Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-05-26
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION.

This subject is at present receiving
much attention throughout the United
States. Not only have the farmers in
the western states become aroused but
Congress, at the suggestion of the Presi-
dent, is taking means to investigate the
matter, having chosen committee who
are now at work examining the different
routes and proposed routes from the
West to the East The business of the
country has increased so rapidly that
with all our railroads and water lines,
freights accumulate. and the mouopo-
lists, who own the transportation facili-
ties, can advance freights on the plea of
not being able to do all the freighting
to as high rate as they choose. No
body either West or East expects that
any company will carry the produce of
the country from one portion to another
for less rate than is profitable, but the
farmer in Iowa who loads his corn and
sends it into New England, has right
to complain when he pays 1925 for run
ming the car, and only receives SIS for
four hundred bushels of corn. Nor does
the consumer believe that such car
tariff is just; hence the general move
ment throughout the country in oppoSi-
ton to railroad monopoly and for the
building and improvement of the trans
portation lines: A great meeting has
lately been held in New York looking
to this end and from Maine to Califor-
MIA, societies are being formed and move
ments being inaugurated which will
make this an issue in future elections.
To take this matter home to ourselves.
nothing would more tend to increase the
prosperity of northern Vermont, than a
reduction Of freight to the lowest living
rates. We have an immense water
power, cheap fuel, and can support a
population cheaper than it can be done
In Connecticut or Massachusetts but
we can not compete with these states,
because it costs so much to send our
manufactured articles to market and to
receive our stock and our merchandise.
The railroads are hot entirely to blame
for tb;c 90 n,,r dictopoa ;c ooncidora HI n
from the great cities and the seaboard
but it seems to US that railroad manage
ment is short sighted when it seeks to
obtain through freights to make the road
profitable, and thereby Injuries business
along the whole length of the lines. kills
out manufacturing enterprise and drives
our population out Of the country. When
ever country town is built up and the
hum of the saw or the spindle is heard.
permanent business for the railroads
is created and the prosperity of the state
is increased. The practicular roads that
run into this section are no worse per-
haps than others, but unfortunately they
are owned by foreign capitalists, who
run them for profit and care little for
the benefit of the state. We all remem-
Der what an effort was made to raise
funds to build the railroads, how the
stock deprecated in value and was sold
and swallowed up, so that the real own
ers were deprived of their interests and
their voice in the roads. We know hoW
the managers of the roads have com.
bined together to make themselves g
power above the power of the people. by
bribing courts, attending to legislatures
retaining lawyers, and passing and fee
ing influential members of society. The
movemeng among the masses in opposi
ton to these things is deep and strong
and when the general army of the PEG
pie shall move, 1T strikes us that it would
be we'll for the SCOTS, the GouIds, tn
Vanderbilts and the Smiths, to stant
from under.