commits
sion Now Being Printed.

washington, March 2.-Just before I'd
journment last summer the Senate pass
ed a resolution of inquiry into the relatio
Of railroad rates on imports and export
from ports of entry TO interior points
and the rates on the same articles orig
mating at the ports OF entry. 1t has Iona
been noted that we had in operation IL
this respect a reversal OF the protective
system The Supreme Court has helo
that the long and short haul clause doe
not apply TO foreign business. 1t results
in consequence that the British eXportel
may be able to lay down certain artici,
in Chicago at a lower transportation
charge than that on the same article ii
produced in New Jersey. In its indus
trial aspects this phase Of the transpor
tation question is of far-reaching I'm
portance The reply of the Interstate
Commerce Commission to the resolution
of the senate is now in the hands of tn,
printer It contains mass of informa
lion. besides discussing the consideration:
of public policy which weigh in favor CT
the present practice.
pounds The transportation charge on
this article from New York to Chicago
was found by the Commission to be
cents a hundred and from Vuieanite
y. J.. "A cents. Cement is largely i'm
ported through Newport News; from tina ,
port To Chicago the rate on the importel
article was 10 cents. This made tota
of IS cents, including duty, as against
purely domestic rate Of 20 cents fron
New York. The testimony shows tina
the through rate from Antwerp and Ham
burg to Chicago by way of Newport News
was Ii cents a hundred pounds, or exact
~ the domestis rate from Vulcanite, n.
J. The disparity to East St Louis is one
cent greater in favor of the imported
article.
Salt pays a duty in bulk of cents a
hundred pounds The domestis salt rate
from New York to Chicago is 20 cents,
while the rate between the same points
on the imported article is 13 cents. This
in effect scales the rate of duty down to
1 cent a hundred pounds IT, however
Newport News Is made the port of entry,
the rate to Chicago on the imported sal;
drops to 10 cents. giving the foreign ar
ticle, with the duty. a rate cents below
that on the domestic article originating
| in New York.
The duty on iron ore is 20 cents a ton
From New York to Chicago the freight
! rate on the domestic article was found
| by investigation to be $4.50 a ton. against
| $3.50 on the imported article. This diff
| ference Of 80 cents neutralizes the tariff
completely, and throws in 80 cents a tor
| towards ocean carriage on the foreign
| article 4 similar difference prevails il
regard to the ports of Philadelphia, Bal
/ timore, and Newport News.
On salt cake the import rate between
Newport News and Chicago. as compared
with the domestic rate from New Yorl
to Chicago, favors the imported article
to the etent of cents a hundred pounds
or 1ai cents in excess of the duty.
There is no tariff on carbonate Of pot
ash. The difference in rates on that ar
ticle between North Atlantic ports an'
| Chicago was l. cents in favor Of the i'm
port. against the domestic traffic. Sucl
Illustrations might be multiplied almos
indefinitely.
Many witnesses were asked by the com
mission. in its investigation, why III
railroads made so large differences be
tween the rates on import and domesti
traffic from points Of entry to interio
destinations: their answers, though DIFF
fering In form, amounted to the sam
thing More emphasis was placed b
some upon the competition Of carrier
with each other. and this undoubtedl
is a factor of much importance. 1t
not sufficient. however. to account 70
the great disparity observed in man
I cases and other reasons were according
~ assigned. based on commercial an
/ economic conditions. The amount of trat
tic which can be er0rted from this couT
try. 1t was said. depends largely upon III
amount imported. because ocean carrier
must be induced to come here for export
by some opportunity to derive profit froi
imports. This in turn requires rallroa
rates TO interior points which are lowe
than a renumerative basis for domesti
shipment.-New York Evening Post.