Under the new long and short haul clause, what may be done by the Interstate Commerce Commission? This body roughly determining the location of D, a natural division point, would then refuse to permit A B, B C to charge less to either z or C than to any intermediate point, x, B or y. Coincidently it would bar the other road A C, C B from any lower through rate to points beyond D, such as x, B or y than to any intermediate station. Two courses would be open to the roads. They must either mutually withdraw from all business beyond D or reduce their rates to all intermediate points correspondingly. In a sparsely settled region with little local business, they might conceivably choose the latter expedient. But in the vast majority of cases the roads would prefer to withdraw from the unreasonably distant fields.[314] Simultaneously taken by each line, such action would put an end to the economic waste. At the same time it would terminate one of the most persistent causes of rebates and personal favoritism. To be sure it would generally operate in favor of the strong, direct lines as against the weak and roundabout ones. Great benefit would accrue to the Pennsylvania, the Illinois Central or the Union Pacific railroads. The activities of the parasitic roads and the scope of parasitic operations by the substantial roads would inevitably be curtailed. Much justice would be done and much local irritation and popular discontent would be allayed. FOOTNOTES: [249] P. 133, _supra_. [250] _Quarterly Journal of Economics_, V, 1891, p. 438. [251] Senate (Elkins) Committee Report, 1905, III, pp. 2152-2153. The transverse Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg seems to be the feeder for the New York Central and the Reading. [252] _Ibid._, IV, p. 2849. [253] U. P. Merger case: Supreme Court, October term, No. 820, Appellant's Brief of Facts, pp. 135-193 and also p. 493. [254] Question of Canadian-Pacific Differentials, Hearings, etc., Oct. 12, 1898, p. 115. Privately printed. _Cf._ also the Sunset Route, _ibid._, p. 116. [255] 51st Congress, 1st sess., Sen. Rep., No. 847, p. 176. [256] _Pubs. Amer. Stat. Ass._, June, 1896, p. 73. [257] Reports Internal Commerce, 1876, pp. 54-59. [258] Map in Brief of Ed. Baxter, U. S. Supreme Court in the Alabama Midland case. [259] Windom Committee, II, p. 795. [260] Cullom Committee, p. 530. Hudson also cites similar cases from the Hepburn Committee. _Cf._ also Report on Internal Commerce, 1876, App. p. 57. [261] New York _Evening Post_, Sept. 30, 1905. [262] Senate (Elkins) Committee, 1905, III, p. 1831. [263] Only once compiled in detail. U. S. Treasury Dept., Circular No. 37, 1898. The volume of traffic by tons between points in designated states by way of Canada was as follows: