Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-04-08
Railroad Kings and Railroad Mo
nOpOlieS.

There has been going on for some weeks a
Cornelius Vanderbilt of New York are the
principal combatants, although each one OF
these gentlemen has large and influential
interest supporting him. Vanderbilt and
his friends have controlling interest in the
New York Central, the Hudson River and
desire to get control of the Erie railroad
which is competing road to the New Yor k
Central from New York City to Buffalo and
The West Drew and the directors of the
Erie road, in the progress of the war, have
been compelled to leave New York City and
jersey, to escape iniunctions and other pro-
cess issuing out of the courts of New York
against them Vanderbilt seems to have
control of the New York legislature, while
Drew controls the New Jersey assembly
The stocks of the rival corporations have
fluctuated wildly in the market, and fortunes
have been made and lost by those operating
in them Drew has issued ten millions OF
new stock of the Erie road, which he claims
his corporation have a right to issue, and
which the Vanderbilt interest insist is all
illegal and fraudulent. Freight and passen-
ger tariffs on the Erie road have been con-
siderably reduced. Drew claims that Van
derbilt's object is to get control of the Erie
he ha sof the Central, and thus have it in
his power to charge what rates he peases on
the traffic on both roads If Vanderbilt gets
control of both roads, he will unquestionably
have greater power in respect to railroad
transportation than any other man in the
country, and will be in possession of rail
road monopoly which will be able to do just as
it pleases. This telegraph to the Troy Times
shows something of his way of using power
Mr.. Vanderbilt has issued orders to the
agents of the Central Road, to receive no
freight consigned to the care of any steam
boat or river line IN Albany The object of
this movement is to deprive the boats of
freight, and insure the carrying monopoly
to the Hudson River and Harlem Railroads.
1t is regarded as hlghhanded proceeding,
setting at defiance the law applicable to com
mon carriers. 1t shows what monopoly will
inevitably work out unless the Legislature
promptly lnterferes to protect the people
So far as Vanderbilt and Drew are inG-
vidually concerned there is very little if any
general interest felt in this fight. But the
public have decided interest in having com
peting railroads. The experience of this
country during the last ten years proves that
the only chance the people, who desire trans
portation for freight or passengers over rail
roads, have of being readily and cheaply
and operators of rival roads would unques-
tionably be benefited by consolidation and
a monopoly, but the public would suffer.
Railroad managers have Just little con
science as men in other business but unluck-
lily for those who are obliged to use railroads,
it is not an easy thing to build rival road
as corrective for exorbitant charges. And
as the public cannot do this, about their onl,,
chance of not being f1eeced by railroad opc-
rators, is when these managers are at war
among themselves. We are not surprised
therefore to see those who have freight to
transport over the Central or the Erie, gen
orally hoping that Vanderbilt will not sue
coed in swallowing the Erie as he has al
ready swallowed the Central, Harlem and
Hudson.
Whether this war has any lesson worth
considering in reference to the management
of railroads in this State, we leave for our
readers to consider. OF one thing, however.
we quite sure, and that is, that the more
we have, while they are kept under
rival and competing management, the better
for those who live at the competing points.
The interests of the people of this State lies
not in a consolidated, but in an independent
and rival control of our lines of railways.