New York Daily Tribune

The Pro-Rata Freight Bill in Committee.

At the first session of the Assembly Committee to which was referred the petitions for a Pro-Rata Railroad Freight Law, on Thursday, the following facts were got out:

The proportion of way freight to through, over the Central Road, is as two to one, or double the amount of the through freight; hence the presumption is that the cars which go only a short distance on the road and return to the point from which they start, are more likely to obtain freight there than by running through. If live stock be left out of the account, the proportion will be about three to one. Some few years ago, the Rochester millers could not get a car in which to send off their flour, while the Railroads were sending their cars to Buffalo after Western freight at 24, when they could have got $50 at Rochester.

Mr. Flagler said that proof in regard to this point can be piled mountain high.

Mr. Cobb said he had known the Railroad Companies to suspend the carriage of freight for this State for the space of six weeks at a time, taking, in the mean time, foreign freight which had been received later. A similar suspension of five weeks had occurred last fall.

Mr. Fulton, a forwarder, said he had been treated in a similar manner at Buffalo in relation to a cargo of wheat. The Railroad men said: "We cannot touch your property now; we must attend to the through freight."

Mr. Cobb said that the Central Road had carried wheat for a while at a rate lower than Canal tolls—that it is frequently carried in disregard of any question of profit or loss.

At the session of Friday an Attorney of the Central Road, and its Legislative agent, appeared before the Committee and argued for a delay of action in order to give the several Roads of the State time to controvert the facts alleged by the petitioners for the Pro-Rata law, and to resist their application. The Committee, without disposing of this demand, adjourned to Wednesday evening next.