New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-25
Of their purpose to abandon the extraVa-
CANT methods of the Republicans.

of their purpose to abandon the extrava-
CANT methods of the Republicans.
PERPLExING PROBLEM.-The IN
terstate Commerce Commission rs ABOUT
TO address Itself again TO the perpleA'ns
problem OF diferentials between the po'''
OF New York, Boston, Philadelphia anu
Baltimore. The petitioners In the case are
the Chamber of Commerce of the state o.
New York and the Produce Exchange ana
the Board Of Trade and Transportatioh'
both Of New York City. The RAILROADS are
made the defendants, but they declare thsl
they welcome the adjudication because thcy
believe 1t will relieve them Of dilemma
which has long proved too deep for them
10 solve. The commission, II VIII he remeh-
bered, once decided this question, hfihs INV
differentiais In freight rates. but 'hs' was
at time when IL was not In postum
TO enforce It's decision and its Teruic'' ~
is also Of interest that when Its forWer
decision was rendered, Commissioners GEM
ents filed dissenting decision conteho'hs
that It vas improper for the commission 70
fix differentiaIs and thus TO eliminate co"'-
petition when. under the terms OF the en''
trust law, IL was obviously intenoed that
such competition should play an Important
mart in controlling railroad rates. IL Is the
contention of many New Workers that were
the rates determined on nat mileage basis
u would work great Injustice to that port
for the reason that Baltimore Is III mics
and Philadelphia 80 miles nearer chicago
than Is New York, and by the same rea-
Ill
hardship to Boston. After reviewing TINS
situation and pointing out that New >orh
enjoyed numerous advantages over tn'
other ports In the way OF facilities iarser
passenger traffic etc, the commission piV'
posed certain dfferent'als in favor OF the
other two ports. 1t must be obvious li'a'
the minute the commission departs from
the simple rule Of service rendered-thar w.
q fixed rate per mile for a given coTninooH9'
regardless of the effects thereor-the prop
lem becomes most intricate. And from the
dissenting opinion of Commissioner Gem
ents the situation appears further TO IN
volve the question Of whether the commas
sion can in effect create traffic agreement
In the absence OF law authorizing sue"
agreements, such q provision as fres'neht
Taft tried TO procure when the last rai'road
rate bill was under consideration and such
as his predecessor had urgently recon-
mended before him. The requisit'on oil the
Dc titioners in this case is that the commis-
sion prescribe a reasonable tndividuai ana
idint rate, such rate TO eliminate all charges
and diYerentials made for the purpose oil
diverting traffic from New York. II Is easy
10 ina CINE the protest which would go up
from the other rorts were this petition
completely granted.
RAILROAD STATISTICS.-Thcre has
been established in this city bureau or
railway economies, which IS charged with
the duty, among other things. Of preparing
comparative statistics OF American and
foreign railroads AS the bureau IS main
tanned by the railroads. it is al least rea-
sonable TO assume that II IS expected that
these compilations will reflect credit on
the management Of American roads and
will tend to prove that the American pas
senger and shipper receive large value IN
comparison with his European fellow.
Some Of the statistics thus far prepared
certainly convey that idea, but among the
correlated facts may be found some inter-
esting data. For instance, recent com
parison between a group OF German and
Prussian railroads and Group ii. desi3-
mated by the Interstate Commerce Com
mission and which includes, approximately.
the roads OF New York. Pennsylvania, New
Jersey. Delaware and Maryland, shows
that the number OF passengers killed per
billion passenger miles on the American
roads is II, as compared with OH the
German roads. IL is further shown that
the number Of employees killed per ten
thousand employed is 2e.s on the American
roads, as compared with SIS on the Ger
man roads. Even slight familiarity with
the damages which mus, be paid when a
passenger OF employe is killed. with the
great destruction Of property involved in
most railroad accidents, etc, suggests that
in the effort 10 effect greater economy OF
operation too much attention cannot he
paid to the avoidance of accidents. Quite
apart irom humanitarian considerations,
ii would obviously be money in the poke IS
Of their passengers and employees. The
comparison OF figures shows markedly little
difference between the capitalization per
mile Of the German and the American
roads and a decidedly higher rate OF wages
paid 10 employees in this country, which IA
perhaps the chef purpose Of the pUolica-
ton.
THE SILLY SEASON.-Cesudte the late