The Portland daily press., 1865-08-29
RAILROAD AND HoTnr, FARDs 4

10 u DEAcA cuappcr VI complaints against tne
managers of railroads and the proprietors Of
hotels for continuing the high charges, which
they were enabled TO exact when gold touch
ed 2.S0. He suggests that this is extortion,
and with gold at LAO there is no good reason
why decline in these charges should not be
witnessed by the patient, forbearing and long
suffering travelling public.
We insert the communication because it
comes from one of the best-known and most
influential gentlemen of this State. and not
because we look for any results, or believe
that any amount Of mere fretting and scolding
will cure or even relieve the evil complained
Of
These things ike everything else in BUSH
ness, are subject to the great memorable law
OF trade and commerce-the law of demand
and supply. The truth is, hotels are crowded
to overlooking; railroads have surfelt OF trav-
Ell, and are taxing their rolling stock to its fnll
capacity. If a hotel proprietor has comfort
able accommodations for one hundred guests
and butfifty persons apply for these accommo-
dations, he has motive for making efforts to
draw additional custom, aud he will do so !;
and one oil these efforts viii be reduction of
his charges, provided he can afford to do so.
He viii tempt the public to travel, and the
traveller to give him call, by assurances of
fine accommodations and good fare at low,
or at least reasonable price.
But suppose for these accommodations for
b11n fxxyo h,,a oio
orous in their applications, and he finds it I'M
possible to meet the demands made upon him.
how can he be expected to reduce his price
What motive has he for so doing? He could
probably, sell all his accommodations, even
should he still increase his charges. The law
yer or doctor who is overborne with profess
sional practice, is not likely to reduce his fees
the clergyman who is in constant receipt of
loud "calls' is not likely to mderrate his SER
vices; the grocer who finds it difficult to keep
his stock up to the wants of his customers, is
not the man to commence selling cheap, nor is
any other business man likely to adopt low
scale of prices for his services or his mer-
chandize, when they are in great demand.
The crowded boats can keep up prices, SO of
the cars, so of the hotels, so of private board
ing-houses. Freights rule high when the
amount to be shipped is beyond the capacity
of the tonnage available for the purpose of ship
ping it. This is the rule of trade. It is mex
orable Our hotel keepers and railroad man
ayers are governed by this rule or law, and no
amount of fretting, fault-finding or scolding
viii disturb them, so long as their beds, tables
and cars are full and hundreds of Others, like
fifth calves, stand looking on with watering
mouths, anxious to step in the moment some
body else steps out.
What, then, Is the cure of the evils COM
planned of? There are two modes of cure. one
to decrease the demand, the other to incredse
The supply. If one half of the travel would
drop off there would be empty cars, and spare
rooms at the hotels, and both railroad man
ayers and hotel proprietors would begin to
look about for inducements to draw the crowd
toward themselves. One of the first induce
msnts offered would be low fares. og4
But people will not stop travelling, nor are
we sure that it is desirable that they should
10 so. We are aware that most people indulge
the feeling that next week, or next month, or
next year things viii change, and that more
comfort will be found at hotels and in cars.
that the watering places will de less crowded,
and thatpurses will be drawn upon more spar
ingly. People have been indulging similar ex-
psctations for years, and they have been as
constantly disappointed in the results that have
followed. Travel increases yeaaly. 1t will in
crease with the increased attractions and ia
cilities, and we see no probability of relief
from the evils of which our correspondent
complains, growing out of decreasing de-
mand upon the accommodations furnished to
the travelling public by cars and hotels.
But relief may come in another direction;
from an increase of supply. In other words,
we want more hotels we want enough SO that
all can be accommodated and the accommo-
dations not be exhausted In this way the
charges at these establishments will lessen.
Competition will arise between hotel propri-
etors, and in this the traveller win find pro-
lection. Everybody knows that Portland
needs fifty per cent. more good hotel room
than she now has. One hundred per cent. in
crease would perhaps not be disadvantag eous
to the public, and what is true of this city, in
this respect, is true to greater or less extent,
of most of the cities of the country,
So of railroads Instead Of having too ma
ny, we have not enough We should have
competing lines to Boston. We should have
competing lines on all the great routes of
travel and transportation. If not competing
lines of rail, where practicable we should have
steamers in competition with them. This ac-
complished we should find competition be-
tween the rival lines. They would strive to
Guido each other in the quality and quantity
of their accommodations, and to underbid each
other on rates of fare.
This is perfectly legitimate way of curing
the evils of high railroad fares and hotel bills.
1t is the only effectual way. Travel is large
and will not decrease. The supply of the trav-
eler's wants must equal the demand, or exhor-
bitant rates will rule.
SAGADAHOC COUNTY.