Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-11-27
The Railroad Problem.


as less than a half dozen companie
to all intents and purposes control
| the majority of all the railroads In the
United States, it can be seen at once
how powerful they can make them
selves by coalition. In some ways
such an arrangement would be mutual
" beneficial to the companies and the
public. There would be no cutting
down of rates to favor certain parties,
and thus injure honest competition in
trade; commissions to ticket-sellers and
soliciting agents would bel done away
with, and supernumerary force of
subordinates generally dispensed with.
Thus much would be saved In the way
of expense, but, instead of the people
profting by it, the money would go
right into the pockets of the companies.
If there are few ways in which the
public could be benefited by having
all the railways controlled virtually by
one irresponsible corporation or monop-
DIV, there are a great many ways in
which it would suffer. For instance,
less moray would be spent in render
ing the cars comfortable, trains would
ran on slower time, and, there being
no com petition, low schedules of tariff
would give place to higher. The. New
York Central, New York & Erie and
Pennsylvania companies, it appears,
are in favor of the combinations, and
are doing what they can to induce the
Baltimore & Ohio and the Grand
Trunk line to join them. If they suc-
coed, the coalition will control every
particle of freight and trade which
passes by rail between the west and the
seaboard. Should these companies
come to an arrangement to pool their
earnin gs and thus abolish competition,
our people would be laboring under
the oppression Of the most powerful
monopoly the world ever saw.
1t is to be hoped that we nmay es-
cape for while, at least, such a con-
dition of affairs, but the general
course of events points directly
TO that end. The progress of CONSOLE
lation on the part of railroad compa-
nies in this country has been fearfully
rapid, and now that the interests are
concentrated in comparatively few
hands we find ourselves on the brink
IF seeing ourselves at the mercy:of one
immense management,and all that pre-
tents its immediate consummation is he
probability that there is quarrel over
he proportions in which the plumber is
be shared. The Baltimore & Ohio
company having just completed the ex-
ension of its line to Chicago,
.hus connecting directly with the west
,rn roads, has become candidate for
large share of the general business,
md evidently believes that it can do
better out of the combination than in
t. At all events, it purposes to find
W. how much of that business it can
control before entering into any bind
ing arrangement not to allow com-
missions or soliciting agents. The
Grand Trunk road is backward also,
probably for similar reasons; but we
may rest assured that neither of these
companies would stand out Of the coali
ton five minutes after they had be-
come convinced that there was more
, money to be made inside than out.
And they will become convinced of it
some of these days,if they are not now,
ud then the great powers will be united.
The outside world is kept in bliss
ul ignorance as to what nay be trans
bring in the conclaves of these rail
road magnates. Upon their action de-
lends, to greater or less extent, the
Welfare Of the busincs IS and agriculture
Il community. They can influence
he price of grain and merchandise
pretty much as they please: and on
their decisions sometimes hangs the
good fortune or ruin of the general
dealer or Spectator, but the public at
.arge has no voice powerful enough
reach the ears Of the few men who
may be congregated in back Office on
Wall Street. They are the autocrats,
and will not abate one jot or little of
their tyranny until there comes a reva
olu ton and they are forced to.
It seems to us that such a revolution
is inevitable. The present system up
on which our railroads are conducted
cannot last. Our people are paying
into the hands Of comparatively few
men full rate of income on species
Of capital which is fully one-half ficti-
tious, and thus gigantic piece of
injustice permitted and protected by
law plays fast and loose with such a
vital interest to the business ofthe coun-
try as its carrying trade. Are we to
stand this thing always? When the
people become thoroughly awakened
to the sisuation, and enough popular
iudignation.is accumulated to overcome
the efforts of paid lobbyists and to
frighten thoughts of bribery out of the
heads of legislators, railroads will be-
come pablic highways in every sense
of the word. 1t will take time to bring
this admirable result about, ssand per-
haps long time, but it must come
ually.-AitUaakee Sentinel.
And so journalism is officially rec
ognized as profession 1t is the
Treasury Department which has
earned gratitude from "the fourth es~
tate" According to dispatch to the
Republic, the case same up on a claim