Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1873-04-18

difficult a matter for arbitrary settle
ment as the traffic in gold and other
moneys in Wall Street and else
where; and freight charges as relat-
ed to correla.ive and adjustable
rates present quite as unsolvable Il
problem to the Legislature as the
question of usury or the phenomena
of Black Friday. There is no one
experience amongst all the data
whereby railway legislation is con-
Quoted and railway rules are adjust
ell which at all leads to a clear APP
prehension. in anybodys mind. of
any infallible molaS operandi where
by the railway companies may be
protected and justified i'll their rates,
and the reasonable wants and de-
mands of the community at large be
wholly satisfied or treated with ex-
act Justice. These remarks apply to
the great. general railway systems of
those countries of Europe and those
States of this Union where an ex-
tensive and Intricate railway system
prevails: and are not to be construed
as having reference to isolated
cases of oppression, extor.lon and
greed. In Germany. where the de-
crees of Government are quite as III
flexible as in any civilized communi-
ties of ChriStendom the railways are
nnder the immediate control of the
Empire; vet it has been so frequent
" demonstrated that no general sys-
tenn of inelastic rules will apply to
their CONJUNCTION, that there has aris-
en- so admissible latitude in the
construction of generally prescribed
regulations as that they wonld seem.
here and there to be nnllified and
disregartled altogether France takes
patriarchal supervision of her rail-
ways and holds them subject to a
system which recognizes several dis
tinct railway provinces or depart
ments; and her statesmen have prac-
tically abandoned all efforts at bind
ing the the companies that 5wn those
lines to the observance of any fixe,l
and immOvable statutes regarding
freight and passenger tariffs. Bel
ginm has divided railway system:
half under the ownership of the
Government and half owned by pri-
waite corporations and there the
competition between the Govern
ment and the private lines keeps
fare and freights within a reasonable
and healthful limitation; but there
is little or no legislation affecting
those matters. In England there
was long an irrepressible conflict he
tween Parliament and tho great rail
way lines over the matter of freights
and fares; and while it was found in
some instances that q rigidlv pre-
scribed uniformity of rates-an anti
discriminating uniformity of freight
charges ruin to certain
railway companies. it was also de-
monstrated that competition. driven
to extremes, Was almost certain to
bring about consolidation and the
advantages and disadvantages of a
powerful monopoly. In Massachu
sets where these great railway prob
lens are treated with patience and
scientific research, the most candid
of tho. who have had to deal there
with admit that it is n question
which seems to be beyond the mar
row limits of any specific enactment,
anil the general result of these in
designations would seem to illustrate
the fact that the needs and incidents
of successful railroading are con-
.inual and vexatious paradox in the
path of legislation and that there
must needs be great prudence exer-
cise.l in the framing of any laws
which are to presume to regulate a
system which would seem to be sub
ject to conditions rs varions as the