Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-09-01

Au important and very significant c.rculsr
has been addressed by the Railroad Commission
trs Of Massachusetts, 20 the officials Of the sew
eral railroad corporations Of the State. urging a
reduction of fares Il Is sdmiijei that the last
increase Of tariffs, about seven years sco, was
-he1 warranted Uy the increased c0-t OF nearly
everything which entered into the operation Of
raiIrc8ls. ~ ithiu the lsst few yesrs. however
government taxes were taken OIL and the roads
have yci Che advantages Of great reluc-
ton % values. The locomotive which formerly
cost 10000, nov costs but 1900; Ameri-
can rails which, SIX yesgs ago, cost $50 uer
ton. now sell for between $50 and : ~ foreign
rails have fallen in price In the same proportion
Sc gl.l fuel, which, during the war, cost cur
companies s L. per ton, now costs the same
companies s steel las feilen even more than
iron, and 4 sens.b reduction has taken place in
nearly every other artiole Of railroad supplies
On The other hand. the gross earnings OF the
Massachusetts roads have increased. since 1860,
from nine 60 twenty-five millions Of dollars au-
nuslly. and their net earnings from less than
three to considerably over six millions.
We reproduce these figures, because they form
the strongest support to The argument Of the
Commissioners. They 20 far. also, TO justify
the feeling Of dissatisfaction undoubtedly exist
ing in the community on the subject Of railroad
fares, sud which found such marked expression
in the last legislature, which came nesr passing
a bin fixing the minimum rstes Of fares. While
the Stse clearly has the power to take control Of
this matter, there are dozen reasons why it
should defer exercising it rs long as possible
The railroad corporations themselves sre the
best Judges Of what reduction, itsny. they ought
to make, 4ni We cannot doubt that when their
directing minds come 10 fully consider the mat
ter, iE connection with the evident feeling Of the
public, they will eyince every proper disposition
10 respond 90 the suggestions Of the Commission
ers. The interests of our railroads and Of our
general business community, in the long run,
are Identical. Low f4res-by which we mean
such as still yield a fair margin Of proht-give
a more direct sud powerful stimulus to trade
and thst. in turn, swells the receipts Of the
rosds Such, as the Commissioners state, has
been the uniform result Of every experiment in
the reduction Of railroad fares in Massachusetts,
Of late years They believe that the present
juncture is peculiarly favorable for renewing
these results on an enlarged sca e.
The suggestions they make as to the princi-
pies on wi hich the reduction should be applied,
we cannot but regard as judicious and prsc-
ticable They doubt the wisdom of distributing
the reduction through too many objects or try
ing TO make it Uniform throughout the whole
tariff. Such an expedieut is LIST On the public
mind, has 10 effect the development Of
business and its only consequence is apt 20 be
diminution on profits. But by taking certain
commodities in general use, especially such as
enter largely into manufacturing industry or
home consumption, ike coal, snd making its
rates materially less, decided impetus will be
given to every branch Of industry dependent
upon its use With one road will be one Glass of
freights or fares, and with another it will be
smother class. The effect of the chespening
movement, however, if once begun, will be to ex-
tend ill it touches every industry and interest
in the State. We cannot doubt that the intelli-
gent men who have 50 long directed cur rsil-
road system and brought it into such creditable
comparison with that OF other states. will take
this sppesl Of the Commissioners into candid con-
siderstion, to be followed by such practical
action as its force shall seem to warrsni.-Bos
Ton Journal.