The Topeka state journal., 1905-01-31
FREIGHT RATES.
The Problem Just Now of Stir
ring Interest
Everywhere in the Nation and
the State.
MURDOCK'S VIEW S.
An Intricate Question of Wide
Concern
Demanding a Solution of Exact
Justice, Not Injury.
MURDOCK'S VIEW S.

VICTOR MurdOck of the Seventh Kansas
district, who has been making a study
of freight rate legislation. and showing
much activity in the matter now prom
inently before congress, believes thai
the transportation problem will displace
other issues, and become the leading
question before the country. Mr.. Muir
dock said today:
THE problem of unequal and unjust
freight rates now constitutes one of the
unsettled questions which have no pity
for the repOse of nations
Parties, interests, and men must rec
ognize that an aroused public opinion
will show little patience and less for
bearance with those who dodge, hide.
or trim. The problem is inSiStent and
persistent, and viii not down until rem
edy, complete and entirely adequate, is
found
Il favor not only the legislation pro-
posed by President Roosevelt, but, also,
if that will not reach all the difficulties,
locality, producer and consumer relief,
upon just basis of commercial equal
ity."
Continuing. Mr.. Murdoch said:
Every shipper in the country under
stands of course what the next step
proposed in freight rate legislation con-
templates; but there are a great many
people. not shippers, who do not. The
welt, which has created such an uproaI,
proposes briefly to empower the inter-
state commerce commission to enforce
a reasonable rate for the future.
Il hope and believe that the house of
representatives will pass such meas
ure without any considerable oppos1-
ton. I believe that its serious struggle
against defeat and emasculating
amendment will come in the senate.
Il realize that the discrimination
against the smaller market is, in the
last analysis. the gravamen OF the
whole question:, In common with thou
sands of others, I know of concrete in
stances where the discrimination works
injustice. Therebate, as a practice, viii
cease, and it's evasion, through icing,
terminal, or other charges, will be stop
ped. Those of the same market will re-
ceive like treatment; the intricacy of
the problem is reached in the conflict
between those of contesting and differ
ent sized markets. Whether the Solu-
ton lies in letting the forces of compe-
tition have free play between markets
and between railroads, or, on the other
hand letting the forces of competition
have free play between markets, ana
removing the railroads from the com
petitive Struggleg is yet to be decided
definitely. The Jpool that might save
the railroads from the compulsions OF
the big markets which force discrlmi-
native cuts, might also, exercised
against the smaller market, result in
pfohibitive charge.
THE problem in all its branches, I
is for some time to come to
occupy the attention of political econo-
mists as a part of the general economy
of internal distribution of wealth, sue
ceeding in a measure, the economy OF
accumulation which has heretofore en-
crossed the nation
n Deep Problem.
1.-The intricacies of the problem in
here in the circumstance that the
railroad has worked an evolution in
markets. From a multitude of iso-
lated independent markets, the rail-
roads. ike great nerve ganglla, nave
or are in process of COM
bining the whole country into a single
great market. For instance in 1880
we had a population of 50,155,7S3,
and the number of tons of freight
carried one mile by railways was
capita: in 1890 the ton-miles per
capita reached 1,211; in 1900. 1851
tom miles, and in 1902 the population
was 7S576,436. the number of tons of
freight carried one mile py railways
was 157,2S9, or 2,OO2 tom
miles per capita. The manner of rail-
road construction has entered into the
question. The railroad in many cases
as we know preceded settlement, was
over caDitalized, and in its manage
ment did not conform to correct busi-
ness principles. But its natural func-
ton while in many instances per-
verted and retarded. has worked
steadily and effectively.
"At the end of 1902 there were
202,472 miles of railway in the United
States. The period of construction is !
in a large measure over with It's
passing, it was inevitable that the
economy of traffic charge should be-
come vital In the matter of mechan- t
caI progress the railroads are now
performing marvels. The effort is to-
wards a low cost OF operation per ton
I'LL.
per mile, and this is being accomplish
I'd by the increased carrying capacity !
IF freight cars and the drawing power /
IF locomotives 1t has been found !
hat the resistance for each ton moved
with the increase of the
gross weight of a freight car. 1t is
aid that if the load of three 17-ton
freight cars is put in one 51-ton
freight car, there is not only saving
n the dead weight hauled, but there
5 a saving of over AZ per cent IN Ihe
md the locomotive can haul 53 per
cent more of paying load without any
increased effort or expense
IAN expert recently gave this spe-
sific illustration; 1 was toLd ,ad Inae
irst introduced (they preceded the
leavier type of engine), the average I
Dad of a train on this division with
siven gross tonnage was % cars me
;anne gross tonnage could be carried
n 30 steel cars, but, upon trial, 1t was
ound that the same engine could haul
IS steel cars as easily as it formerly
lauled the 81 lighter capacity cars.
The same engine consequently moved
100 additional tons of paying freight
any extra cost to the railway
THE Industrial commission ap-
,cinted in 1902 found that the rate
f increase in earnings per mile of
inc for five years is approximately
Iouble the rate of increase of operat-
ng expenses ner mile of line
How Determinations Appear
''This and numerous other elements
nd practices the carload lot, the
ess than carload lot, the charge for
- hull Of