The New York herald., 1872-03-18

pend work owing TO the want or coal. Complaints
OF Similar nature have been received from The city
ol Aiens and even IN Paris the scarcity OF coal Is
severely felt. The dealers. having no facility for
drawing fresh supplies, are taking advantage OF the
lis IS TO-DAY about twenty per cent above what It
was prior to the war. Having thus given an
OUTLINE OF THE CHARACTER OF THE GRIEVANCE.
II Will be readily understood that the sunerings and
the losses connected Herewith are large. The heavy
snow storms OF late have not little contributed 10
aggravate the mischief. The railroad companies IL
need hardly be mentioned, are throwing the entire
burden OF the blame on the hardships which they
assertion. however, has been met by q prompt and
persistent DENIAL
EFFECTS or THE WAR.
No doubt the war has great deal TO do with the
railroad grievance. but the companies have had
ample time to provide remedy. The aggregate
last year Is stated TO have been 10s0Oo Nearly
thrd of that number was lost the service during
about eighteen thousand cars and OF those remain
Ing about is 900 were rendered useless by reason OF
deterioration The former lot has been returned
from Germany, or nearly SO; the latter might have
been repaired, and In addition to that the cOmpa-
nies ought to have displayed greater energy in pro-
anybody else the true state OF things. But instead
OF proving equal TO the occasion they followed a
ni2sardly course, ana as u proof that no excuse
can be admitted in regard 10 their inanity, It has
neen mentioned tina! snele factory at Lyons
fifteen day But, Father tnan 60 beyond their own
workshops and purchase cars elsewhere In France,
the companies have permitted the expectation OF
freight cars into Spain and Italy. With these facts
before the public the railroad companies claim that
all had been done thar could be expected. The
been inevitable and wholly beyond control. In
reply 20 these allegations It has been stated that
INCOMPETENT MANAGEMENT
IL at the bottom OF all the mischief So far As my
own experience Of French roads goes am inclined
TO subscribe to tnat Opinloa. would submit, for
instance, that no government ought ever to grant
concession to railroad cOmranies unless the char
Ter included stipulattOns compelling them to laV
down double track. Lines with single track
cause continually arrangements the system; acct.
dents and delays are almost unavoidable. The next
evil connected with French railroads is tha, so
lar as provincial stations are concerned. tho
o. 0acers r,ao arc made without
In the right place, inasmuch as the position looked
upon as Q mere sinecure. The directors have to
appointments imply an "&istOire de Jesr,9ne.n Go
where you WILL and that perncious system prevails
The next class of employees comprise men VINO, Ii
required, should De capable of assisting replacing
notion OF business habits. Having spent the best
portion OF their existence In garrlsons they are
hiled fol- business nor indeed. are they willing to
offset OF pension to which they think themselves
Justly entitled after long service in the army. lhe
remainder OF the STAFF Of railroad employees Is
posed OF mere laporcrs and that class Is SO miser.
ably underpaid that cannot expect them work.
They are ily.Ied and consequently they are united
for heavy work and for business which requires de-
spatch
CAUSE AND EFFECT
me moral condition OF The men should be raised
to proper standard. ana the only means OF achiev-
ing that VIII he found In an increase Of salary. Inc
salary OF conductor varies from $3.50 TO $3.50 per
annum, while the chief OF u station draws from 5000
the southern and EASTERN provnces we're onn I'm In
O shameful condition. Tie confusion has been 80
Oitsn described nss By way
OF rank WHO averrcd that the failure Of inc cam.
Easn q IL Rs9geah must 9e ascrnea almost en-
the assertion stretches point but it Is undeniable
that the inanity Of the railway people and the al
most total absence OF patriotism has had large
share in the failure. General Bourbak suffered, iti
we'll known, lnexpllcable delays and thus afforded
time TO the Prussians to prepare for his ruin. A
thorough reform OF the system Is needed, and for
that purpose the Legislature nnust interfere sooner
or later. II m0n0polleS are admissible IN railroad
unavoidable, then the law should clearly define
the duties which railroad companies owe to The
public. In France the govern neat has no mold on
capital engaged In their enterprise comprises public
money.
BY way OF contrast 1t should be mentioned that
the superiority OF postal arrangements in Prussia
ernment over railroad management. Cases have
been known where the Prusslan Post Office desired
TO establish night service fer the purpose OF con-
Meeting the correspondence OF distant cities.
The railroad managers. under preteXt that COM
pliance would subject them 10 pccuniary
loss declined TO accommodate The postal authorI-
Ties. Thereupon tho government would give immc.
diatc nouce that, unless within reasonable de-
not been organized. the company would be sub
Jected to penalty OF $500 Tor every day the accom-
dation was withheld from the postal authcrltlcs.
Prussia, and however arbitrary the proceedings
may appear 1t must not be forgotten that the &C.
cOnmOdallOn was not demanded for 'imperial"
purposes, but tnat IL was enforced for the public
good. Coaches have disappeared from ordinary
roads, the traffic on canals in France has been ami
hllated by railroad competition ihc railroad auto
Gratis the masters and the public have right TO
demand, at least, an equivalent for what they have
lost In giving up the OF the ola mode OF transit
Railroads have been reckOned among tho most
democratic institutions of the age; but they apt
need for the sake Of Eenedting few rapaclOus
stockholders.
WARNING.
lt naturally Surpas5es the limits OF an ordinary
letter to enter Into further Details but hope the IN
dtcatiOns which have briefly sketched may serve
as timely warning In regard to the mischief to
springng thcrefrom, must eventually lead. In the
month Of Aprll last described the incalcuable
extent OF injury inflicted on the cotton trade Of
the port of Havre. rhe owners OF British steam
French railroad magnates, under the provisions OF
which cotton was transported from Liverpool lutO
Switzerland at through. rate. There was the
freight from Liverpool to Havre, the cost OF trans
shipment at the latter port and the land carriage
from IIavre to Switzerland. Yet the through -rale
did not exceed the tariff rate charged the merchant
who traded merely from Havre 10 switzerland.
OTHER COMBINATIONS
involving gigantic monOpolies, are in c0nrempla-
tiOn The Franc0G German war, with its results has
played into the hands oil Prince Bismarck o. power
Which enables him to control tile trade along the
cnliie coast OF the North Sea. The annex alton OF
Aisacc and Lorraine, with ITS railroad system, has
had the immediate consequence to isolate both Bel
GUM and Holland, so far as international tratfc Is
concerned. There will be q gigantic monopoly OF
the carrying trade between Hamburg and Bremen
on one side AMI Trieste and the Italian prrts on the
oiner side. The creation of the ST. Gothard line
Is 0n.y wanting as a last LINK.