The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-11-12
THE RAILROAD IrBROGLIo.

THE kAILkOAD IMBhOCLiO'
We publish in another column certain
letters written by Mr.. Park, representing
that which we know as the Harlem Exten-
sion railroad company, to the president Oh
the Delaware and Hudson canal company,
in reference to the discrimination In
freishts, made by tho latter road upon
articles intended to be transported TO New
York over the former road. The cores
pondence, If correspondence 1t may be
called. inasmuch as no reply was vouch-
safed to either letter-speaks for itself,
and places altogether different phase
upon the action of tho superintendent of
the Harlem Extension railroad company in
demanding a certain sum for the passage
of the Delaware and Hudson canal COM
pany's locomotives and cars over their
track and road bed-short though the dis
lance may have been-or upon their re-
fusal to pay such sum, placing complete
embargo on the use thereof at all. 1t has
been apparent, for years, that the interest
of the Delaware and Hudson canal com
!hdUy, anu VI ltS IICutCCssOl -tllc iNSHo-
selaer and Saratoga railroad company
has been antagonistic to those of Rutland
or Rutland county. There are several
facts within our own knowledge, and
others of common notorety, which prove
this to demonstration. What these par
tcular facts arc, we do not intend, this
morning, to present to our readers, but
shall do so in due season. There ought
not to be any such feeling of hostility.
We, and the citizens of Rutland, and of
Rutland county generally, feel friendly
toward them. Our interests and theirs
ought to be identical. They were identi-
cal, and our interests were regarded up to
81 certain time when all was changed The
opening up of new outlet to New York,
through the valley of western Vermont,
made the change. Here was a competing
line, which must be injured as much as
possible. 1t may be correct business prin-
ciples and railroad management" but we
don't see it.
Without going into the matter at length,
let us look at the matter a moment. "Com-
petition is the life of trade is maxim, so
old and so true, that no one dares to dis
pute it, or hardly to quote it, so self evil
dent is the proposition. Competition, also,
contains the life of the peoples prosperity.
A monopoly is almost death blow to en-
terprise But where enterprise rises SUI
pcrior to the monopoly, it is only in cases
where customers OF consumers are willing,
because compelled by the force of circum-
stances to do so, to pay more than rea-
sOnabe price for certain commodities. The
unreasonable price of these articles is fixed,
often times, by unjust determinations in
freight. There is no question but that
such discrimination has been and still is
made, for the avowcd purpose of obtaining
monopoly of certain kinds of business.
Take marble for instance. 1t is of record
that the rates of freight thereon from West
Rutland to Rutland, if it is intended to
transport it hence by the Harlem EXten-
sion, or west by the Rutland and Ogdcns-
burg line, are so high as to enhance the
price thereof far above what it should be-
Indeed one of the assistant superintendent
of the line testified before committee of
the Senate of Vermont, that, if necessary,
they would raise the rates so as TO entirely
prohibit the transportation of marble to
New York or the west, unless ii was car
ried over the Rensselaer, and Saratoga rail
road-now leased to the Delaware and
Hudson canal company. We cannot say
that we fully approve of retaliation, but
we hardly think we should suffer our prop
erty to be used by a man who would not
recprocate favors. Neither is this the
whole cause of grievance, as we under
stand 1t and as the people understand it.
No one has forgotten the interruption OF
communication between Rutland and New
York, through the western Vermont valley,
In 1867, a communication which has not
yet been fully restored, which has entailed
loss and disaster not only on the road men.
toned, but upon individuals and commune
ties on the line thereof. We have already
said more than we intended at the outset,
but we propose, at an early opportunity
10 yentilate this whole matter, so far as
the means at our power may enable us tc
do.