Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1905-09-16
WASHINGTON LETTER

dents demand for railway rate legislation
at the next session of Congress and if that
is rejected as insufficient to defy the
President and trust to the powerful in
/ huenee Of tf1efr lobby IN Washington and
to the votes Of tue members of Congress
whom they own, body and soul, to pre-
vent the enactment of any legislation
which would not prove to their liking.
! While this impression was gained some
time ago, both from talking with promi-
nent railroad men in Washington and
| from the character of the testimony pre-
sented before the Senate Committee on
Interstate Commerce, but it has received
strong confirmation from the tenor OF the
railroads to the questions addressed to
them by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission Oh the subject of private refriger-
ator car lines.
Thus far four important railroads have
signified in writing their determination
to make further contracts with the private
car companies and to conduct their own
refrigerated freight system. These are
the Michigan Central, the Pere Mar
quettp, the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy and the Illinois Central rail-
ways, all OF whose lines have proved es-
peciaIly profitable fields to the rapacious
private car companies. While these are
the only lines which have thus sgnified
their intention, there are numerous
others which have given indications of
similar purpose and there is ground for
the belief that the campaign inst.,ui,i oy
President Roosevelt will at least serve to
relieve shiphers from the extortion OF the
private car companies and to remove
from the difficult railway equation this
important factor in the creation and main-
tenance of trusts.
~
The private car lines, Oh the other
hand have apparently, determined to
defy the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion and the national government. The
Sante Fe Refrigerator Despatch Company
has filed reply to the question addressed
to it by the Commission in which it as
serts that it is not common carrier and
is not therefore amendable to the Inter-
state commerce law, or to the Jurisdiction |
of the Commission, that it rates and pro-
fits are its own private business and that |
it does not purpose to answer further the |
inquiries of the Commission, The Armour |
Refrigerator Car Company, which, it was
intimated by witnesses before the Senate |
committee, was one of the most high |
handed monopolies as well as an impor-
tant factor if perpetuation of the Beef
Trust, has filed a similar reply and is
even more defiant in its attitude than the
afore named company.
W.
The methods of the private car COM
panies have already been referred to in
these letters but in view of the renewed
interest in the subject further light on
their practices may be of interest. A pri-
vate car company will secure from rail.
road contract giving it the exclusive
right to run refrigerator cars over the
lines of that road. The railroads are
obliged, under decision of the Supreme
Court affecting the use of Pullman Sleep
ing cars, to pay the private car companies
81, 81, 1
charges the shipper the regular freight
rates and the private car company charges
him for the using of its cars, iceing, etc.
In some, perhaps many, instances the
private car companies are owned by
trusts or by the same men as compose
trusts. Practically unrestricted as to the
charges they compel the individually
shipper to pay, they can make their rates
prohibitive. Their rates may be
made lowerto the trust which owns them,
Or they may charge the trust an extortion-
ate rate, but that is merely transferring
money from one pocket to another as the ,
owners of the trust and the car lines are
'he same. The railroad charges the trust
,he same freight tariff as it charges other {
shippers, but the rate which the railroads
pays the private car company for the use
of its cars amounts in effect, to rebate on
he freight charges, and rebate which,
although illegal in. spirit, cannot be
cached under any existing law. The
esult as may be easily seen, is that a
rust dealing in perishable goods and
'wning private car line with exclusive
lights on certain big railway lines may
min any competitor who attempts to Y
inter the same field and from this there
} no recourse under the law. The good
o be accomplished by the abolition OF
his condition OF affairs would be inestim- I
BILE, of course, but equally, of course, Il
nut eqaally, of course, it does not touch F
he railway rate evil which the President ri
as urged Congress to remedy. +,
~
The President has given no indication n
t modifying his urgent demand that i,
congress enact legislation which shall re- h
love the private shippers from the posi- n
on he how occupies, at the entire mercy G
the railroads. In fact, Mr.. Roosevelt h
as given every indication that he will
OF be content with any halfway legisla-
on but that he will put very clearly be- q
IRE Congress its "plain duty" in this Il
The result of such course on dl
le part of the President will, unquestion. W
bly,, be battle royal in the next Con- Of
ress. The railways will try to becloud the tt
sue by urging the necessity of tariff revi- a
on or re-adjustment while the protected ii
ldustries will harp on the necessity of ol
.iway rate legislation and there is a pos. di
bility that all important remedial legisla- h'
on will fall in the dust and din of conflict,
Though the indications seem to be that J.,
ne President will attempt but one thing :. !
time and that he will devote his en- "
rgies and influence to the accomplish I'll
1ent of railway rate legislation for the su
resent, leaving the tariff to be attended q
, later The prosidont 10 st;tl -, n,,x.. | -