Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-09-24

Periodically complaints are made against
railroads because Of alleged exorbitant freight
charges. And the one great argument Fl
those who MAKE complaints argument
which they evidently consider unanswerable
is that some road, perhaps the same road,
carries freight greater distance for the same
price charged for less distance. These
complaints are usually made in good faith.
Farmers, especially, are very apt to cherish
the belief that the railroad which transports
thrir produce to market discrimnates against
them, and in consequence OF their want OF
familiarity with the business of transporta-
ton they accept as unquestionable proof
facts which actually have little or nothing to
do with the question The farmers are no
more disposed to be unjust than any other
class of people, and the true method OF dlsa-
busting their minds and avoiding unjust com
plants is to let them know the truth.
The adjustment Of freight tariff is task
both delicate and complicated. Those who
suppose that rates are fixed simply by asccr-
tanning the number of miles the freight is
carried have very limited knowledge OF
D the subject. Let lis suppose railroad run
Y ming by circuitous route between two points
1 which are connected by a shorter line. Oi
!, course it costs nearly the same to transport
II ton of freight mile on one line as on the
1t other, and to convey through freight costs as
!. much more on the long route as it is longer
4 than the other, But to the country through
= which it runs it is the only, certainly the
cheapest, channel of communication. These
IS interior towns can receive their goods and
ship their produce only by this route, except
ii at heavy expense. In truth it is only from
n these towns that the road can transport
10 freight cheaper than any other route, and,
h therefore, it is only for these towns that it
is exists
ID Now il is evident that the railroad must
A, make its expenses and its profits by the bust.
Of ness of that country whose freights il can
l. carry cheaper than any other ronte. But ii
ii does not follow that ii must do no other
10 business. Traffic improbable in itself may
vet be a source of profit in connection with
A. other business. For instance, if there is q
e. heavy freight business eastward on rail-
'e road, and much lighter business westward,
cars and locomotives which carry profitable
he freights to the east must return empty and
ut improbable Now, of course, the charges
IN on the freight must be regulated by the cost
ne of running trains both ways, and anything
We received for transporting freight in the oppo
he site direction will enable the company to di
he minish in charges. If the round trip of {
III freight train costs : 900, all this expense
he must be paid by the freights eastward,
&C. there is no other freight. But if at the Yves
ID, tern terminus freights are received at tn
no rates charged on the shorter route-rates il
MS themselves unremunerative-an Tor thi
all 5000 is received, there remains $500, instca
mt of i 200, which the way-traflic castwar
lilo must pay.
hat The truth is that loaded train is move
en- at an expense very little greater than that I
ork an empty one, and when train must
ne moved, il is better to carry freights at rate
ne, which do not pay for running the train, ratl
we er than to carry nothing and receive notl
ing. Farmers are daily illustrating this SUI
old ject themselves, when they bring back
GU. load of lumber from the station to whlt
ing they are hauling their grain fol much le
AXE price than they would charge for hauir
The grain to the depot Money on their retul
hey trip they consider clear gain. Ralroi
Just companies are like teamsters They &C
her better afford to accept very little for runnil
tied a train rather than nothing at all. II
be whole cost Of a round trip-and its profits
tn must be paid by the sum Of It's traffic, q
S to the greater this can be made without
ulo creasing the expenses, the smaller will
the proportion for each TO pay.
cred This is but single example oil the cau'
wing which make freight charges variable. o.
i no when the demand for cars is equal in bt
US or directions and to all places can the fret!
,ery tariffs be regulated absolutely by the {
d as lance and those who charge with fave
both tism or eXtorion company engaged
transportation do not even make proba
nec- case by showing that bale OF cotton
ards sometimes carried in one direction for
1T or money than is charged for transpoitin!
barrel of flour weighing half as much
same distance in the other direction. "
-, tern PniIJ00H GQgette