The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-06-30
New Artiole on an Old Subject.

any Ofhcf peTSou VI P'"SS >" -"
some wav or other articles Of value ana let
tiers of importance bavc been in all time car
ried by express messengers and the oess
known modes Of rapid conveyance.
Wen, now, when railroads were intro
duced the mode of transportation of freight
aud passengers was necessarily changed, be-
cause new mode Of transportation faster
than any previous mode of transportation
was adopted with as much expedition as was
rns>ible in view of the expense Of building
railroads.
The question was: How shall the express
business be conducted over the railroads
Shalt the railroads undertake to do it them
selves, or shall they leave express business to
specially organized company? The ques'
ton was decided by the railroads in favor OF
leaving the business TO those who should
give satisfactory proof of fidelity and abil'
ity.
Thus we have now some six or eight com
panies doing express business in the United
States. But marx you: These eight become
responsible for and cooperate with one an
other. Each knows the others to be compe
tent and responsible, and they all interchange
freight with one another. They perform the
express business of the United States ard be.
tween the United States and al! CIVILIZED
parts Of the globe. That is, they take
freights from anywhere to anywhere else
from anybody to anybody else.
Now, then, nearly all the roads in the
United States surrcudering tie express bu'
sincsS TO express companies it may, as we
said, be settled as The decision of those roads
that their system CHAT Of the express com
pauie>) is the Lest, and they decline to do
any express business themselves, /. e., they
decine to pcsplcx their railroad manage.
meut with it.
This being the case, is it possible for one
railroad to introduce new system, and
will the new system, while none Others
agree With it. give satiStac.ion@ That IS The
question. The other roads having no mes.
seugers, 10 wagons and teams, no safes, etc.,
ETC., ctlnuot combine with it, and will not.
Hence it runs its express on its own lire,
has no connection with any other, and dis
peaSes almost everybody. Therefore the
two systems cannot successfully prevail at
the same time.
We suppose nobody will say that the cx-
press business is rot important to the pub
lie; nor will any one say that, as express
means the transportation Of anything from
anybody TO anybody else, that that whic b
takes express from Il limited number to Il
limited number on Il limited line OF railway
is an express at all. This is the express on
the Atlantic. Mississippi aud Ohio road. 1t
is imperfect and extremely limited, ard gives
no satisfaction.
Ii, then, the president Of the A., NJ. & O.
read undertakes TO break down the system
adopted and Introduce Il new one, it is his
duty 10 convert the presidents and manage
mcnt of all other railroads to his views be-
fore he attempts to break up the system
that prevails. He haS no right to take from
Il people the conycnicnccS they enjoy until
be is prepared to furnish them with Others
equally as good. This is the outrage lie has
committed.
Suppose that he had accomplished his nur-
pose, and the railroads approved his deter
miuatlon. What Them Could they go on
ard do express business cith the means they
haze?
Unqucstionably not. They would have to
form an express company. They would have
10 iuaugurate such Il company, with lis pre-
Sident, board of directors, messengers, agents,
general and special perintendents, detec-
liyeS, safes, etc. For without these the rail-
roads themselves cannot undertake to do eX-
press business.
What then! Why the express business
must ut last be done by an express company
The business must bea specially, and be done
by persons especially engaged in that bust,
ness.
Will the railroad companies join in the
organization of a railroad express company
That is the question. They would have tc
hold a general convention, whereat the cX
press company should be organized. Eacl
railroad would be interested in proportion
to its length of miles, or some other rule
agreed upon. Then each would have to pay
I'D for its quota of stock, and then there
would be the tedious business of election
of officers and arrangement of details.
Then would begin the express operations
thus arranged, requiring the supervision
of each railroad for its own protection. IL
the operations of such company, repre-
senting all the railroads, have we reason to
| believe that all would be content? WoulC
| all pay up? Would each and all be salts
fed: Would the system succeed? Would
| it pay as we'll as if the railroads kept the eX
press distinct, having no interest in it ant
receiving pay for carrying its freights? AM
| would not the organization be finally aban
doned by many Of them and fall into til
| hands Of few wealthy corporations?
These questions all men can discuss 70
themselves. We doubt not every railroad
| company in the United States has considered
them fully. and that the determination al
rived at by each has been made after thei
careful consideration.
But what shall we think Of single rail
road company that attempts to adopt sys
tenn of running its own express after ever.
| other railroad has determined to leav
that business to a company organized 70
the purpose Of conducting the express bus