Evening star., 1905-05-10
RATES IN ENGLAND
Delegate Ackworth Of the
Railway Congress Heard.
EFFECT OF REGULATION
BELIEVES IT PREVENTS LOWER
ING OF FREIGHT CHARGES.
Explains Why Tariffs Are Higher in
His Country Than in the Unit
ed States.

The Senate committee on interstate COM
| merce, which is investigating the subject
of railway rates, began it's session at the
Capitol yesterday by hearing Mr.. w. M.
Askworth, a noted English writer on eco
| nomic subjects and a delegate to the rail-
way congress- now meeting in this city.
Mr.. Ackworth was particular to have 1t
understood that he appeared in his indi-
vidual capacity and spoke for no one but
himself. He was requested to give the
committee some idea of the history Of
conditions that had led up to the present
| railway situation in England.
Mr.. Ackworth said that in England there
is no question of constitutional Limitation
to trouble the English people in the enact
ment of legislation affecting railways.
THE courts" he declared. have nothing
| to do except to interpret the law. There
is no case of state versus the national
government
He said that in any case in which a rate
Is given by a railroad company and not
published, that fact alone would be con-
elusive evidence to the railway commits
sion that there was something wrong about
it.
For that reason" he said, "the roads
| never give such rate privately. They
publish every rate, and the roads have be-
come SO thoroughly familiar with court
decisions that it seldom happens that they
violate the law by giving any dtScrimina-
ton of rates.
Mr.. Ackworth narrated in considerable
detail the history of the development Of
| the present railway laws of England.
II do not think he said, "any one in
England believes that there are any secret
rebates given by the railroads. Surely If
there have been they have not been of
| any consequence and the officials of the
| roads themselves do not know about them" }"
The roads pay regard to what the traffic
will be in fixing rates in England The
local rates are higher than through rates
there. No case has ever been brought to
| the railway commission on that point.
Effect of Government Regulation.
What in your opinion is the effect of
government rate regulation" asked Sena-
tor Elkns.
"I think the effect in Germany has been
to drive traffic from the land to the water"
he replied.
In England, he said, the effect has been
to stereotype the rates at high level, be-
cause the law provides that when a rate Is
once put down it cannot be put up again
without appeal to the courts. For that
reason the railroad hesitates to put down
any rate, fearing 1t may never be able TO
put it up again. He thought the effect or
railway legislation in England had been to
dishearten the railway men, as they felt
that while they understood their business
they were not allowed to manage the roads
His impression was that in late years there
has not been reduction in rates, although
in former years the rate reduction was very
marked He did not fear high rates on the
railways, because high rates do not develop
traffic
Rates in England and Here.
Mr.. Ackworth, when asked to compare
rates in this country and in England, said
that those of England held their own with
American roads over distances less than
thirty miles but in distances greater imam
that the rates in England were three times
what they are in the United States
Your labor is cheaper than IN thls
country2" remarked Senator Cullom.
II should say in the ratio of 90 to loO'
he replied. .;.,s. 70
Senator Cullom wanted the witness 10
state how il happened that rates are hishei
in England than in this country. r.
Mr.. Ackworth said he could account Ior
it. In England the average maui IS t"t.'y
five miles, and in the Unlted states ~ -
40 miles Here the average load Is py tne
COR bnt in England 300 or 400 pounds rms
meant greater terminal charge ana nan
ding is greater there.
He regarded governmental reguiatioii, d.
unavoidable but in England he tnought
,nncb of the recent legislation had been IN
.aThere are very few rates in England un-
der a cent a ton mlle, Sdiu eho
s'rbe rate holds good on coal.
He knew a case of haul of lou niles
over which coal was hauled at sl.oO ton.
That was about the rate.
The average profit on railroad lhEes.-
ments. he said was liz per cent Par-
Iiament by special legislation, regulates tne
amount of bonds and capital OF every ra,i-
road in England, and that has peeh me
ga sc since the first railway was built
He had never heard of trunk line IN
ENGLAND purchasing the stock OF ano'lsr
trunk line There is no considerable tra'hc
there that is not competed for by Two OF
three of the trunk lines. In England 'here
are fourteen main trunk lines.
The stock of the roads is held for invest,
nent nurposes by small shareholders all
over the country.
Representative of Lumber Dealers.
Robert w. Higbee of New York, repre-
senting National Wholesale Lumber Deal
ers and New York Lumber Association, tes-
tilted briefly after Mr.. Ackworth had ciosed.
He presented resolutions of his associations
favorable to railroad rate legislation.
Mr. Higbee made a statement at consld-
erable length He declared that the arsu-
mont that rates are higher in England than
in this country had no bearing on the issue
before the committee, because some OF tne
rates in this country are very low ana some
are high and the general low rate dlo not
excuse discrimination between various SHIP
pers and localities.
1--WE want Congress to see that the peo-
nIe are treated the same way in relation TO
the rate of transportation that they are
treated in relation to other commodities,
said Mr. 'Higbee. Transportation is a COM