Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-12-07
RAIL ROAD CONVENTIONS.

Two Rail Road Conventions were held during
the past month.
The Cleveland Convention was composed Of
delegates froui nearly all the roads in the
six Northwestern States. Of the Eastern
roads. only the Erie, Pennsylvania and
Baltimore and Ohio Railroads were re-
presented. The object Of the meeting was
10 establish Il basis Of mutual harmony
and scfprcservation. To the disastrous COM
pctition Of the leading lines OF the Northwest.
aggravated by their mutual violation Of half.
maturcd and indefinite agreements, is to BIZ at
tributcd to u very great extent, the ruin Of
others
The rules and regulations adopted BY the
Convention are strictly commercial in their
character, and appear, as 4 whole, to cmbody
all the necessary provisions as to rates, classi-
fication of freights, advertisements, runners
agencies, &C. and if the companies, who are
parties, will faithfully adhere to them, they
will unqueStionably be enabled to maintain
charges for transportation, graduated so as to
produce the largest amount of revenue, with
the lowest expenditure, securing To each the
proportion to which it may be justly entitled"
The territory covered by these rules and
regulations" reaches Eastward to the Western
terminus of the four great Eastern lines and
includes these lines, and Southwark to the
Ohio river, and North and West indefinitely.
1t is divided into three districts, each Of which
is to nominate a commissioner to General
Convention which is TO meet annually. These
Commissioners are to carry into force and ef.
feet all the orders Of the Conventions Of roads
in interest; and are to regulate the fcightS
and fares on competing roads TO and from COM
mon points, being guided by maximum and
minimum rate by the Conventions,
"Thc organization may he dissolved at any
time upon vote Of a majority in interest.
We do not approve of chartered monopolies,
much less such a combination Of them. With
an organization apparently so complete, it will
always be in the power Of the leading lines to
compel all minor ones To conform, upon pain
of being crushed, to any rate Of fare. however
unrcaSonably high.
Railroads are entitled to fair remuneration
for their services and for the capital honestly
expended in building and stocking them, but
have no right to levy Tux upon the people at
large, to meet their losses occasioncd by fraud,
dcfalcations or rccklcssly cxtravaSant manage
ment.
Under the management "t honest and com
petcnt business men, rail roads should have no
more fear of competition tilan' merchants and
manufacturers have In the hands of such
men the competition between rival roads would
be honorablv conducted, and such system
of economy introduced as to preclude the
necessity Of high rates, and an accountability
that would secure the revenue from waste and
dcfalcation
The Chattanooga Convention assembled on the
25th ult and was composed ofdclcgatcS from the
Philadelphia Baltimore and Washington Rail
road; Richmond. fredericksburg and Potomac
Orange and Alexandria, Richmond and Dan
vile, South.Sile, Virginia and Tennessee, East
Tennessee and Georgia, Memphis and Charles
ton, Nashville and Chattanooga, Mississippi
Central, vicksburg and Southern, New Orleans
and jackson. Montgomery and West Point
South Carolina. Norfolk and Petersburg and
Tennessee and Alabama. The representative
of the East Tennessee and Virginia was una
voidably absent
v.K. Stevenson, ESQ.,. of the Nashville snd