The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1873-03-06
THE GREAT QUESTION.

THE GREAT QUESTION.
The Transportation Question from
Railroad mans point of view
THE Trouble and the Remedy.
Accepting the nphorism that there
are two sides to every question" and
presuming that all wish t. see bot h
sides OF what is now known as the
great question:" we introduce the
following views ofa Railroad magnate,
as ELECTED b. reporter for the Chica-
go Evening Post. Mr.. Robert Harris,
the immediate representative OF the
directors of the Chicago, Burlington
and Quincy Railroad, rs well as the
manager Of its busin. ,s, and who is a
man of thought rs we'll rs of action,
was interviewed, as follows:
RepOrter-I am deputed by the
Ere,aing Post to gain from you aud
others the views of railroad managers
in this State respecting the "irrepres-
sible conflict" which has arisen be-
tween the producing and the trans.
portation interests of the West. The
farmers have had their say at Bloom
ington and elsewhere. We have pre-
se0VUo tncir grievances dIIn tnelr
proposed methods Of redress. What
have you to say in reply?
Nr. Hdrris-Your mission, sir, is a
good one. The Post pursues its accus-
toned course of wisdom and fairness
In its willingness to present all sides
Of all questions. If the demagogues
and the charlatans who too frequently
stir up "sedition, privy conspiracy,
and rebellion" among the people,
could be eliminated from this contro-
versy, and We could get the direct ear
of the producing community, and
thereby secure all honest Interchange
of views, much Of the ignorance and
consequent misunderstanding which
cloud our differences, would be cleared
away, aud the differences themselves
would grow less and less in proportion
as their understanding Of the questions
involved should grow more aud more
clsar. The company labor for, the
pfoduCe8 to the contrary notwith-
standing, has in it nothing of the
aggressiveness of monopoly or the
heartlessness of tyranny. 1t desires
to be in sympathy with its patrons,
and will do whatever lies in its power
to promote harmony between them.
1t never turns a deaf ear to All iDdi-
vidual complaint, much less to that Of
a whole community. Believing that
the Euening Post, penetrating as it
does all the precincts of the West. will
prove a medium of enlightenment. /
am willing 10 add whatever mite can
to that end, aud I therefore bid you
to intefrogate me to any reasonable
limit.
TO BUSINESS.
sRep0rter-Thank you, sir. To at
once get down to business, then. what
have you to say to one Of the chief
complaints Of the farmers, to-wit, that
you are in the habit of discriminating
against non-competil points, and
low ones from distant or competing
points, maintain an unjust and arbi-
trary distinction against that portion
Of your patrons who are positively
helpless, aud havo no recourse against
whatever exactions Y ou may see fit to
levy?
Mr.. Har,is--I have this to to say :
To regulate our tariff according to the
relations of distance aud no other,
would be to commit financial suicide.
/ give you All instance: Running from
St Louis tc the seaboard are five diff
ferent through competing lines of
road. FROM Quincy where our own
road strikes the river, the cost of river
transportation to st. Louis is slight
Hence these five roads enter into act
i've competition for the transportation
Of all grain coming to or passing that
and intermediate points on the river.
II we maintained tariff rs high in
proportion to distance as at non-com-
peting points. we should lose every
pound of grain raised west of the river.
Rp0rfer-W Well. that you can carry
this grain at these moderate rates,
argues that there Is some profit in it.
Why not from non competing points
as we'll?
Mr.. Hurris-Ah. there, you bring
me to this fundamental point: Rail.
roads make profits. not in proportion
as they levy high or low rates, bur in
accordance with the business they do.
The road-bed, bridges, and all the
heavy expenditures for the construc-
ton Of . railroad are made ut once.
The interest upon this capital is just
as great whether q thousand tons oil
freight are carried per day, or mil.
lion. Now we could not build a road
10 transport all grain at the ruling
Quincy rates; but, once built, aud con-
fronting the question Of carrying it a,
these rates or not at all, we have nc
choice but the Affirmative. 1t contri-
butes to the volume Of business, and
n \