Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-01-24
Combinations of R. r. CORPORATIONS.

the interests OF the country is the tendency on
the part Of large corporations to combine and
form huge controlling monopolies which, be
ing proverbially souless,-t advance their own
interests, hesitate not to use the most corrupt
means to accomplish that object, and, in so do
ing, ruthlessly disregard the interests of the
people.
The article we publish on the first page from
the New York Times, entitled, 1.-THE Question
of the Future" furnishes facts which deserve
the serious consideration of the thinking pub
lic
Upon this subject, the Charlottesville Chron-
acle says:
1.-THE great railroad corporations are acqui-
ring immense power, and are by no means slow
to use it for the oppression of the people AS
we must look to the State governments, united
and backed by the whole people, to check the
usurpations of Congress- so the general govern
ment itself will have to be called upon to re-
strain by general laws these overgrown corpor-
atoms. Traversing States, and the whole con-
tinent las some of them will shortly do under
one controlling head, they are already far be-
yond the reach of State law, and must be con-
trolled, if controlled at all, by the Federal leg
islature-and this, too, by the passage OF gen
eral laws to be passed on by an incorruptlble
judicial tribunal
There is, even now, crying evil from which
the people of Virginia are suffering, in COM
mon with those of other States, which cannot
be regulated except by law of Congress. We
refer to the reduction of through freights, in
consequence Of active competition and the ex-
tortlonate prices that are required for local
transportation, in order to make up9for the
probable losses on the first. Every road should
be required by law, rigidly enforced, to have
uniform rates throughout its whole line, and it
ought not to be allowable for any company to
charge one set Of people as much for sending
goods so miles as it does another for 100 miles
The States cannot regulate this matter on
the long continued lines, and the Federal Gov
eminent should have the power to do it, if if
has not now" e 80 sz
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad.
Our readers will be pleased to learn that the
work on this great line of Improvement is be-
ing prosecuted with vigor. Those portions of
the road not now under contract viii be let on
the lst of April-the object being to have the
whole line in operation by the Summer of 1872.
From the more difficult points of construc.
tlOG dluuS IAC 4iu6s Gays tue OtSputCic, Cnc
news. is encouraging. AT the Lewis tunnel,
or JeTy's run, the contractors have put the
steam drills in operation, and we may expect
that the work will be pushed ahead very rap
idly.
The fill at Jerry's run is going ahead finely,
and will be completed much sooner than was
anticipated The energy and ingenuity Of Mr..
G. r. Mason, contractor, have enabled him to
throw down into the ravine immense bodies of
earth from the mountain above, and the en-
bankment rises rapidly. The earth is gather
ing about the tressel work of the present tenn
porary track, so that before the summer travel
begins the track will rest upon the earth. Of
the work near Mllborough, where there is
another great fill, it may be said that it is 60
ing on fully up to expectations.
It will not be many months before tempo
rary tracks upon this great railroad will be en-
tirely dispensed with. We may safely count
upon this by the time the road is finished in
July, II
The road completed eastward to the falls OF
KanaWha will leave gap of about sixty miles
tn tho White s~lpLU.r 20 be traVersed in stages
until the summer Of 1872. when the whole road
will be opened"