The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-04-19
Nav Views on Railroads.

,exv Views on Railroads.
81 dsv Of multitudinous shareholders
r.,,rosds-men holding from one I"
.n-sntv shares, and meeting annually 10
consider railroad management and give u,
rectlon to it's nearly gone. ha'Iioau'
o.nnot he held and managed in That way
horonse that sort of management cannon We
nertac,. ard there can be no oi''oe'
rndcr indifferent management. No"e o".
the most ~vieilant supervision ana ''e
cons,mmate skill and experience can ia'"'
rai,roadinc profitable. So that we iHNe
under the old system ine1ticlenc! anu Nv
dividends. Men cannot or VIII no. ho1o
unavoidable stocks, and these VIII oe W
s,rhod bv CAPITALISTS and those who nave
made railroading a specially !; ana In time
l,nes which have been stupidly managed
,,bich have been an obstruction TO the
nrosneritv of communities interested in
them. owing to want Of accommodation
and grinding charge>-by this process OF
change of ownership and management will
b come active and vigorous channels oftrade
and travel, and cause the lands they traverse
to grow in population and wealth.
1t would be q strange fact, indeed, 1t this
great engine of modern discovery could
not be so systematized as to make 1t greatly
beuefcent to society. 1t would be strange,
indeed. If in this system it should not be
shown that so important an agent OF public
communication should bear q relation OF
entire reciprocity and harmony towards
society, It's interests being best promoted
by promoting those of the public. And 1t
is a source Of much satisfaction to all econo-
mists to know now that this important
prlnciple has been thoroughly established.
we find those men engaged in railroading
as a professionals Il business to be studled
and to perfect themselves In as a means OF
support-everywhere avowing that the
onlv sure way to promote the prosper
ity of q railroad is to advance the
prosperity of the country through which
it passes. This is reeiprocity-beautiful
as it is practical. And no railroad which is
conducted upon a different policy can itself
prosper. Northern railroads carry emf
grants to new countries for nominal charges,
and ncSe roads arc rewarded by the frc!ghts
they derive through the products of the Ia
Dor of these emigrants. They build up
towns all along their route by low charges
and gratuitous favors, and soon have their
revenues rapidly multiplied by increase of
passengers and frcightS from transporting
the fabrics of the industry of those towns,
their supplies. and their citizens.
But railroads are not conducted on these
principles when they nave to maintain the
dead-weight Of the policy fashioned by an
nual mu%ltitudlnous a~ssemblages of men
who know nothing about railroads. II
railroad stock in this State had been worth
more the farmers who hold it would have
sold out long ago. They hold in hope of a
rise; but even this holding upon expecta-
ton will have it's end, and Il railroads arc
destined to pass into the hands Of a few
keen-sighted and competent men.
This cannot come too soon for the COM
merce OF Virginia. What we want is rapid
communication and low freights. Give us
these, and we need not fear consequences.
They can be nothing else than beneficial TO
Virginia. 1t is Il mistaken idea that rail-
roads will undertake to destroy the very
communities upon which they depend for
support. Give us unrestricted intercourse
ut reasonable rates. We can ask no more {;
we should not be compelled to put upwith
less. We should have this for ourselves,
and we should freely accord it to every
other community whose way lies through
our State or our city. The day for stopping
things by breaking gauges and bulk is past.
Railroads arc great concerns. and require
more practical intelligence and experience
for their successful management than
almost any other business VIC know
of. The old system did not secure
these indispensable requisites. The new
is shaping this wonderful agent of com.
merce-this railway-into order, and bring
ing it to its highest usefulness, as i, shown
by the almost miraculous annual increase
of the tonnage of the railroads in this coun-
try. The new order, not yet perfected, is
bringing this agent rapidly into its full
benefcence for society, and establishing
the mutual relationship harmony of the
interests of railroads and the public.
In considering these interesting facts we
cannot but recur to the past, and feel a
hankering to read & book written by the
owner of one railroad share in Loucyea
or Patrick, to tell what he knows about
railroads. 1t would be pleasant reading in
after days, especially at annual farmers
fairs, when the renowned authors might
tell that the only real benefit they got out
of their single share was the privilege of
bringing their families to the annual fair.
But they could add that-now with the im-
proved speed and lower charges upon rail
roads-they could well pay to come to Rich
mond and buy new dresses for all their
family out of the gains they derived from
the lesser charges for transporting their
produce.