The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-10-21
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calculated also, the profit on every one
hundred pounds of each crop necessary to
yield per cent. interest on any value OF
land per acre also the effect OF any change |
in rates of freight per ton per mile, the
distance to the controlling market being
known. Thus. from a farm nine hundred
miles from New York a change in freight
rates of one nine hundredth of one cent
per one hundred pounds, or one forty fifth
OF one cent per ton, per mile, VIII AFFECT
the value of wheat land in Illinois one dol
lar an acre 1t is easy to see, also, that
there are limits within which only these
effects follow, fixed, on the one hand, by
the lowest cost of raising any crop COM
pared with its value at consuming mar
ket, and on the other hand by the cost of
land But within those limits, as far as
the price of crops is controlled by distant
markets, all the profits and even the very
existence of agriculture depend upon the
rate charged for transporting its products
| 1t Is not strange that the owners of land
and producers of grain regard with con
slant apprehension power which may at
any moment affect the value OF o thousand
million bush els of cereals, and OF torty-tour
million acres Of cultivated land. Even if
"a change of five cents per GENITAL does not
affect the whole crop so much as three
cents bushel in price, 1t may take away
all the profit, all the reward OF year
labor. And the same power may also
raise rates even more at pleasure. The
farmers have been taught that the cost of
transportation depends upon the will of
few men, and varies with their agreements
or quarrels. The quandaas peddler Of
Vermont fell out with Vanderbilt, and
their quarrel was worth, during the year
1870, one fifth of cent per ton per mile
10 the farmers 100000 on the crop of
wheat alone, if it had all been shipped at
the reduced rate. In July, 1872, some
body raised the rates from the west five
cents per GENITAL. His act cost the farmers
millions of dollars, Is it strange that our
greatest industry grows FESTIVE under fiuc-
tuations which it can neither toresee nor
comprehend2 Elsewhere the world moves.
The benehcent progress of civilization in
other lands is toward cheaper tranSn1rta-
ton and better wages for the producer.
Russia pushes railroads through her vast
territory, in order that her subjects may
obtain at the Baltic and Black seas better
pay for their industry. We cannot main
tain sufficient private markets of our own,
nor force upward prices in those great mar
kets of the world upon which ours depend.
If, while the world makes transportation
: cheaper, we make Il more costly, the loss
will be our own.
This the farmer believes we are doing.
He declares that Others who stand be
e tween him and the consumer, amaSs great
wealth, while pinehiug economy barely
l., Isl 4 H.
him from debt His beliefs, as to the
cause of existing evils and the best rene
: dy. whether correct or not, will soon take
$ the shape of laws He has the votes Be
!. fore that power, legislators drop like leave,
. shaken by the autumn wind. Governors
: politicians of all grades, crush each othe
J in their hurry to seize the new standard
:, Lawyers who do not forget the Dartmouth
: college case already find themselves inel
: gible to the Judiciary. Has not this sam,
Il generation set it heel upon the bred Scot
IN decision? Reverence for judicial prece
dents is Il dam which foods have carried
10 away Restraints devised by founders q
our government ~ longer bar the peopl
'e from their will, We have trusted all pow
$ er to the maioritg If its own opinion is i
y. error, we have but one remedy-that free
or dom of discussion which remains the onl
safeguard of our institutions.
Far away from all the great markets e
u the world, separated from the censumin
lg states of the Atlantic coast by thcusan
re miles of distance, with rivers not We
bridged ard mountains not yet tunneled
the vast, rich praries which now form th
d chief wealth of the western states, il lei
lie to depend upon natural channels alon
nd must have remained in great part VI
>, touched by pillow and occupied only, hk
" the the paulpas Of South America, b
III enormous herds Of cattle Cultivation
re land would indeed have been possib
rt along the Mississippi and its tributarie
our great INLAND sea and near ii
shores of the lakes But transportatic
from these inland regions, by route lon
-, eircuitous, and open only during part
= the year, would have remainded very eos
o ly but for the sharp competition while
ie railroads created Meanwhile the cost
as hauling by wagons, about one cent per oil
Oh hundred pounds per mile, would have lin
ted the cultivation Of the soil 10 narru
= strips of land along the lakes and navig
to- BILE streams. 1t Is instructive to note,
nd the census returns of 1870, how the Pc
Il. ulation of western states had clustert
about such channels.
" The writer then proceeds at gre
length, some four or five columns, to q
history of the building of railroads
W this country, their cost, their dividend
Us and their effect upon the country, al
IN then closes as follows:
Tar But no possible change in rates
lso freight which can be reached by state L
ro- islati0n, by pressure of public opinion,
nh even by miraculous Christlanzation
railway managers, can do as much good
er- the removal Of unjust and unnecessa
ere burdens now imposed by the tariff Aft
ere all, freedom is the short road to ma
ble blessings. The ten great grain gatheri
roads now make net earnings of about eg
'.o cen millions yearly No one will prop,
Is that either Of them should be deprived
in all earnings by any regulation. Yet if
led of them should be compelled to so redr
.b, charges as to make no profits whatev
'"o the sum taken from the actual cost
1ne transportation would be less than the n
,ers essary increase Of expense operating tn
,ps roads alone. That tariff removed.
Al. these roads only, but a multitude of o
'"' ers. now crippled by the excessive cost
hey operating, would compete for the west,
ow- traffic. The cost of building additio
roads would be reduced the same capi
which now builds two miles to I00,t
acres, would suffice to build three mil
!; and give the western farmers during
next decade one-half greater increase
;, 81 ! value No other remedy applies to
lol, weaker as well as to the stronger roa
ere err the many now which charge high rates
'oi' cause they cannot help it, if relieved
- one half of the present cost of operati
: " ~ would have every inducement as well
81 opportunity to reduce rates. and strug
cry for share of the traffic now denied thu
'' ~ Ii is not extravagant to say that a red
,nt ton Of iron to the prices of 1860
III which the furnaces increased and the N
an made large profits-would add one tn
ny sand millions to the value of western far
.L;z by consequent reduction in the cost
.,l' transportation alone.
en-. This remedy, the only complete and
. 1uI fectual one. is also the very one which
uou farmers only can attain. On this n,