Litchfield enquirer., 1871-07-20

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 first place, that railway companies have the
 same right as individuals or strictly private
 corporations to. make whatever profits they
 can out of the public. Yet in the very ac,
 he relied on as authorizing practical con
 solidation. the right of ssthe General As.
 sembly to pass any law regulating the
 charges for carrying freight or passengers
 on any such railroad" is expressly mention.
 ed and reserved, The argument that com.
 petition can be relied on to curb the avar-
 ice of railroad company as surely as in
 the case of the manufacturers, Mir. Bishop
 unwittingly refnted, himself, when trying to
 excite the fears of weaker railroads. He then admitted that the competition of other
 routes with that of the N. Y. Central was apparent rather than real.-that the natural advantages of the latter were such that it
 could do living business at rates that
 would ruin all competing lines. Now the
 advantages of MT. Bishops consolidated
 railroad over such competitors as the Conn.
 Western, and the Air Line and Conn. Val.
 ley companies, are still greater; so great, indeed, that all talk of competition is
 mere pretence.
 The next great argument urged by Mir. Bishop. and very queer one to advance to the representatives of the people as it struck us, was the claim that reduction of fares and freights on the consolidated line would break down every other railroad in the State, that it would inevitably at. tract the bulk of the manufacturing and heavy business of the whole State to one narrow belt of country, to the impoverish- ment and depopulation of the rest. As re. gards the interest of the people at large this argument is plainly unsound, nor could have been expected of it, in that direction. It is intended to arouse the fears of smaller railroads and excite them to opposition to the proposed reduction. Even from their point of view we believe that the balance of interest is in the oppo- site direction. The opening up of such business paradise as MT. Bishop pictures could not fail to attract capital from ad- joining States sooner than from the coun. try in our own. Then the lateral arteries of trade would inevitably enlarge with the enlargement of the main artery, and with increase of business would come the abili- ty to lower rates on their part also. To the weak railroads who are desiring in- creased business this reform would be a one to those who care for noth- ing but an immediate increase of profits, all reform is odious.
 Upon what we consider the real point in whether the roads now con. solidated can afford reduction of rates; MT. Bishop added little or nothing to a bare denial of the claim. Incidentally he alluded to facts which seem to be con- elusive. He stated that within the past 20 years the population on the line of the consolidated road had more than doubled. He did not give the exact rate of business increase. but it must have more than quadrupled.' Are the railroad fares on the line reduced in any corresponding propor. bion? During that time the value of those railroads and their property has been in- creased probably fourfold, at least, and they have most of the time paid large div. ldends. The present management of those roads has greatly improved their track, equipment, depot facilities; in rapidity and safety of transportation, and other i'm. portant particulars; but in one respect it has failed to meet the just demands of the public. There has been no such reduction of freights and fares as the Increase of business rendered easily practicable. Mir. Bishops administration has been splendid one, in most respects popular one, but it has failed in the one vital point where these vast corporations will always fail to do the people justice unless held to their duty by. the people themselves-that of granting cheap transportation.
 What would have been the result of this debate had not the chiet opponent of con- solidation been struck down by illness. no one can now say. Nevertheless we do not imagine it would have been materially diff ferent. A man of influence, first class and a most adroit manager, com ing to the House with a single object in view, is very apt to carry his point. In this case. too. the opposition was compar- atively weak. MT. Goodwin of East Hart ford. though something of guerrilla. is no regular debater; Messrs. Hall, Miller, Pratt. Turrill, and others, were interested in too many other questions to give this Che thorough study needed; most of the Democracy went with Mir. Bishop, and most of the lawyers with the railroad com pany. There was evidently no we'll con. certed plan of defence. and the public will probably be obliged to wait another year before they have transportation at reason able rates over the railroads of our consoli- dated companies.
 STRKEs.-A late decision in Massachu-
 satfs held atrikers who xvara s1sino un1av