Again, on page 191:
“Universal complaint has been made to the committee as to the discriminations commonly practised against places, and as to the conspicuous discrepancies between what are usually termed ‘local’ rates and what are known as ‘through’ rates.”
In summing up the testimony on pages 180–182 of their report, the committee presents this tremendous indictment:
“The complaints against the railroad systems of the United States expressed to the committee are based upon the following charges:
“1. That local rates are unreasonably high, compared with through rates.
“2. That both local and through rates are unreasonably high at non-competing points, either from absence of competition or in consequence of pooling agreements that restrict its operation.
“3. That rates are established without apparent regard to the actual cost of the service performed, and are based largely on what the traffic will bear.
“4. That unjustifiable discriminations are constantly made between individuals, in the rates charged for like service under similar circumstances.
“5. That improper discriminations are made between articles of freight and branches of business of a like character, and between different quantities of the same class of freight.
“6. That unreasonable discriminations are made between localities similarly situated.