New-York tribune., 1906-04-07
CENTRAL FOR REFORM.
OPPOSES DIFFERENTIALS.
Statement of Official in Reply TO
Chamber of Commerce.

The New York Central took a decided stand
,..s,e-5sy against diferentials and came out
= ,boir adjustment The CentraTs officials
.,,,ised no 90 everything IN their power 10
- this end possible. Rate wars. caused by
.,,,h si0erenuals. were also spoken Of and the
...,sss5tv for doing away with them was urged.
-,.o management stated that the New York
....-sl 1,as done more for New York City ihan
ann, other railroad, and would continue TO do 50.
The officials Of the railroad took the stand they
s,s owing 10 The action Of the Chamber Of Com
,,sr,e on Thursday. AT a meeting OF the cham
ns- on that day resolutions were adopted to
ssk Ire New York Central why. alleged. it
,uoves di1erentials To the deiriment Of New
vo~k CITY. 10, only the New York Central. It
,,ss sid. but tae West Shore Railroad and the
Subsidiary lines are against diferentials-
Al Official Of the company empowered 20 talk
-s,,esrsed the beginning Of the differentiaIs in
Baltimore and said that Baltimore was one Of
,be cities that had caused more trouble. possi-
fjy than any other in the rate wars that have
ersued from time 10 time in the last thirty
years
Baltimore first claimed a 1O-cent rate he
said. and then got Il down 10 q 5-oent rate and
eventually 10 a percentage d!heTentiaL IN 1877
IN agreement was reached by the four trunk
Vncs 10 charge two and three cents on east
bound freight between Baltimore and Philadel-
rsis. A war Of rates then ensued and the New
York roads withdrew from the agreement In
$50 it was finally agreed TO submit .he matter
20 arbitration and the Thurman committee
heard the testimony, and in 1882 reported in
favor OF difereutals.
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad rates IN Chi
cago were much lower than those In New York.
and after a long time, with many wars and
much trouble fl was agreed not 10 charge more
than three cent rate. But the New York roads
would not stand this agreement and dropped
their price Then Baltimore dropped again.
New York did the same, and this was done twice
and arbitration became necessary
Since 1900 there has been change only In
'the diferentials Of grain, which were reduced
oUe-haf. and in 1908 on iron and steel which
reduced an equal amount Even The In
terstajc Commerce Commission has decided in
favor Of diaereutsls, making its favorable re-
port IN 1908
j am empowered 10 say that We regard diff
fereutias as very injurious 10 our interests. and
also injurious 10 the Port OF New York As long
rs Cnerenrla-S are IN existence we are sadly
handicapped We have often tried 10 ger rio Of
The oiferentals. We have met them by making
the d.dersEtla. rate 10 New York and caused
rate wars tine and again and heavy losses in
money 10 The carriers and great confusion 10
business. and the destruction Of all sta biliry OF
rates has been so great that we have been forced
;n the end 70 tolerate The diferertiaIs"
bow can dire-eutials be abolished?" the Of
hcial was asked.
The way they should be abolished" he re-
rlea, 'ine only natural and practical way would
10 10 aoopt tie lowest rate as the rate TO al
ne ports on export and import traffic We
nave Tried n often in the past. so far IS New
on goes, bur had 10 reCede from that position.
49, ~ NC 70 reoeae by The fact that rate wars al
Nass oesan Immediately afterWard"
y was pointed out that New York is not the
0-'' s-nereT from the dinerentials.