The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-01-06
rre.xht., Railroads and Farmers.

Alnost everything. including national poll
tiles, is becoming, In Illinois, of less interest
than the question Of transit. Winter has but
Just fairly been inaugurated, and yet, since
the close of autumn, we have had mass meet
ings of farmers and shippers at a halt dozen
prominent points 10 the state, all held with
reference to high freight charges and new
lines OF transit. Among the places at which
meetings have been held are DeKalb. DeKalb
county; Morris, Grundy county; Blooming
ton, Mclean county Freeport, Stephenson
county and Sterling, Whiteside county,
besides others, less formal, in 10 Daviess
county and other points on tho Northwestern
railroad.
Ia all these meetings two points have been
paramount-demandsf for new lines of transit
and the extortionate charges of the North
western and other railroads. In all these
meetings there have been adopted. with en-
tire uuanimity, resolutions asking for i'm
provement of channels of communicate i, and
others, severely denunclatory of the manage
ment of the railroads, or, more strictly speak
ing, of that of the Northwestern railroai. On
the other hand. the railroads have taken the
field, and deny every charge of extortion,
and assert that freights are no higher now,
in proportion than they have been.
In the convention held at Sterling, On
Tuesday, Mr. Small, of DeKalb county, stat.
ed, in substance that ''he and the people o.!
Dekalb county were fighting the Northwest
ern railroad and would continue to. They
were not so badly off rs the people of White
side. for by hauling their grain TO the Chica.
60. Burlington & Q iincy railroad they could
send it on that line to the Southside elevat-
ors, in Chicago, Beyond the reach of the
Northwestern company. where they got from
Is to 80 cents per bushel more for it," In
the report of the remarks of Mr.. Gait to the
same meeting, there occars the following
with reference to the Northwestern railroad ::
ssHe showed that one lot OF freight cost 81 81
to come from Pittsburgh to Chicago, over 900
m les, and $6,4 from Chicago to Sterling 1870
miles. Another lot OF frelghl, same distance cost
S7;36 to Chicago from Pittsburgh, and IS IS to
Sterling from Chicago. On machine sent to
Fort Wayne from Sterling it cost 81 ,43 from Chi
cago to Fort Wayne, las miles, and $685. from
Sterling TO Chicago. Another machine sent to
the same place showed the cost to Chicago S4,2l
and thence to Fort Wayne 81 ,3l.''
Ia the remarks of Mr.. Whiting. of Bureau,
TO the Sterling convention, he said that it
costs merchants as much to get freight from
Chicago to Bureau, Ito miles. as it does to
get the same freight from New York or Bost-
on to Chicago.
Mr.. Henry said that in 1860 the freight on
grain from Sterling TO Chicago l6 cents
per cwt. /; in 1862 it was Il cents; in 1868
10 cents; and now it is 29 cents.
All these are very serious charges against
the Northwestern road, and particularly the
difference IN price which the grower receives
who ships his grain by railroad leading to
the Southside elevators. If what Mr. Small
says be true. there is difference Of Is to 80
cents a bushel ON grain that Is shipped by
the Northwestern and that shipped by the
Chicago, Burlington Quincy railroad We
are curious to know how the Northwestern
can explain this difference without con Tossing
TO the possession OF something very close akin
10 an "extortionate monopoly"
Nor can the difference between freight east
of Chicago and that west be explained by the
general principle of the comparatively high
character of way freight. Admitting this
principle 10 a reasonable extent, and it will
still fail to explain why it costs more to ship
from Chicago TO Sterling than it does from
Pittsburgh 10 Chicago.
The statement of Mr.. Henry with reference
TO the difference between freights on grain
in 1860 and 1865 differs materially from tina,
made by Mr.. Tappan, general freight agent
OF the Northwestern railway. He asserts as
follows:
'Slnce the high prices of 1864 and a part OF
1869, two reductions in grain rates have been
made oy this as well as all other western lines
June |, 1865, the rate from Sterling, on corn and
oats, was reduced to Do cents per hundred pound =,
and again Nov. ], 1865, to 81 cents per 100 lbs :;
and rye and barley were given the benefit of this
last reduction.''
According TO this, grain freights which in
1860 were 10 cents, are 81 cents, and, if this
be true. the rise is not at all disproportionate
to the increase in value of materials and the
difference In the value of currency. @
Giving the Northwestern railroad the ben
eft of the above explanation it still leaves
unexplained the Is to 80 cents per bushel
spoken of by Mr., Small and the difference
between eastern and western frei shts alluded
to By Mr.. Gait. Both of these are of suffici.
emf Importance to merit the attention of the
Northwestern road. 1t should either contra
dict these statements, (if they be not true,
or else correct the evils complained Of The
meetings held at these various points and the
unanimity and enthusiasm shown at each,
indicate that there is very bitter feeling
against that railroad.
1t is true that railroads, and especially
those having no competition, can afford, tenn
porarily, to defy public opinion. But, in the
long run. contest between a railroad and
public opinion will end, nearly always, in
the triumph of the latter. We suggest to the
Northwestern company the propriety of at
ouce, attempting to settle this difference with
The people along their routes. Where there
Is SO much smoke there must be some fire,
and the wide spread dissatisfaction expressed
and reiterated against the Northwestern rail-
road IS evidence that there must be a sub.
stantial basis for this feeling. - Chicago
Times.