The sun., 1873-09-10
T,c RuiIroad Problem.

Gov. BOOgH Of California. III his rect nt
speech on The Railroad Problem in
American Politics. remarked that II was
uot impossible thnt the whole railroad
system Il The country might Yet be brought
under the control Of a single company.
"Four-hfths Of the preparatory WORK,
h. qqvs. "has hocu silently done applr-
l'ly without do. -u, Take the 10000
mile. of railroad .n the United Statgs-thc
great mas, 4 TINS property is owned or
contr, 90 ne absolutely - though il VA.
owned ly certainly Zee, than ten ccm-
lauio,, ani tnc dire, tory laay not include
q hundred rcu.
Practically 4 would make but little diff
ference to- theuullIv whether our railroad
system should bo controlled 10y ono COM
rauy or ny ten ..n,rcrt companies ami
mated ~ a common purl osc and COM
luug a, complish their common ends.
But at the rate ut wlirl the absorption Of
the smaller railroad lines by the larger
corIuiations l. going ON it would not be-
strange if ina NeIv few years the whole
railroad system # theVountry should he
controlled 10y fewer than siA companies,
at the management of all uuI railroads,
~o far as their relation, 70 public tlair
.rc concerned. be virtually dictated 10y
fewer thpn AK men.
Loo, az the pj-0ntic growth OF to Penn
,vtynuia Railroad Company Tor instance.
E,luu.u- with the purchase of the old
stat. No.- ~ Pennsylvania, il hes eN end
,d .ts Itlut.ous '2,tu it now own, oI con-
tr.l.uully $500 Wii,s of imiroad reach
no I'm every direction, and repre-. ..ntiu-
investments Of hundreds or millions Of dol
lars. Th. Pennsylvania Railronl Com. ..,uv
las Wit, I'm its oVu state GEO mil or man,
s'.m ana lrau,ncs, and al .,ut son mil. of
lesser lines held un .-r leases which nr,
practically per .,runl. t. reach this city
II Hh-'i"' q. ..u4dei the provisions ola thou
same ,car lease, nearly thy Whole raIlroW
sv,tem of Sew Jersey, amounting to +G
ui!,. of raj. West Pittsburgh, uudc
the alias of the Pennsylvania Company
IN" same gienutic corporation has acquire
possession of ~OO miles more OF m,lroa
leading from Pittsburgh Chicago; T.
l,uu--..VI 3. o.; T. Cleveland; go Gi1u
and Erie; to Wheeling; to Cincinnati; T.
udiunpo i~; to Toui. lille; 90 -. Loni,
u,,t it oyyl- .. .r,at l'i1c's ~ Lcui-vill,
lu..mU, u4, ~truh-Niuc, Al! th' 3
F road ar.o- completely mC,r the couuo
OF the Pennsylvania Railroad Company a
&. lay.w lc,vucl ly't absolutely. An
these uIe independent OF the cN;,usI"W
I actual and prospective reaching soul
= and, west a. Tie Gult states and the PHcitI
i ocean. which Col. S,orIi-p pushing with hp
. lis mp,u.i. M. WITCH are dcsi1
. ultimately TO fan INTO the gasp OF NJ.
, colossal company. II this system 9, -
,YIdution is continued IA the san III,
tAat las marked is progcss In t0e pa.
hos ~ will i ho before ou,-AaN t.cla.
d road system of the whole Union win !
o under uo control Of til, single CaIpor
A uuf
a. Then There is the NV York Cc.t
D. Company. which has swallowed the Hu
lem. the Hudson River and uumero
DO otAer roads Of more OF less li i.uItano
Pee pud extended its connections 50 ms to GO
troll the rates Of fare and freight on GO
., timucus lines extending from ocean
ry occ,n. Itisstili cndca} oring to strength
oi Itself by new combinations md addition
"' leases and cancellations There is {
49, Reading Railroad Company, which 10
.wu short original stem road OF on
~ niuety-cieht miles has added TWEEN
"' other railroads, ana has long be
W., seeking h. enormous purchases of 90
lands 10 secure monopoly Of the autLl
de cite coal trade in addition to its lcgitmi
he trans spurtatiOn tE.Hc, AID there IS
to Ceni'al Pacific Rah Dad OF CulifoT
IN which has gobhled all the railroad lines
.y that state. rs well as the principal limo
he waior transportation, and is now using