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HLANCIIAKU ON CUT HATES.
[ In nn address at the Banquet of the Nationnl
Association of Merchants and Travelers at
the Auditorium the fernier joint trafllc com
missioner suggests plans to abolish discrim
ination in freight and passenger tariffs ] ,
George R. Blnnchnrcl , late commis
sioner of the joint traffic association , in
a speech on ' 'transportation problems"
at the spring banquet of the National
Association of Merchants and Travelers
on March 8 , advanced arguments in
favor of national legislation permitting
the formation of pools among railroads
for the purpose of maintaining uniform
rates , advocated the development of an
American merchant marine , spoke
strongly in favor of national expansion ,
and urged the co-operation of merchants
with railway men in efforts to check
discriminations in rates on the part of
railroads in favor of individuals or lo
calities , a practice for which he held
that merchants were in large measure
responsible.
The banquet , which was incident to
the third of the spring series of mercan
tile excursions to Chicago , was held at
the Auditorium hotel. Vice Chairman
J. V. Farwell , jr. , introduced Martin
Howard , of C. M. Henderson & Co. , as
presiding officer , and Mr. Howard in a
brief speech presented the speaker of
the evening.
Mr. Blanch ard began with a review of
the original problems of transportation
in America in the development of water
ways , and traced the growth of carrier
facilities through the periods of the na
tion's history. The charges against
railroads made by the Cullom com
mittee in 1880 were reviewed. Some
of them , the speaker said , had been
substantially corrected , others remained
for solution. Of the latter class he dealt
with several in detail.
Concerning the claim in the Cullom
committee's report that railway bonded
debts and capitalizations induced ex
cessive charges he said :
"Great reductions in rates have taken
place during a period when capitals
were being lavishly increased. Exces
sive capitalizations invite earlier bank
ruptcies and not higher rates to prevent
them. "
TalUs of Discriminations.
The charge of discriminations as be
tween individuals or communities , Mr.
Blanchard said , was the great problem
remaining for solution. He continued ,
in part as follows :
"Direct discriminations in rates to individuals
I
dividuals in any locality or from various
points by rebates or other illegal devices
are vicious and corruptive to both rail
way and merchant. Great complica
tious attend the geographical adjust
ments of rates between competing local
ities and lines. In no other country
are such intricacies encountered. Their
formulation has been assisted mainly by
original conferences among the railroac
companies , which the tendency of law
seems to forbid , nnd by subsequent con-
'eronces between them and the trade
jodies respectively interested in such
solutions as to various goods and arti
cles. To that mutual end I value such
conferences as this.
"A new element has recently been pro-
ected into our interstate freight prob-
ems. Wo have annexed Hawaii. Our
flag was sent to Cuba , Porto Rico , and
the Philippines in the interests of free
dom and fraternity and in the keeping
of valorous men , and today , regardless
of all of our differences as to method or
results , it stands and floats for all its
splendid old traditions and our united
mtioual love. But it also stands for the
dollars and cents of and enlarged com
merce , and no man or nation should de
crease it to the harm of American enter
prise or toil.
"Beyond our own possessions inter
state freight problems create interna-
ional problems. They involve millions
of transactions , and the proof that they
are rapidly and equitably adjusted ap
pears in the fact that complaints to the
carriers or the national commission on
this point are rare.
For Equitable Turin's.
"The detail and text of equitable and
uniform tariffs and classifications being
m this advanced stage of solution after
Sfty years of thorough interstate service ,
; here remains as the final and greatest
problem their absolute observance alike
by carrier and patron and the cessation
of all individual and locality discrimin
ations.
"I have repeatedly called public atten
tion to some salient comparisons in this
connection. The government pays fixed
and stable rates , established by law , for
the carriage of its mails and supplies ,
and does not seek rebates for itself as
representing the people. The import
tariffs of the country are maintained in
flexibly to all governmental patrons.
So are its postage rates , land sales , in
ternal taxes , stamp charges , and consu
lar fees. Every citizen of this country
expects this impartiality and would re
sist its violation. I have never heard a
reason advanced why the railway re
venues of the country , being found rea
sonable and legal in all respects and be
ing three times those of the government ,
are not fully as desirable of maintenance
with like impartiality and inflexibility
under government supervision.
Remedy Is Proposed.
"It being conceded by all that the pro
posal is desirable , how shall fair rate ,
legally made and charged , be adhered
to ? It seems necessary to this end to
secure , first , a sound and fairly expressed
judgment from the merchants , for
warders , and receivers of the country
second , that such sentiment be given
persistent expression at Washington to
influence the passage of amended anc
reasonable transportation laws and their
execution subject to law through a na
tional railway commission ; third , that
; he railway companies shall approach
; hese desirable results in a spirit of fair
ness and justice , and that they recognize
still farther that , transportation being
argely a function of the government ,
; hey shall equally aid in forming this
desirable triple alliance of merchants ,
government , and railways for mutual
good.
"The final word to be said upon the
rate discrimination problem and its cure
is that its solution can be assisted and
made equitable in operation by the auth
orization of pools , to pass under the su
pervision of the Interstate Commerce
commission , the rates proposed to be
charged thereunder to be attached and
made publicly known , and to which the
Interstate Commerce commissioners
shall first assent or give hearings if they
doubt their equity of charges. This gen
eral proposition was approved in 1894 by
eighty-seven of the trade bodies of the
union , representing twenty-three states.
"The next agency of solution I would
invoke would be a national classification ,
which I personally believe to be both
practicable and desirable. A further
national aid will be to continue enlarged
and public consular reports , and to that
end to appoint more business-men as
such officers.
"Finally , being a firm believer in our
destiny to lead the world's commercial
possession , I would look to send more
ships to sea under our own flag. It is a
national hardship to have a foreign bottom
tom with an American cargo on top.
This policy is needful not only now but
in already contemplated carrying splend
ors of the future. We want to believe
in our country and public and interna
tional justice , but let us begin here. "
Chicago Tribune.
ANTI-IMPERIALIST LEAGUE.
The Anti-Imperialist League has rea
son to believe , by the tone of its corres
pondents throughout the country and
from indications which are beginning to
appear in the press , that the majority of
the American people view with disgust
and abhorrence the miserable war in the
Philippines. They are learning to ap
preciate that it is prosecuted upon the
sole authority of the president , with a
view to the ultimate acquisition of ter
ritory for the exercise of the thoroughly
unpopular "colonial" government , costly
in money , wasteful of human life , and
prejudicial to home industry.
The league , which has conducted a
constantly increasing correspondence ,
circulated patriotic publications by the
hundreds of thousands , promoted public
meetings in the name of liberty , and
supplied the loyal press with material
for its use , desires to carry on its work
and to bring home to all good people the
importance of the action demanded by
