, 1862-01-06

DISTINCTIONS AND DIFFERENCES.
Observe now, that property authorized by
Government to be shipped ss s'j5irst class"
freight at skIoed| rates. are equipments, mu-
nitions and supplies accompanying regi-
mcnts." What are these articles Soldiers
knapsacks, muEkcts, tents, eookisg utensils,
cartridges, in short, Ill regimen.a1 property
excepting wagons. The latter ass rated fourth
clasa Anybody aro,tld presume tnat nt,tskets
and knapgdcks aoould be carried as the personal
baggage IF soldiers: II any Of the enumerated
articles were shipped By private individual,
the bulkicst Of them would be charged in the
fourth class. Perhaps it would be appropri-
atr to explain terms used iu the transporta-
tion business, that all readers may conlpra-
bend the Cameronian system. Bear in mind,
then, that property for transportation is sub
charged the highest tariff, the fourth the low
est. The first includes peculiar goods, fine or
perishab1e, or articles requiring extra care.
The fourth embraces heavy and bulky articles,
such as pork in barrels, cannon, &c
Under thc head Of Equipments, munitions
and supplies accompanying regiments y We
discover four gross abuses, each discrimina-
ting against tie Government, and all indeed,
discriminating against legitimate trade, be-
cause they destroy competition, and introduce
pe1nicious system Of Government fayorit-
ism Moreover, they corrupt public morals,
because the compensation for such trade is SO
liberal that men are tempted to offer bribes
for it, and other men arc induced to accept
them. These abuses, arc, firstly: the promo.
ton Of the third and fourth grades to first
class freights; secondly: the payment by au.
thority, Of sslocal" instead Of through rates
thirdly: authorizing charges to be made upon
knapsacks, mushcts, &C., which should be
carried as the personal baggage Of soldiers
| and fourthly: the repression Of just competi
| ton and the consequent unjustifab1c expendi
lures Of public money.
But we will contemplate the enormous diff
| ferences and distinctions between the system
| authorized by Secretary Cameron, aud the or
dinazy commercial system of freights, Ths
| greatest proportion Of army supplies belong
10 the "fonrth Glass; 4 private shippei
would classify them thus with entire accepta
eility to the carrier. The regular through
upoR E4 de enFR 4o ss; / ps9RVeEty RstTsss ] &
per 100 pounds. The "1ocar' rates, whicl
Mr.: Cameron authorizes, are TWO DOL
LARS AND NINETY CENTS per 10t
| pounds. But another citation viii illus
trhc this point more strikingly. Til
"M7onghh rates for .1irst-class goods betwce,
the sumo points, are taeo dollars and ten cent
| per hundred pounds, so that according to tn
'.by authority" system, the Government au
thorizes The payment OF eighty cents per hun
dred more on Jo,f'th-elass freights, than tn
railroad companies ad.s4fise to charge upo1
f,st-class freights.. Nay, more: the exces
freights at the established + rates, is abso
lute1y ttn cents per hundred more than rail
road companies charge for tirst~class frcights
| But We are again reminded that equipments
munitions and supplies accompanying rc2j
ments " are shipped as tirst-class ffcights .
class freights between New York and 81
Lonis exceed fire dollars per hundred, so tsn,
If regiment Of soldiers should be shippc
from New York to ST. Lonis, Goycrnmen
would pay two cents a mile per mln-doub1
less hy the longest ronte-and over five do
lars per hundred for the Tcgimental propert
Or dftaszn fire and sir hundred dollars for II
x1Ms1ets Of thf regiment alone. have not bee
at1c to get IN average Of the local rates bt
tween st. Louis and New York, but O compt
tent railroad man informed me that the rate
for hrst-c1as5 freights exceed five dollars pc
hundred pounds-not tons. I am iuformc
that horses are shipped rs *tirst'' class freight
at 4local rates. y and the schedule above mel
TONED Includes them in that category. A,
cordiDg to this, tho Pennsylvania horst
which we're shipped out West must have ha
the fright to contractors prices, aud 20
make Pennsylvania horses rather costly to tt
| Government.
I might proceed ad i,k7nituu7, illustratiu
the intnmy OF the system Of army transport:
tion upon thu g basis established BY Cover
I
| readers until the Investigating Com1nissio
| make their report. I have no doubt they vi
show that the abuses which have been a
| ttmp1ing to expose, ramity throughout tt
whole country, and conccntratc and culmina1
in Pennsylvania.
Now whether the rates, upon the q basis e
tab1ished by Government" arc UNIVERSAL
charged or not, you will not OF course cxpe'
! nc to say. But the fact that they are autho
lied by the Secretary Of War, and the addition
| al pertinent fact that the Interpretation of tt
"basis established by Government is that
railroad nen, is good deal more ii IN strou
circumstantinl evidence, that the "basis c
tablis he'd " haB been the basis Of practic
/ Isn't 1t tantnmount to demonstration
doubt it might be shown that every departul
|, | from the basis established" has been force
by the high pressure Of determined compel
tion-tI would not Of course impnie bribel
!, In the premiscs.) Thepublic have never bee
satisfied that corporations are possessed
virtue in any degrre exceeding that of priya
individuals, and the individuals in any comm
nifty <Who would prefer to nccept one doll
when two is offered for an article, are, poss
bly,, exceptional. 30 think VIC may say
railroad companies without dispar;ipenucnt.
without danger Of offending them,
II may interest yop to know that the facts
7 have presented were developed bY family oua
rels among the railroad men. Some Of ii
eo,porasors thought they did not get cnoug
| public business; others found fault beeau
I they didn't get all Of it; and Ill Of them a
: frantic because the Government docs not .:
Its hills. They have, in fact killed the goo
which laid the golden egg. Hereafter aEu
Notwithstanding perhaps in Penns1
| vania-will probably be let by contract. II