Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1917-10-02

FOR the last six or seven years one
frequently sees reference in the
press or overhears snatches OF con-
versation relating to Baltimore's diff
ferentials." To the uninitiated "dif-
ferential" might be some strange. un-
tanned animal but to the sophisticated
and TO the large manufacturer cast
Ing about for either change in the
location of his industry or for a site
for the location of new industry the
word "differential' has a very impor-
tant meaning. provided 1t is accom-
panied by the words lin favor Of
and not higher than"
A differential literally means a diff
ference, and in railroad parlance
means certain amounts either higher
or lower than rates between several
cities, so that when we hear men
tion made of Baltimore's differen-
tials ii simply means that reference is
being made to the fact that Balti-
more is so situated geographically
and commercially that this force of
advantage has been utilized to the
fullest extent, and that for both geo.
graphical and commercial reasons the
carriers serving Baltimore have found
IL necessary to recognize this force to
the extent Of providing rate adjust
ments from and to Baltimore that are
less than the rates published from or
to cities neighbors and competitors of
Baltimore.
Always Guarded jealousy.
These differentials have always been
guarded jealously when they pro-
vide a rate adjustment as favorable as
is enjoyed by Baltimore, and several
lengthy battles have been waged by
commercial. organizations of other cit
les to wrest them from her, but the
Interstate Commerce Commission has,
in every instance, upheld the city's
right TO them, and only recently, IL
will no doubt be recalled, Jersey City,
n. j., attacked them in a proceeding
before the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. only to have its claim re-
jected.
Differentials are OF several kinds.
but so far as Baltimore is concerned
we may mention only two-the rail
and water and the all rail or port diff
ferentials. In the case of the rail-and
water rates from Baltimore. and in
cluded in this group. comes the rail-
and-lake rates, but differences or diff
ferentials are made by subtracting
from the standard all-rail rates GER
tain figures on each class, providing
line of lower rates for this character
of movement: as. for illustration. in
the case OF the rail-and- water rates
from Baltimore to points in the South
east there is almost always uniformly
applied what is known as a 12-cent
differential scale-that is to say, that
the first class rate is generally IL
cents less when by the way OF rail and
water than by the way of all rail. and
in the case of port differentials, where
the advantages of the city have been
the rates from Baltimore have in
practically every instance. except in
such cases as might be termed purely
local, been made differential scales
less than the rates from Boston, New
York and Philadelphia to other sec
tions of the country; as. for example,
on westbound business Baltimore en-
joys an Scent scale of differentials to
Chicago under New York. and on
eastbound business the rates are adj
justed on Scent differential scale
from Chicago TO Baltimore. while in
the adjustment of the rates TO the