The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-05-06

A well established law OF railroad econ
omics is that speed is the essence OF rail
road expenses. This rule, as general
/ stated. is that the cost of moving increase
the square of the velocity. Thus speed {
I ten miles per hour would be equal to 1Ot
4 twenty equal to 400. forty equal to l0UO.-
/ This tremendous difference in the cost @
/ moving trains being as sixteen dollars Z
/ four dollars between an express train an
| the ordinary speed Ofmail and accommodation
trains is entirely lost sight of the principl
/ of pro rata rates. The eXigeRcies of trad
will require greater differences IN speed :.
I the business of the country become deNeI
I oped. 1t has been proven that coal roa'
/ ION double tract. so as TO avoid delay rs
and endangering other trains,) having littl
other business, and having 10 return TO 1t
cars empty. and to freight at a very lOW rat
per mile under a sharp competition, wa
enabled to realize a fair living proht wheI
it reduced its trains TO seven miles per houl
and not a higher speed. Ten miles per houl
is considered the greatest average speed o
through freight trains.
Bat certain things may be considered
settled in railway management Among
them l mention few: IL i fundamental
that every road must be managed with 2
view to its earnings, expenses, repairs and
adequate remuneration, for the capital in
vested. This is necessary 20 all parties
All thinking men concede that unprohtapie
roads do not satisfactorily respond 10 the
llSI expectations Oh LiltiI pdLlDA-s IL l. liz
Interest OF all parties that they seould pay.
Especially is it for the interest of the com
E.unity directly reaping the advantages oil
a good, safe, well managed road, or, rather,
reaping the Inconvenience and GIScomIOrts
of an unsafe. unreliable one for the transac-
ton of their daily business. Hence it is seen
that it is for the interest of all concerned
that every road should do all the business
l. can procure from which any profit can be
realized, although the rates may be far be-
low the average rate charged. 1t Is also
well settled thai it is the duty and the inter
est of every railroad to foster and develop
its local business, by which / mean the
business arising on its line and not diYertl-
bic therefrOm by rival routes. Prom this
local business it derives its chief support,
aud TO it it must primarily look for the in
come neeItul for its success. The local IN
terests of the people upon line cannot be
antagOnistic 70 the road so long as the rates
charged are just and proper. They most
certainly are Just and proper so long as they
will no more than yield a fair income upon
the capital invested in the enterprise and
show a reasonable deduction from the cost
of teaming. 1t has been suggested that 1t
is unfair TO charge rates for local business
higher for distances carried than for through
business. This is found TO be tallacy.-
From the railroad the community receives
all the advantages derived from the differ
ence between railroad charges and the cost
OF teaming in all its local business, which
we have seen in T. case of the farmer living
ten miles away from the market, at low
of two-thirds its cost, 1t is not
wrong or unjust to the farmer living ten
miles away from the market that the farmer
living one hundred miles away should have
his traffic done at a lower rate per mile. pro-
vided it is not done at less than cost, for just
to the extent of the profit made on the hun
bred mile business is the company less able
to carry the less mile business at a lower
race, and still act justly towards the stock
holders.
"Another thing has been proven by eXpe-
the rates on all through or con-
tngent business, by which | mean all Of
which the road is liable to be deprived by
lines, must be alike over all
routes which would compete for it. ire
spective Of their length.
AS no two or three competing roads are
Of the same length, prices charged on any
article of freight between the two compet-
ing points must be at Il different rate per
mile upon each of the routes--Icss per mile
on the longer and more per mile on the
shorter. Each road, therefore. will get
more per mile on some of its traffic than its
rival lines, and less upon other of its traffic.
For example, OttumWa is a competing point
for produce to Chicago, and the Chicago
Burlington and Quincy line, made such by
is connection with the Burlington and
will get more per mile than its
rival, the Des Moines Valley, because it is
the shortest line, while the total is the same
in either case Another thing is settled be
You'd controversy or dispute among rail-
road eXperts-that the through business of
a road, made up generally, as it i, of full
trains, is done at a less cost than local bust
ness picked up Us it comes to the line. This
difference is large and must enter into the
calculation of rates made by the managers
of the roads. A train starting from the Mis-
siSSipPi river partly loaded and partly emp
ty, stopping to leave empty and pick up
loaded ears between the starting point and
Chicago may cost more money to the COM
pany, and earn less, than if it had started
with full train, although the through
freight is at less rates per mile than local
freight from intermediate points. This is
the more marked when the train starts en-
tirely empty. Beside there enters into the
estimate certain depreciation expenses
which do not depend upon the amount of
business done. The natural decay of the
superstructure, bridges, ties, fences, station
buildings, wood part of cars abrasion of the
banks, and certain station expenses are
neither increased nor diminished by the
through or contingent business. This has
been estimated at fully one-third of the
whole expenses of a road, including its
equipment, proving beyond doubt, cavil, or
dispute, that contingent or through business
may be done at two-thirds the average rate
per mile of other business, and afford Is large
profit as the local business, which, with
out the aid of this long business, would
have all this expense to bear
The most troublesome and difficult part
of the railroad business has been the adapta-
ton of the capacities of the road to the end
less variety OF circumstances and conditions
which daily present themselves. If a dead
level of rates were possible, railroad mana
gers would have seized with the greatest
avidity upon the prorata principle,and their
work were then well nigh done. 1t is be-
cause of the utter impossibility of this sys-
tenn that the greatest necessity exists, that
men OF much experience ana capacity TO
Judge of the course of trade, and to foresee
the wants of the country and wisely meet
all the varied wants of the community con-
sistent with the interests committed to them
should be selected as managers of cur roads.
A pro rata rate on passengers is equally
unjust as on freight, although the injus
tice may not DO so apparent, 1t i@-
noreS the difference between the cost
of doing business by wholesale and
retail. Can passenger be carried through
a line of road, being taken Oh and off, with
his baggage at every station, as cheaply and
with as little risk as he can be carried
through at one sittlngY Who lays the sta
tiGn-man IOT handling and caring for his
baggage, for warming and lighting the pas
sengeI-houses Who guarantees that he will
not break his limbs or otherwise inture him
self at the forty or fifty stations where he
gets off? And the least that can be said is
thaG the company runs forty OF Hity clances
to one OF the through passenger; and shall
this passenger demand all this at the same
rate of the wholesale or through passengers
If the matters herein stated are true, it
follows
First, That the pro rata or uniform rate
would be both unjust and impracticable.
Unjust to railroads and their patrons, and
altogether impracticable in their adoption.
Second, That the varied increasing wants
of this new country could not be DEVELOPED
and changed to meet the demand ola denser
population of various industrial pursuits.
''fhird. That with any bill establishing
equal rates per mile per ton of freight, or
per head of passengers, all this business
would be lost to the roads Of Illinois, that
run only within the State. l know not of a
single exception.
FOURTH That the profits thus lost TO the
roads from extraneOus business would have
to be charged on local business thus adding