New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-04
HILL ON RAILROAD RATES.
Go7,erument Control Would Cripple
Business. He Declares.

washington May 3.-James j. HIN preslce''S
NJ the Great Northern Railway. was nelore ''.e
senate Committee on Interstate CONNER
- e stv,ne hearings on the railroad rate
.,,estion this afternoon. MI an saiu ny
,,-as oniv one safe basis on which low la'e
.ts he made and that the low cost oi
,=,,~;,.- the TRANSFORMATION. The value OF the
i,o &c letsrroinei by the density OF the ira
AZ and that makes the rate. RACES var! WIZ
conditions In making rates on ms Toau' Ne
.l,ev had 10 take into consideration "Iia' -
c,nntrv produces The railroad was chaI ecu
with the prosperity OF every man VINO h''U va
The road if that man worked -
determinations were necessary, ne decldieU
I.ypen his. road vas built he went to washington
c. and eor,d that the greatest product Was
1,,,,bar There was rate Of 30 cents nun
ar,5 m, lumber 10 the Eastern market. Luliipei
dealers said they could ship at III cents 'i
l-r,r,v rbcv could noJ do ii, ana ne mace d 'a
of 80 cents and was shipping large 4U1A'1'i'i -
~ lumber This was discrimination at'a'iiS'
lumber on the Eastern end or the ROAD pu. -
zen years 10 lumber would be produced III 'ia'
section. II was because the cars gong out WIN
merchandise brought loads back that these low
rates rould he made. Besides the merC-hanui'e
for The Pacific Coast his road handled 1relsht
,or The Orient Large. quantities OF -four at one
,,,,e were hauled from St. Paul and Minneapolis
- ,he Orient but the Interstate Commerce
Commission stopped it.
This statement produced a hre- OF questions
from, members Of the committee. and IN reply
NJ Hill EXPLAINED that the company was com
relied 70 file its through rate with the comf'lls-
sion This rate being made public was cut og
the rival steamship lines. which were not COM
reIIes 70 make their rates,pubc. His company
under the law could not change its rake TOT
seven or eight days and meanwhile the other
-ha
panv did not carry a pound Of freight h'Woulo
make no difference with the dividends
WARNS THE COMMITTEE.
Speaking Of the great tonnage Of the railroads
Mr.. Hill warned the committee TO be careful and
"a, c,,n,tA the business of the country. Not
for ourselves" he added. because before you
COZ dovrr, 70 rs there would be great many
corpses about the country
He smoke Of the congestiontof freight at East
ern ports and said business was going 10 lhe
Gulf. although shipping rates TO Europe from
G,llf ports we're much higher. Roads east OF
Chicago would have 10 raise their rates IN oroer
10 get means TO build more extensive terminals
Mr. Hi said that while Congress was leslslat-
ing for safety appliances for employees. II might
rro,ide greater safety for the public. He at
tri,,ured 90 per cent Of the accidents to nom
Observance Of rules.
fbDadelphia 10 Yokohama by his company az
: rate equal 20 what another company charged
for transporting locomotives FIVE hundred miles
This is a case he remarked, for the Inter
state Commerce Commission 10 take UP ana
investigate They would find that somebody
was charging too much"
Commenting on Mr. HIS statement that in
twenty years there had been a reduction OF
rates from two cents to seventy-six hundredths
-zPs- utyA a
what would happen regarding rates in the next
twenty years.
..CivA the roads fair treatment" replied Mr.
Hill and In twenty years 1 think the rate
would come down 10 half a cent O ton per
- mile"
~ Mr.. Hill said the ability OF the roads TO raise
~ money for increasing their equipment and build
ing additional lines would be destroyed by TAX
ing away from them the power to make rates
TERMINAL CHARGES HERE TOO HIGH.
He criticised the terminal charges enforced
below the Harlem River in New-York, saying
they were greater han the rate from Buffalo 10
Harlem. He suggested that the Interstate
- Commerce Commission might investigate these
terminal charges
Why don't the commissioners take up that
matter" asked Chairman Ell1ins.
They are too busy" replied Mr.. HILL trying
TO get power TO fix railroad rates"
There was an interesting discussion between
Mr. Hill and Senator Elkins about the com
petition Of Canadian roads Mr. Elkins asked
what ought 10 be done to meet the rates and
rebates OF the Canadian lines.
We are willing 10 work that out among our
Selves replied Mr.. Hill. Before we are
through with them they will cease cutting
rates"
He said that some years ago the Transcon-
fihental Association paid the Canadian Pacific
road $4,000 year to get out Of certain bust
ness on which the road was cutting rates from
New-York 10 San Francisco. This arrangement
lasted only years.
Replying 70 Senator Foraker Mr.. Hill said no
interest would suffer if export traffic with non
contiguous countries was exempted from con-
troll By the interstate commerce regulations
This statement was brought out by the previous
remark Of Mr.. Hill that his company had 10
withdraw rates -four TO Japan because the
commission insisted that the rates should be
published.
WILL MEET CANAL RATE
Replying to q question by Senator CIapp as to
the effect Of the Panama Canal the railroads.
Mr. Hill said that for Atlantic and Gulf ports
and for 30 miles inland the canal would be q
some advantage But" he added. for all IN
terror points we viii meet any rate made by the
canal route"
NJ Hin declared, in reply 10 another question
by Senator Clapp, that every railroad official
should be disqualified from engaging in the pro-
duetion Of traffic on q Iine where he is the
payroll. because Of the temptation 10 favor the
company il which ne is interested.
Robert Mather. Of the Rock Island system, was
before the committee again to-day Discussing
the rivalry for commerce. he said that when the
Gulf ports had shipping and transportation IA
oilities commerce must flow more and more Ia
those ports No changes were necessary I'm the
present law, except the restriction OF the scope
and power OF the Interstate Commerce Commits.
sion. II had many duties and not sufFicien,
could determine reasonable rates. but he would
not 60 80 far as some attorneys and say thai