Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-02-09
RnII Road LEGISLATION.

To THE EDITOR OF THE CLEVELAND LEADER;
Bills are pending before the Legislature in
New York for pro-rating and tolling Rail-
roads, and one of the strongest arguments
that is used by the friends of the measure is
that the products of Ohio are transported
through that State at so much less cost per
mile than the products of the State of New
York, that the farming lands in the former
State have attained to nearly the same value
as those of the latter, hence the demand for
legislative protection Now, admitting this
argument to be true, which it undoubtedly is
to a great extent what an absurdity
for the people of this State to be Civ
ing aid and comfort to the friends of the
measure in the State of New York, by asking
for the enactment of similar laws by the leg
islature of the State of Ohio There are sew
eral petitions in circulation in this City for
that purpose by parties who, we are certain,
would abandon the project if they would rec
fleet but moment 1t would be just as con-
sistent to pass laws governing the price of
-four, or any other mercantile commodity
Cleveland is commercial city, and any legis-
lation that embarasses commerce, parslyzes
the commercial and mercantile interests of
the city. The interests of the city of CleVe-
land are quite similar to the interests of the
city of New York, and there cannot scarcely be
found person in the city of N. Y. in favor of
tolling or pro-rating rail roads; on the con-
trary, there are hundreds of remonstrances
now in active circulation, that are being nu-
merously signed, which are to be laid before the
legislature at Albany for the purpose of pre-
venting all legislation that will in any man
ner increase the cost Of transportation Of
property to and from that city.
While the railroads that terminate at the
cities of Baltimore and Philadelphia are con-
trolled by those cities, and the Grand Trunk
Railway of Canada is sustained by the gov
ernment for the purpose of promoting the in
terests of Montreal, Quebec, and England
by means Of cheap transportation, and while
the traffic flowing to those cities and over
those thoroughfares from the West and
Southwest passes entirely to the North or
South of this city, how absurd and pTeposterA
GUS it is to suppose for a moment that the in
terests OF this city or State would be promoted
by such a movement. No, on the contrary,
very small increase on the cost Of through
transportation would divert entirely all through
traffic over thOroughlares either to the North
or South of us. The city, as such, and her
citizens, have made great efforts to make this
prominent railroad centre, and the consequences
is that her population and appraised value of
property has increased more than three-fOld
since the sound of the first locomotive whistle
was heard within the city limits; and can it now
come to pass that this is all to be acknowledged
a mistakel and such beautiful structure to be
voluntarily scattered to the winds by Legislative
embarrassmentsl hope your readers will
carefully consider whether it is not more appro.
pirate to sign and circulate remOnstrances
against instead of petitions in favor of such
measures. Nothing can be more demOnstrabe
than that if railroads are to be deprived of all
profits by restrictions that will cut off through
traffic, much higher rates will be charged on
all local traffic.
By no other mode than cheap trsnspGrta ton
by both rail and water to and from her sh ores,
is the city of Cleveland to attain further great
ness; therefore what greater enemy could she
have than one that would embarrass her thor
Oughfares.