The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-09-20
r'E1s, EssAsssfS.

The great question now being debated ny
these organizations is how to cheaper
reights from the west TO the Atlantic sea-
ports. This is confessedly II problem
hcdged round with many difficulties.
Transport by rail is not governed by rules
Identical with that by river orby sea. For
while the latter are common highways over
which any enc can pass without toll or let
or hindrance, only one person, the owner,
can carry freight over a railroad. Where
there are number of parallel lines each
bidding for business the case is altered, and
the conditions governing the two avenues,
rail and water, are some what similar. They
never can be entirely alike for while the
road bed of railroad needs constant re-
repair and the iron wears out and has TO be
constantly renewed, rivers and seas need no
repair and entail no expense for main
tenance Then again upon river, like
the Hudson, any one with capital enough
TO own barge, a sloop or steamer, may
enter upon the carrying trade. while upon
the rail no carrier can freight save the rail
road owners. II there were upon the
Hudson but three steamboats,, each owned
by different persons, and no more capital
lists chose to embark. .unnn uthfse '9fnihAPe
these three, having the control Of all the
water traffic, would eventually agree upon
certain rates of freight for such could he
their interest, and they would agree on as
high rates, too,a it was possible to get, and
this simply because il would be their in
terest so to do it. As ii is, on most rivers
the competitors for the carrying trade are
so numerous and have such diversified in
terests that carting combination of them
is impossible.
1t is this latter consideration which is
chiefly operated in keeping water trans
portation at low rates. Rival railroads are
more in unison, in cost, in moving freight.
and in the traffic which they pursue. The
vast amounts required for their cons,ruc-
ton and equipment of each necessarily
limits the number of the whole
Nor does the multiplication of railroads
between competing points necessarily or
ever in the long run bring about lasting
rivalries and competition. The owners of
each want profit from their investments,
and in the end they will have it, TO get
ii they must combine agree upon rates.
and what is more they are forced, in order
TO make their several roads pay, to agree
upon rates higher than a single road. with
out competition, could afford to do the
work for ALL
To illustrate, there are three great lines
running from Chicago to New York, the
Pennsylvania Central, the New York and
Erie and the New York Central. These
are akin in all their conditions. To these
must be added the Central Vermont, now
extending through three vessels on the
hikes, from New York to Chicago. The
riyalries Of the first three, rs is matter of
notoricty, never remain in active eruption
long. Three managers meet from time 10
time loncc in week or SOY and agree upon
il rate common 10 the three. That rate is
just the last drop of cider the apple will
yield to the press. IT wheat advances in
New York ten cents "a bushcl, five or ten
cents is instanter added 10 the rates. and
this they do in cooperation and for mutual
benefit.
The Central Vermont line, cuts under
these varying rates about five dollars per
car. That is, the Central Vermont will
deliver car load of corn in New York or
Boston five dollars cheaper than will either
of those roads mentioned, and this, for the
reason that a part of their line being by
water, the time of transit is longer, and
this reduced rate has 20 be made to COM
pensate Tor the greater insurance and
time consumed in the trans oortation
by that route of the car load from Chicago
to New York. If each of the four lines
were alike in this--that each could trans
port its freight in the same time and with
equal insurance rates-in all human pro-
liability the Central Vermont would be in
the ring of the Pennsylvania Central Eric
and New York Central.
1t will be seen that in this case the com
petition between these three roads and the
central Vermont grows out of the differ
ence in the modes of transit-really out of
the competition between rail and water.
Through part of her line varied compe-
tition can be active. If you or we order
thousand bushels of corn from Chicago.
while to us the responsible carrier is the
Central Vermont, nevertheless for the
cheapening of our freight we have the adj
vantage of competition in carrying 1t from
Chicago to Ogdensburg. 1t Is for the above
reasons that such line as the Central Yer