Re: Is RR antitrust exemption near the end of the line?
Author: George Andrews
Date: 05-12-2008 - 20:29
" The best way to save money, is to spend it wisely." - E.H.Harriman.
Only those railroads that were poorly run & inefficent would welcome price - fixing. No sane CEO would want the government, local or national, to dictate to them any aspect of running their business. That this did happen, was due to the laziness, greed & stupidity of a few.
E.H.Harriman was a proponent of making line changes to effect operating efficiencies. He also tried to stop the rate wars that decimated several Midwest RR's. Harriman also saw an opportunity in Refrigerator Car services that would outdo the existing poor service & high rates of the meatpackers. Thus was born Pacific Fruit Express, which prospered for 60 years, until the uncooperative I.C.C. ratemakers & independent ( unregulated ) truckers killed the business.