Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-11-13
WELLINGTON, DEE
"Wednesday AftNTnoon. Nov. Is.
CHEAP RAiIHoAD YAREs : WHY WE
SHOULD HAVE THKM, AND WHY WE
CAN'T.

The railroads running out of Wilmington
and especially the two new ones and the Della
ware line, which are more local, and less used
for through travel than the Nv. and bought
to carry q great number OF passengers during
business or holding employment in the city, and
occupying homes in the country. For hundreds
of families, this arrangement would now be de-
sirEble, for many domestic reasons, while 1t
should be an object striven for, at all times, to
expand the limits of the city, and avoid the e1-
cesaiye crowding Of houses in any part. Good
health and good morals, physical strength, mem
tai development, and happy temper, will all be
promoted BY ceAsing to pack people into con-
fined, close, over-croWded dwelling-places.
The hberality and enterprise Of other cities in
this respect deserve our attention, but especial
ly the experiment first inAugurated by the
Eastern railroad, running Northward from Bos-
ton. In obedience to the requirements Of the
admirable system Of railway law adopted by
Massachusetts, this Railroad has commenced
the running Of cheap trains, at slow speed, be-
tween Lynn and Boston, distance OF about ten
miles. For the whole trip, or any part Of ii, the
charge, like that on our horse railways, is uni
form. Twenty tickets are sold for one dollar
being only five cents for a ride, which in many
cases will extend the whole ten miles This is
very cheAp-too cheap, we have no doubt, for
the Railroad, il this train were the only one it
ran. But the effect OF the policy will benefit
the road in other ways, twice over. 1t will
build up great snburbs all along from Boston to
Lynn; the population Of which will use, dozens
Of times, the other trains OF the line, where
they use the cheap put slow train, once. In
this great increase Of travel, at paying rates,
I'd in the large amount Of freightAgs which 4
dense population creates, the Railroad will find
IS enterprise rewarded.
In our case, the inducement to live in tn,
suburbs is greater than at Boston: or, rather
there is less obj ection. The winters, there, art
far more rigorous than ours, and the .natura
desire to enjoy the comforts which a city com
mAnds in cold weather must be less strong with
our population.
But there is 4 conclusive and absolute CHECK
paced on all possibility of putting in operation
this excellent and highly advantageous enter.
prise. We cannot run cheap local trains in thi,
State, however much we may desire it. Tbs
reason why is found in the tax Of ten cents which
tho o'Aee imposes upon every passenger WllS
rides by railway, no matter for how short dis
lance. Thus, while the Eastern Railway CARRIE
Aworkingman to Lynn for five cents, the Stat,
OF Delaware, itself, demandso Of him Ten cents tar
in addition to whatever fare the railroad charges
il he rides but single mile. Thus. for the pro
posed village Of workingmen at summerville, i
the railroad should make the fare ten cents eacl
way, the actual expense to the men will b,
Just doubled, by the addition of the tA1. A MAJ
who sheuld ride down in the morning, and hom
at night, for $40 working days in the year, woul
pay for his ride, $500, but also pay, to tn
State, as penalty for riding, the equal amour
Of s31.O0l
Any improvement or progress, therefore, il
the particular which we suggest, is impraetica
BILE, while this tax on travel is continued.