New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-15
TEE NEVEST PANACRA.

There can hardly be better ILLUSTRATION OF
the confusion which still hangs over the trans
portation problem than the contrast between
a letter recently published in Iowa and a
memorial Just given to the press In New OK.
In the farmer of these documents an officer OF
the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota
Railway Company attempts to show how the
hostility of the Farmers has checked the de-
velopment Of the Western railway system, ana
hampered the prosperity of agriculture and
every branch of business. Western railroads
are built with Eastern capital, and capitalists
have taken alarm at the unfriendly legislation
demanded by the Farmers and are getung
chary of their money. The road in which this
gentleman Is interested has been compelled to
abandon two important extensions Oh lts me-
and other companies have been crippled I'D
the same way. Indeed it has been evident
from the outset that the Farmers Movement,
whatever else it accomplished, must check for
a good while the construction of new roads, and
embarrass, perhaps fatally, some of the weaker
of the existing corporations.
While this is the tendency of the action OF
the producers, the shipping and mercantile IN
terest insists that the West wants nothing but
new roads, and Congress is to lbe asked to
charter a double track freight railway be-
tween New-York and Chicago. Of course the
advocates Of this scheme will be answered
at once with the objection that the railroad
power is already too great. They will be re-
minded that single great corporation con-
trolling the lions share of the grain trade OF
the country would be perpetual danger TO
the commonwealth. They will be told that Ii
cheap freights cannot be secured by the compe-
tition of three great trunk lines, they cannot
be secured by the construction of fourth the
combination which is now practically arranged
between the existing roads will extend to the
new national freight highway also. Ali TINS
is true, and in the new scheme there are also
especial aggravatiOns of the danger common
to every great railroad corporation. The
power Of such a company would far exceed
that of any similar body we have ever seen
in this country. It's influence would be felt
in Washington more than in the State capt.
tails, and its tendency would naturally be TO
demoralize national politics, which are bad
enough already The duty would, of course,
be imposed upon Congress of regulating the
national road, supervising its tariff, and re-
straining it from oppression and abuses; and
the inevitable result would be that the rail-
road company would put forth every effort to
get the control of the men whom the law au-
thorizes to control the company.
Nevertheless we are not certain but the
relief of the Farmers will ultimately be found
in a new trunk line, built by private capital
without any help from the Government, and
used exclusively for the transportation of
freight. Not that it will cheaper freights, by
introducing a new element of competition, but
because it will reduce the cost of transporta-
ton to the company. 1t has already been ex-
planned why freight train running on
track used for mixed traffic, lodging passenger
trains, and waiting at switches, consumes on
the journey more than twice its actual running
time. The work that it does in ten days, under
the present system could be done in five if it
had the track to itself, and done with less
wear and tear and much less expenditure of
fuel Mr.. Vanderbilt recognizes this fact, and
is providing double roadway for the New
York Central, which will not only greatly re-
duce the cost of moving freight, but more
than quadruple the capacity of the road. Do
for the whole route what the Directors of the
New-York Central are doing for a section of
it, then enlarge the Erie Canal, and the trans
portation difficulty will be relieved, even if it
is not removed.
What shall we do, then, with the great cor
porations which we shall have magnifed and
strengthened by this expedientf Well, that
is a part of the general problem of the reia-
tons of private corporations to the State
which is independent of the grain-growers'
troubles, and calls for separate solution.
Nobody has found it yet, and before 1T is
found we are probably destined to suffer still
more serious evils than we have yet expert
enced. At any rate we shall not mend mat
tiers by starving the Farmers and restricting
their facilities of getting to market, lest the
carriers of grain get too rich to be manageable.
An OBSOLETE APPEAL.