New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-03-27
THE Railway VAR IN THE VEST

ter.
THE RAILWAY FAR IN THE VEST
The excitement in Illinois and some of the
other Western States over the exacti0ns of
the railway companies seems to be increasing.
Last week, farmers conventions were held in
several towns-Earlville, Elgin, Clinton, Sugar
Grove, Cambridge, etc.-tO concert means of
defense, and form regular organizations for
that purpose; and though very little seems to
have been accomplished of practical nature
a spirit has been manifested among the people
which neither the railways nor the legsla-
lures can afford to disregard. Central
illinois, says The Chicago Tribune, lis
"nearly unit in the purpose of fighting the
railroads to the bitter end. The fever has
EXTENDED into Iowa and Indiana. Wisconsin
"and Minnesota will catch it by and by. The
"same spirit is cropping out in Kentucky and
Tennessee, and il will extend South stimuli
"taneously with the movement to the North
WEST
The situation which the Western grain
growers and stOck-ra have to face is seri-
GUS enough. The roads upon which they de-
pend for transportation control legislation In
some of the States. and are rapidly gaining
the mastery over it in others. Consolidation
is gradually putting down competition, and
where rival companies have not yet united
under one management they have generally
come to some sort of a mutual understanding
which enables them to enforce whatever tariff
they please. Thus half dozen capitalists
have acquired the power to raise or lower at
will the price of all the necessaries of life,
and by sudden change in their rates OF
Transportation to makes fortunes in q single
day, at the expense Of the productive classes.
1t is estimated that the railways take three
quarters of the farmers grain as toll for
carrying the other quarter to market. Out OF
a hundred acres the Western grower Guilt
Yates only twenty for himself, and sew
enty-five for the railroads. Nor IS this the
only subject Of complaint Competition still
has some influence on the great trunk lines,
and the result is an Onerous discrimination by
which competing points are favored and in
tolerable burdens laid upon other towns.
Shipments have been made from Boston to
Chicago, LOO miles, cheaper than from
Chicago to Earlville, which is only IS miles.
The rate on grain from Ottumwa to Boston is
70 cents per hundred pounds, while from
Somonauk, on the same road, 200 miles
nearer, it is SO cents. In other words, the
Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad
charges The Somonauk producer 10 cents a
hundred for not carrying his grain 200 miles.
There is statute of Illinois against dis
examinations OF this kind, but it has not been
enforced, and the roads have shown DISPOSE
ton to defy it. A bill, however, has recently
been introduced in the State Legislature, and
passed unanimously through the Senate, i'm
posing penalty of 100000 for repeated
violation Of the law, and making it the duty
Of the Railroad Commissioners to institute a
suit upon the application of any citizen-the
costs to be paid out Of the State treasury.
This law, if honestly enforced, and coupled
with an enactment fixing maximum tariff,
would doubtless relieve the Western farmers
for the present But it would only postpone, not
avert, the conflict between the people and the
railway monopolies which impends in all parts
of the country. The representatives of the
roads at the Illinois capital declare that if the
freights were reduced even one-sixth they
could not pay dividends but why The roads
cost but a moderate sum to build, and their
legitimate running expenses are not quarter
Of their revenue. The truth is the companies
have watered their stock, by stock dividends,
until, if we can trust the speakers at one of
these Western Farmers Conventions, " four
hundred dollars worth of original stock is
snow equivalent to twenty thousand dollars
"worth !" and upon all this enormous increase,
az well as upon the outlay required to mfu-
ence legislation, buy up Improbable competing
roads, and fight the law, they must earn at least
twelve or twenty per cent. If they are checked
now by stringent law, how long will it BIO
before they send their own representatives to
the Legislature to have that law amended, or
buy up the Railroad Commissioner" whose
duty it will be to execute the law, or, failing
in these measures lay their hands upon the
courts, as rich corporations have done in
New-YOrkf We cannot shut our eyes to the
truth that the railroad influence in the United
States is dangerous power which threatens
industry, commerce, and political morality
alike; that it is constantly growing, and that
no means has yet been devised for controlling