The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-10-19
asd Railroad ConseIi

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terranean.
MISREPRESENTATION asd Railroad Console
dation.
We published yesterday an account OF
meeting at Cooper Institute, which had for its
object the facilitating Of freight transportation
throughout the United States Broad and
valuable resolutions were passed, the whole
tending to aid the national railway bills before
Congress. New lines arc, however, scarcely
required between the Mississippi and the
Atlantic. consolidation of tho existing ones
is the proper measure for private and Congress
sional effort
When railroad building was in its infancy
little was understood OF our trade development
as nation. Commercially, as well as politi-
cally, ideas were contracted TO State progress
and State trade. The result naturally followed.
E,ch State made its own laws relative 70
internal commerce. If they conAicted with
those Of tho adjoining proyinceit msttered not,
for trade to them was local, not national,
Again, within the States themselves there were
no comprehensive plans formed relative TO The
flow Of land traffic. The valley courses, the
noun ain ranges and all the governing topo-
graphical features were never taken into
consideration. All was left to the petty
rivalries Of small companies, who built
ther lines of road 10 accommodate the little
local interests which the road controlled.
Even in the largest corporations these infu-
ences were more or loss the governing forces,
xph QtpfN
their action. To 60 beyond State boundaries
TO reach more distant trade it became nsces-
sary to connect i'm most cases. with new cor
poretions, each with its own management and
each subject to State charter, which was, In
many instances, antagonistic to that Of the ad-
joining State. Moreover, great difficulties arose
in fixing tariff of prices for transportation.
Every ion Of freight paid the cost Of two or
more manag ements, and the whole Interchange
| of products throughout the country supported
host Of useless officers, whose local manage
ment WAS as petty as the road itself But there
was still greater evil. Each State was, by
its railway system, collecting duties by an indi-
rectly established system Of internal customs;
for the more States ton Of freight passed
through tho more tax 1t paid, on account
Of territorial divisions, or rather imaginary
boundary lines. We have drawn this picture
in the past that It may be the more easily
brought home to our people AZ something
that should be OF the past II is. however,
the general rule Of the present, as 1t was Of
twenty years ago. Whatever gigantic results
have arisen from the unrolling Of our Euro
pean-born, but merican-nurtured. energies,
va have sgnally failed to make the bes! use
OF our powers.
To-day the railways Of the United States
represent money value Of about two thousand
millions Of dollars. It may be safely said that
five hundred millions OF this amount have been
expended foolshly in lines which have no
bearing in a comprehensive system such as
would to-day, were 1t possible, be designed TO
suit the internal commerce Of The country and
DO consistent viii . wise employment Of
governed individual effort produces In
The United States, nothing can be more salient
but how much greater might have been
the results had thes, efforts, under a
wise direction, been continental in their grasps
France, very wisely, has commission ap
pointed to report upon every railway project.
If 1t in any way conflicts with the great prin-
. ciples which are laid down for the best inter
nal development of the trade of the empire, it
is discarded. Not so with us a road may be
built wherever promised profits may raise tho
capital. The result has been that but very
few or our railways have eyer paid fair in
tcrest on tho investment
This narrow system will no longer answer
our purposes. The only method now il to try
and bring little order out of the railway chaos,
and this can alone be done by consolidation
on the lines Of tho great trade currents. These
lines are quite numerous, but all Of the
utmost importance 10 our national greatness.
The most northern one must run from Port
land through Canada and across the Continent.
From Boston runs also a great artery to tap
the vast products of the interior. There the prin-
ciple Of consolidation has already been forced
upon tho Great Western Railway Company,
which has just united with the Boston and
Worcester, making q single corporation to
connect with the New York Central, OF which
it should form q part. We next come TO the
New York Central and Erie roads, which
should both have an unbroken management
from New York to the heart OF the West
Fortunately, there is at tho head aud from.
of these ideas one of our greatest railway
kings, Mr.. Vanderbilt, who, FULLY alive TO
the importance OF consolidation, is labor
ing hard to effect 1t in the case Of the
New York Central and its connecting links.
To succeed Is to bring barrel OF -four from
Chicago 70 New York in two days while il
will inaugurate rapid and cheaper system Of
transportation which can but bring incstimable
benefits to our metropolis aud tn, whole coun-
try at large. Much has been done in tho Erie