Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1874-02-01
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE
GREAT RAILROAD LINES.

instinct as cOntradistinguished from any
formulated and fully-skaped IDEAS,
we have, for some years past, favored
the ownership and control by the
the National Government of tho great
lines of railway in the United States.
We held to the propriety and correct
policy of the Government building Of
the Pacific Railway, and its ownership
and regulation of the same after it was
built. In fact, ttr public moneys and
land did build that line, while, by a most
preposterous policy, the ownership fell
into private hands. The whole plan and
process and ultimate disposition of the
work was Illogical, crude and incoherent
from the start. That this should be so,
considering the emergencies Of the case.
the existence of war, and the great need
of cunEecting by the means of rapid
transit of the far separated parts of the
Republic, natural en"ush. But
logic is inexorable. and sooner or later
demands its inevitable conclusions
Moreover. the equities Of the case were
certain to assert themselves. Ii the
railroad is the result OF the expenditure
of large sums of government moneys,
and the giving away Of vast bodies Of
the public domain, there. shor!d be
some adequate return, some equitable
This recompenSc caI-
not, in the nature of things,
be made, under existing circan-
stances Ia the case of the Building Of
the Central Pacific half of the line, the
We're made wealthy by the
profits arising from the successful COM
pletion OF their undertaking; ana the
popular idea of the equities OF the case
axes shape in demanding more liberal
policy in the conduct of the affairs Of
he road. The idea, crudely explained.
IS, that the peoples money having bulk
he road the people should have tine ben
fit of bedrock prices for fares and !
reishts. So, indeed, they should; but !
IS it would, possibly, strip the individH- !
is who are the chief stockholders Of |
heir wealth. were they to accede to |
hese popular expectations, Of course |
hey, the Directors, will net consent to
nv material reduction of their tariff Of /
ares and freights. This causes the
popular demand for remedy at the
ards of Congress. The impulse is to
o something: brt the correct modus
perandi is a riddle hard to Guees. Eve.
ow there is movement III Congress to
anedv these evils Of loosely conduct
system One of the representatives,
ON California, Luttrell, is the author
i q bill requiring the Attorney General
bring suits to collect arrearages Of i'll
rest money on the bonds of the rail
av. Mr.. Converse OF Nebraska is for
the railways to pay State
xes for their grants of land. Mr.. Wilson
Indiana is the introducer of {
l Act to compel the Union q,
acifc railway TO charge uniform ,
ties of fare and freight. We |
I'VE a suspicion that it is the rheno-
ena of this new and immense problem
railway science that are most at fault.
ut be that rs ii may, We are glad Of Mr.. c
nttrell's Bill We ike It for y % I
n: That if it is pressed through it will \
I'VE the effect of compelling the indivi- i
lals who own the controlling interes. b
the Central and Union Pacific Roads Y
surrender the same, as upon foreclos- 0
e of mortgage, to their biggest credit a
the Government. We have little a
ubt that if those lines of railway wera q
IL at the cheap rates demanded, they q
'uld fall short of paying their running Il
penses. So long as individuals are h
,ponsible for the finances of those Il
es it cannot be expected, in justice, O.
It they will run their roads a. a pecu- Il
nv loss to themselves. That would ,,
IN cop,,eI a Scora mr. 81 of indiyiiualS