New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-19
CHEAP TRANSI ORTA TON.

The National Cheap Transportation COnven-
ton at Washington adjourned on Saturday,
after a session upon which we can look back
with a great deal of satisfaction. 1t u not
clear that the Association has yet discovered
a panacea for the Farmers evils; but the
wrongs and mlsfOrtunes which result from
years of mlsmanagement, fraud, and organ
lied rapaclty cannot be cured In a month, nor
in twelve. Our satisfaction is rather over the
manner in which the Association has begun
its work, than over anything that it has
actually accomplished. 1t has undertaken the
discussion of the question in no violent and
abusive spirit. 1t has neither treated the
railway corporations as il they were public
enemies nor attempted to override cOnstltu-
tional difficulties by the simple processes OF
legislative enactment. nor proposed the con-
fscati0n of vested interests, nor echoed any
of the wild and impractical resolutions which
have been unfortunately 40 common III certain
Western agricultural meetings. Men of bust
ness seem to have been prominent in the
Convention, and the common sense character
istic of their class has ruled most of its
proceedings.
The reports of the Committees on Railways
w
the fruits of the asscmblage. The Railway
Committee points out the principal faults OF
management which combine to create high
rates, and it will be seen that they are pre-
cise1y the same that THE TRIBUNE has so
often indicated and condemned. The system
of building roads without a cash capital, the
watering of stock. the formation OF " inside
rings" of directors who have pecuniary
interest in increasing the expenditures OF the
cOmpany-these are among the abuses OF the
railway system which the Committee Indicate
and call upon Congress to reform. 1hey
recommend the creation of a national bureau
of commerce and transportation, and OF State
boards of commissioners who shall have power
to establish and regulate rates. They ask for
minority representation of the stockholders,
and for laws restricting dividends TO ten per
cent on the actual cost of the road. fOrbiddIng
the leasing consolidation, or combination of
parallel roads, prohibiting unjust discrmina-
tons, and making it penal Offense for
public official to accept free pass. Finally
they condemn land grants and subsidies in
every form.
These general suggestions and recommended
tons are all sound. The plans proposed by
the two reports Tor the immediate fe1e1 Oh
the grain country deserve more careful dis
cussiOn than we can enter upon here. They
are first the building of a narrow gauge freight
railway, at the cost of the General Govern
ment. TO be operated as national highway,
on which any citizen shall have the right to
place ears and locomotives on payment of
toll and secondly the construction, at the
national expense, of an extensive system of
canal and river improvements, embracing the
enlargement Of the Erie canal, the enlarge
ment and extension Of the Illinois and Michl
gan canal to Rock Island. the completion OF
the Illinois river improvement the improve
ment of the Mississippi, and other important
enterprises. We shall be better prepared TO
examine the merits of these magnificent pro-
pOsals when we have seen the report of the
Senate Committee on Transportation which
will soon be laid before Congress.