The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-10-15
Railroad Conso1iIa tion.


Many persons of prominence and infu-
ence are "goiDg it blind" on crude and
undigested opinion about the blessings of
consolidation of railroads. There are two
sorts Of consolidation of roads-one of
management, and the other of cooperation.
The Government of Great Britain and that
of France have carried out with perfection
the latter. This country has put in force
the former upon some very extensive lines.
Cooperation, under the general laws of
nation, has for its object the common bene-
fit and convenience of everybody. The ia
riffs Of transportation are uniform over the
land, and the obligations to give dispatch
to all freights imperative so that however
small a package may be shipped from the
obscurest station to another obscure station,
IL goes with as much certainty and facility
TO its destination as though it were sent to
the greatest city in the land. Under this
system in England the faithfulness and
promptness with which everything is sent
is admirable. A friend of ours travelling
in the kingdom left his shawl on his seat in
train in the north of England. Missing
it after he left the station, he informed the
conductor, and requested that it be for
warded to town in Scotland. Being COM
PEELED afterwards to travel faster than he
anticipated, the shawl did not oyertake
him !; but it nevertheless followed him from
station to station until he reached London
Could that be possible in this country ?-a.e.,
would the railroad companies, without the
Intervention Of ADAMS & Co., do any such
thing, and that, too, without charge? Ger
tainly not.
Now, what is American consolidation
Monopoly of long line of railway under
one president and board of directors. One
Of such ines-that, for instance, under
Commodore VANDERBLT-thegr greatest, most
avaricious, and ruthless monopolist this
country has ever known-endeayors to mo-
nopolize freights and break down opposing
lines by reducing treights bet,oeen such
points only as maybe necessary to strilte
the opposition. At the same time exorbi-
tant, or at least higher, rates are main
tanned on all parts Of the line aohich are
safe from competition. So that we have a
cut-throat game between these monster mo-
nopolists which is not carried on for the
public good, but for personal and local ad-
Vantage, and which positively tyrannizes
over and brushes communities in their
power. Through .freights are the prize
fought for. Those freights have all dis
pateh' and are rushed through without
giving cities in the way chance for trade
IN them. The wayside population are op-
pressed with ruinous adverse discrimina-
lions IN freights, and subjected to DELAYS
which are often disastrous.
Power has seldom appeared in any coun-
try in more dishonest and oppressive
form. II railroads are intended for the
concentration of all commerce in a few
cities, and to destroy by odious discrimina-
ton all enterprising communities of lesser
magnitude, it is al right; but if that is
not the intention Of their construction, if
they are really designed for the general
benefit, then there is great reform de-
manded.
In our own State, General MALONE was
the pioneer of the American system Of
consolidation" His declaration of prin-
ciples is unexceptionable equality of rates
and privileges to all. But, then, do we not
see that his line may be the victim of power
in the hands Of richer corporations ? Do
We not hear that his plan is already seri-
ously prejudiced by the far-reaching saga
city and power Of northern men and money,
which have gained control Of line in the