Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-01-31

4
transport promptly ell the freight tina
could be brought here.
| Possibly il could be, bat it is not, and
will not be 30 prepared until competition
compels il. Will owners and merchant
first pile up bales Of cotton and hogs
heads of tobacco and barrels of pork
lard and -four by the thousand here, anC
then give the sixty days notice, or viii
they not take their goods elsewhere, nm
/ til the, railroad company gives notice
that it is already prepared and invites
custom? This idea of waiting for sixty
| days notice to prepare for Forwarding
| freight, may have had it's influence up
on the hotel question, for the progress
made towards the erection of a new and
commodious hotel, indicates q disposi
ton to wait until few hundred stran-
gers camp out on the wharf, and in The
suburbs, and give notice that they want
food and shelter. The absurdity is as
apparent in the one case as in the other.
five are not prepared 10 properly
entertain strangers, they win not come
here, ,Anor win they send here their prop
erty intended for market, until they
are assured that they can, at any time,
send it elsewhere, if they 6nd it expe
dient to doso. as.s=sr-
A little wholesome competition would
tend to correct all the evils mentioned
and reduce prices, and dispose the
managers of roads all the way from
here to New York, to be q little more
obliging and accommod aiing. If we
had two roads each would try to excel
the other in promptly forwarding goods,
and in providing for the speedy transit
and safety and comfort Of passengers;
and the knowledge abroad that such
competition existed, would bring to this
city vast quantities of goods and thou
sands of passengers that would other
wise pass us by; and every pound Of
goods and every passenger passing
through the city. leaves some money,
though it may be no more than the price
Of meal, or twenty-five or fifty cents 10
draymsn or hackman. If one road
would bring coal and wood to the city,
and thereby save to the city twenty-five
to thirty-three per cent. of the cost of
those articles, the manager of the other
road would not dare to refuse TO do the
same thing. Whereas, in the absence
OF competition our one road refuses to
do it, and may, with impunity, refuse to
carry coal or wood, even for machinists
and other persons in the employ of the
company.
The existence of two roads, running
in com petition with each other, would
benefcially affect the interests Of every
citizen more or less, aud mechanics and
others who depend on railroads for en-
ployment - especially such as have
good reputation for skill and
ideIity-would feel the influence of
such competition directly and al
most instantly, in divers ways. First
in the increase of wages. Second.
ly in the manifestation by the managers
Of regard for their interests in such
small matters as the transportation of
fuel and provisions for them, and allow
ing them occasionally little time, to
be devoted to private affairs and recrea
ton, without docking their wages; and
thirdly in the more respectful bearing
Of the employers towards those in their
employ The pressing wants Of de
pendent wife ahd children would never
compel q worthy man to submit to neg
lect, insult or injury, or the hard terms
of Monopolist. He would never incur
the pain and morti6catipn of reeounting
to them his wrongs and humiliation,
and hearing them plead "humhly submit
for q time. Sasri6ce your pride and
dignity upon. the alter of affection. Our
necessities demand it. A better time is
coming" On the contrary, with the
proud conciousness of manhood, he
would resent the wong and seek employ.
ment where his services would be fairly
compensated, and his character Justly
appreciated. rAt - ~
Whether the last few sentences may
be appropriately applied to the Evans
vile h Charlottesville Railroad and its
employees or. not, I am not advised.
| hope and am inclined to believe not.
The language was suggested by the
well known course OF monopolists gen
orally, and especially of such of them
as have no tangible ex'stence-private
corporations without body, soul or con-
science, and bAt rarely Influenced by
generous or charitable impulses
The city of Evansville subscribed
5000, 900 to the stock Of the Straight
Line Railroad Company, and the town
| of Lamasco City subscribed $50, 900
together $250,00 Evansville paid
100000 in bonds, and Lamasco no
thing, and there is, therefore, unpaid
one hundred and 6fty, thousand dollars
-(exclusive of eight years interesO, of
the amount which the two corporations
agreed to pay. A suit is pending in the
1 TT-skn1 M India a n lis
against Evansville, to recover Sl0O, 900,
With interest for over eight yeas at seven
per cent. The result of this suit, if
prosecuted to final Judgment, is SUR
rounded by all the doubts usually incl
dent to litigation, and we may have to
pay in cash, in satisfaction of the judg
ment, $l60,000 or more, which will not
benefit US to the amount of one cent,
but go into the hands of eond holders.
We can avoid this hazard il the city
will take $l50,000 of the stock of the
new company-the Evansville and Gin
cinnati' Railroad Company-which will
be expended in completing the road and
secure to us the benefit of the 500, ,O0O
already paid, as well as of the new sub
scrip,ion. All responsibility upon the
i old subscription for the 500 600 now in
suit, will be at an end, and We will have
ii no more to pay than the two corpora
, tions agreed twelve years ago exclusive
: OF interest," when we were not half as
7 able to pay as We are now, and instead
! of wasting our money, We will reap ths
j. benefit of it in the increase of popula
, ton and .busine ness, in the enhanced value
/, Of real estate, in the greater demand fol
: labor and higher wages, and in the re
! duction of the cost Of many articles Q
| prime necessity. lssaal
t The enemies of progress class o
v men to oe found in every community
9 say we sho1ld not finish the Straigh
' Line road now, because it will compet
I with and cripple the Evaasville an
: CrawfordsviIle road, which can now q
Is all the business without earning sntt
cient sum to pay dividends Ny rep
8 is, We want and need competition, Wit
a ont which trade must languish. The
le is now no more business than one ros
20 can do, because the surplus stops
: Ga. ~ Now "A lhnnU