New-York tribune., 1871-09-22
RAILWAY PROBLEMS.

CONFERENCE OF RAILWAY MANAGERS.
~re RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS AND THEIR WORK
ROADS AND THEIR PR0SPECrc-THE
= COMPETING INTEREsTs-ROUTEsT TO THE WEST
Roarox. Sent. 2O.-A conference OF repre-
fren the leading railway corporations Of Mas
snsusetts met In this oy yesterday to eonsut VITA the
ra.r Of Railway Commissioners OF the State The con-
vas called By recent circular OF the Board, and
b~d for s object zach reform in the maRaSemeht oi
trains AID signals should secure greater safeV 70 P
.sn.ars over the various State lines Of travel the
uwav corporstens Of the State were represented as
tssAows: ,s..
seoS Wsdo snS nson VcePresident NewBedford and
Ssns"e nas z Francs Uoss8e Presidents william Mer
ts superintendent Eastern oy GeorSe Hd N uepgw
Williams Drectef Connecticut RyeT BY Daniel ssner Il
Harris President; Cape Cod ey T. HoS Sepin
sssssst and E Maset Dsrsy od Colony
and Newport by william H Bullock, superintendent ana @
ch4ss Prssden. @
teadent; Providence and Worcester BY William al, H1a' ~
P.Ser superintendent and Mr. Clark Of the
Hartford and SewHaSen BY W. Burei fresia9Ss, RN.
ssn and ProSidsnce, By the Hon. John H Clifford Presi
dent and A. A. Folsom Superintendent snt
atopngtop by J. b. Gardner, Assistant
There were also present the HoK John Alley sS repre-
sehung Committee OF citizens OF Lynn on '4o & ne's b
sSs%pscott COMMITTEES and Con. wNam Raymond Lee;
who was for long time Aentined Win eEe ooS'on "u
Providence Railroad-
Mr.. Adams of the Board Of Commissioners, In pre-
mnary speech dwet upon the necessity OF the earnest
cooperation Of the Railway Managers with the Board
and proposed that convenience In the
Of details such as to be discussed representatives
prosent OF different corporations should appoint COM
mittee from their number to represent them In turn
In consultation with Commissioners. This would
facilitate the direct consideration Of proposed reforms
as well as the Investigation. which the Commissioners
proposed to conduct into the Of the late disaster
ut Revere. Messrs. Chaplin Clifford, and others spoke
IN support OF the views Of Mr. Adams and the following
gentlemen appointed to constitute the Committee
Hon. John H. Clifford Of the Boston and Providence d.
Waldo Lincoln Of tire Boston and Albany, john B. Wins
low Of the Boston sad Lswsl, William Mcuits OF the
Bosesa end Maine. and Daniel L Harris Of the Conneo
hcus River RailrOsd. '
After sen,e further action Of Hs general Importance
tho meeting waa dissolved, having effected ell TIE Pre-
mnary organization necessary to the acten and inVes
tiglon eouseled by the Board Of Commissioners This
Board occupies important place In Massachusetts
only recently attracted much attention from
without the State that cannot but be explanatory and
instructive to append to this notice Of the conference
some account the Railway Commissioners thcr duties,
and tho problems before them for considerston
Tho Board OF Railway Commissioners was constituted
by tho Legislature Of 1862 and composed OF James e.
Converse. E lward Appleton, and Chas- p. Adams Jr.
II has but small portion Of actual power. but in the
way OF general observation and Recommendation its
duties arc comprehensive and dfcut The larger share
Of the falls Mr. Adams, though his colleagues
arc experienced and practical men, and general harmony
prevails IN the Board But the composition OF the Board
was q guarantee from start that nfe energy and
courage were characterize It's action and the eI?ec
taon has been more than fulaed in the annual reports
The last several which severely
shocked the conservatives The most important were;
PSrst: The passage Of general railroad law similar TO
TO that In NewYort and designed to avoid the evil OF
special legislation the Of charters Second The
purchase by the State Of tho Ftchburg Railroad for the
purpose testing the results Of low tariffs and State
management. Both these propositions were defeated.
and In such way to indicate clearly that
public sentiment was not ready for 30 sweep
ing Q change contemplated at least
by the second plan. Nevertheless, the Commits
soners argument for low freight tariffs has never been
answered. and Is confeesody unanswerable. Accord
ngy they deermnod to make appeal directly to the
companies themselves and issued circular letter. which
forth at some length the reasons for believing
that tho present tariffs freight exOrb,tanty high;
that they a burden on production, and, conse-
quently. the freight business ITSELF that general
and uniform reduction would relieve industry stimu-
late business and Increase receipts both gross and nett
aud the report concludes with ntmation Of the
threat that unless these reductions are mado
voluntarily by the roads themselves they will be made
by the Legislature under it's reserved power to regulate
tariffs Commonwealth 1t Of course too early to
know much the effect Of this circular the COM
panles but their replies are to be published with the
next report OF the Commissioner The expectation
Of these gentlemen that the Legislature viii support
them may may not be well founded but certainly the
reception OF their favorite projects last year not
basis for q very firm reliance.
Meanwhile 1t is to be observed that this action Of the
Railway Commissioners, well their scheme Tor State
purchase OF the Fchburg Railroad Is element in the
general problem Of communication and freight traffic
with the West II s believed to have important bear
ing the competition for tho grain trade. There Is.
perhaps no feature In which Is apparent the new
commercial energy OF Boston, than the sctve and far
seeing plans for securing and better lines OF rail-
road to the Great West. Some Of these digested
sornc mpracticabo, and pushed by specu-
laors whose presence Is obstacle at all times. But
there certain geographical basis about which the pub
lie interest crystazes itself integenty and hopefully
and which 70 show pretty accurately lines and
routes by which Boston is likely to realize the best re-
suits n its bid for tae Western trade
Mr. Dana began his argument for the Hartford and
Eric loan year ago, by pointing that in the old In
dian trading days there three wellde1ued routes
froEo Boston westward. One the southwest, one
the northwest, and enc duo west; and he maintained
that railroad projectors must conGne themselves sub
stGntiay to these lines selected they by the ma
tive sagacity OF the red In that classification OF
course the Boston, Hartford and Erie represents the
southwest the Boston and Albany the due west
wh;e the northwest is occupied by the Fchburg and
the Boston and Lowell parallel and In many ways
reting roads yet both forming part Of general route
But Mr.. Danas illustration failed owing to Gov ClaAn,
loan for bis clients and the southwestern
route at present occupied may be dismis ed with
very few words As 10 well known the first Berdell
mort gage has been forceosed and tho Hartford and
Efe practically In the hands OF trustees under
that mortgage Tho security Of the State for It's interest
IN the road is in the Berde bonds the ex ciment Of
State Is already undergoing trial to that
tent which s OF course, insufficient to give much pfactt
cal value to the resul OF tho Intentions OF the bsn
holders there contrary reports but tho best author