REPORT. STATE OF NEW YORK: OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS, ALBANY, January 13, 1890. To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of New York: Chapter 353 of the Laws of 1882 requires the Board of Railroad Commissioners to report to the Legislature on or before the second Monday of January of each year. In conformity with this statute the Board submits its Seventh Annual Report. GENERAL SITUATION. The year ending September 30th, 1889, was marked with much less disturbance among the railroads of the country than that preceding it. The volume of business was largely increased and rates maintained at more profitable figures. Towards the close of the year 1888 matters had reached such a state through the reckless competition of irresponsible railroad managers, particularly in the territory west of the trunk lines, that it became evident to the owners of railroad property and to their representatives, the prominent bankers, that some action must be taken to arrest it, or a large proportion of hitherto profitable railroads would cease to be profitable, if they did not become actually bankrupt. With this object in view the Interstate Commerce Railway Association was organized to take effect January 1st, 1889. The agreement was made between the presidents of twenty-six of the principal railroads west of what is known as the "trunk lines." The trunk lines themselves were not parties to the agreement. It superseded a number of other agreements affecting particular localities or routes. The objects of the Association are stated in article 1 to be, "the enforcement of the provisions of the Interstate Commerce Act and the establishment and maintenance of public, reasonable, uniform and stable rates in conformity with the provisions thereof." Article 20 provides that "this agreement shall continue in force absolutely for ninety days from January the 1st, 1889, subject to thirty days' notice thereafter of the desire of any party to withdraw from or amend the same, and in case any such notice shall be given, the chairman of the Executive Board shall forthwith call the presidents together to consider the matter." The Board understands that the agreement is still in force and has been, to a considerable extent at least, effective in correcting the abuses that it was intended to reach. New articles of association between the trunk lines were entered into, to take effect February 20th, 1889. They begin with a preamble as follows: "WHEREAS, Past experience has fully established the fact that the joint action of railroad companies is necessary to establish and maintain reasonable and just transportation tariffs on freight and passenger traffic; and, "WHEREAS, Such joint action is also necessary to avoid unjust discrimination in transportation charges, in conformity with the requirements of the Interstate Commerce Law; "Now, therefore," etc. The articles are signed by the Grand Trunk, the New York Central and Hudson River, the West Shore, the New York, Ontario and Western, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western, the New York, Lake Erie and Western, the Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley, the Philadelphia and Reading, and the Baltimore and Ohio railroad companies. It can be said that as peaceful relations between the trunk lines and their affiliated connections have been maintained during the past year as have ever before, or are likely to be hereafter. When there is taken into consideration the enormous extent of railroad property owned or controlled by these organizations, this is a most significant fact. The diminution of ruinous railroad competition during the last year was largely due to the facts, first, the very great increase of business, giving all a share; and second, the long and short haul provision of the Interstate Commerce Act. |