Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-08-24
Railroad Fares.

An important and very significant cir
cular has been addressed by the railroad
commissioners of Massachusetts, to the Of
fieials of the several railroad corporations
of the State, urging reduction of fares.
It is admitted that the last increase of
tariffs, about seven years ago, was then
warranted by the increased cost of nearly
everything which entered into the opera
ton of railroads. Within the last few
years, however, government taxes were
taken off, and the roads have enjoyed
the advantages of great reduction in
values. The locomotive which formerly
cost $4,000, now costs but $4,000;
American rails which, six years ago, cost
800 per ton, now sell for between $50 and
$40; foreign rails have fallen in price in
the same proportion as gold fuel, which
during the war, cost our companies Sl2
per ton, now cost the same companies SIS ;;
steel has fallen even more than iron, and
a sensible reduction has taken place in
nearly every other article of railroad sup
plies. On the other hand the gross earn
ings Of the Massachusetts, roads have in
creased, since 1860, from nine to twenty
five millions of dollars annually, and their
net earnings from less than three to con-
siderably over six millions.
We reproduce these figures, because
they form the strongest support to the
argument of the Commissioners. They
go far, also, to Justify the feeling of dis
satisfaction undoubtedly existing in the
community on the subject of railroad
fares, and which found such marked ex-
preston in the last Legislature, which
came near passing bill fixing the mini
mum rates of fares. While the State
clearly has the power to take control of
this matter, there are dozen reasons why
it should defer exercising it as long as
possible. The railroad corporations them
selves are the best judges of what reduc-
ton, if any, they ought to make, and we
cannot doubt that when their directing
minds come to fully consider the matter,
in connection with the evident feeling of
the public, they will evinGe every proper
disposition to respond to the suggestions
of the Commissioners. The interests of
our railroads and of our general business
community, in the long run, ARE iden teal.
Low fares-by which we mean such as
still yield fair margin of profit-give a
more direct and powerful stimulus to
trade, and that, in turn, swells the re-
ceipts of the roads. Such, as the Com
missioners state, has been the uniform re-
suit of every experiment in the reduction
of railroad fares in Massachusetts, of late
years. They believe that the present
juncture is peculiarly favorable for re-
newing these results on an enlarged scale.
The suggestions they make as TO the
principles on which the reduction should
be applied, we cannot but regard as judi
cious and practicable. They doubt the
wisdom of distributing the reduction
through too many objects or trying to
make it uniform throughout the whole
tariff. Such an expedient il lost on the
public mind, has no effect on the develop
ment of business, and its only consequence
is apt to be diminution of profits. But
by taking certain commodities in general
use, especially such as enter largely into
manufacturing industry or home con-
sumption, like coal, and making its rates
materially less, decided impetus will be
given to every branch of industry de-
pendent upon its use. With one road it
will be one class of freights or fares, and
with another it will be another class.
The effect of the cheapening movement,
however, if once begun. will be to extend
till it touches every industry and interest
in the State. We cannot doubt that the
men who have 90 long directed
our railroad system and brought it into
such credjtable comparison with that of
other States, will take this appeal of the
Commissioners into candid consideration,
to be followed by such practical action as
its force shall seem to warrant.-B0St0n
Journal.