Discrimination in Rates. 
71 
prohibition of pooling than it was previous to the passage of 
that act. * * * * * 7 
But there is another phase of the railroad question which has 
perhaps been the cause of more complaint and legislation than all 
the others combined. I refer to the subject of discrimination in 
rates. Anything that would remove this evil would be tolerated 
even though it brought with it many disadvantages. And here 
again the advocates of pools put in a strong claim for their 
policy. Says the editor of the Railway Review for September 
10th, 1892: 
“ Those who have made a study of the railway question know 
that in the development of the railway service no other means 
than pooling has as yet been discovered which will serve to render 
operative the design of the act to regulate commerce. In other 
words, it is only through pooling that discrimination can be 
removed, and a system of equal rates under similar circum¬ 
stances universally established. ” 
It is claimed that discriminations are the result of unre¬ 
stricted competition between railroads; that they are the only 
means by which the weaker roads can exist under a regime of 
free competition. The pool, by removing the incentive to 
struggle for traffic, removes at the same time all incentive to 
grant rebates, or make discriminations of any kind. 
This position would seem to possess great strength as applied 
to the indiscriminate granting of rebates and special favors to 
individual shippers which prevailed in the United States at one 
time. 8 But the character of discriminations has changed within 
1 Railway Review, April 14th, 1894, p. 212, contains a complaint signed 
“ Manufacturer,” which is generally favorable to the Southern Steam¬ 
ship Association, but claims that the territory governed by it is behind 
all the rest of the United States in the matter of uniform classification. 
It will be remembered that this territory has been the most thoroughly 
pooled of any in the United States. 
8 There is some dispute, however, as to their effect, even in this case.. 
Says Adalbert Hamilton, in the Chicago Tribune for March 1, 1884: 
“Unjust discrimination pools have not stopped. Neither do they pre¬ 
vent it. It exists to-day to a far greater extent than ever before, and in 
bold open defiance of law and justice.” This writer is in favor of a 
legalized pool, under direct control of government. 
