, 1874-02-16
THE RAILROAD QUESTION.
Extracts from tho Annual Report Of
the Massachusetts Com
nllssl0norS.
Railroads Cannot BE Regulated by
Economical Laws.
The Doctrine Of Evolution Applied TO
the Present Struggle.
Examination, OF the Fonr. Methods
of Treating Railroads.

tkIXQ1n1n{&tlO1O1 O1 Ullc Il ONE .uAGRlQu3
of Treating Railroads.
Comparison Of the illinois and Massa-
ohusetts Systems.
Tho following statement Of tho railroad dig
lousalon In its various piasoa 'ia extracted from
tho advance shcots OF tho Forthcoming report OF
the Massachusetts Board Of snailroad Commits
eionorB:
THE GENERAL RAILROAD p1Houss1oN.
More public attontion.t than ovor -bofore has,
during tho last year, lbeou given to tie nature
and extent Of tho rotations existing betwoon
Governments pnd railroad corporations. This
las especially been the case In America, where
most unusual activity, and, ut tin1es nu un-
necessary dogroo Of tcmper, hayc characterized
tho discussion. and consequent political action.
Wlilo tho burden Of the discussion has
rotated to tho unsatisfactory character Of
'thcAo rclations, the tendency OF political
notion Inns everywhere boon towards their closer
definition, ind tho drawing OF tho machinery Of
transportation more and moro within tho range
Of Government control. Not tho 1oaat noticeable
feature OF the agitation ia tho fact TINT 1t has
boon 1nainiy confined to this country aul to
Groat Britain. In Great Britain it has ledto tho
creation by Parliament Of Board Of Hallway
and Canal Commissioners, which Is apparently
Designed to net as special tribunal having cog
nizanoo only Of certain questions arising be-
tween lroadcorporationa as among thomBolvos.
or between them and tho community In Amor
ioa 1t has resulted in prolonged Legislative do
bates md Inquiries In tho passngo Of numerous
X... 4uAo !.~ -
now constitutional provisions.
II may be assumed That, ny D result Of
FORTY YEArs' E1pEND1TuAE OF CAPITAL AND
LABOR,
tho general work OF railroad construction Id nom
completed III its larger aspects; or, iu other
words, tho more civilized countries Of tho earth
are supplied with improved highways sufficient
for tloir immediate wants. To tho work OF con-
struotion has succeeded tho question Of adjust
ment; an enormous mass Of machinery, social
and economical, is assuming Its relations with
tho political syatema into which it finds itsalf
Incorporated, and is necessarily exercising
a worry disturbing influence. upon thom.
The amount Of this disturbance seems
closely proportional in difreront communities
to the degree in which their railroad syatems
wo re, in the beginning established upon a re-
cal laws alone, or upon Government supervision
or control. It would seem to. be much greater
in the former case, and'losa in tho latter. This
arises from the fact that all the communities
which sought to base tho regulation Of their
railroads upon the economical laws aro In some
way, and whether consciously or unconacIous1y,
trying to abandon thas ground and to got upon
some other.
m A - ~ n.
coded that railroads are, and from tho very
nature Of things must always remain,
PRACTICAL MoHoro11Es;
that the operation Of the law Of competition. as
affecting supply and demand can exorcao a
worry limited control over them, and TINT
oven this limited cautrol IL rather of
disturbing than Of m o1uali1ng chRrac-
ter. The supply. OF competing railroads Is
not aud cannot he indetinitci uor dooa tue III,
croaso in their number to,,d to diminish tho cost
of transportation nor, when unprodtable In one
| place, can they bo moved to another; nor, car
my excoss Of capital invested In them bo roleas-
cd ct will and otherwise used; nor can they ho
at all points which thoy serve. Compotition ID,
| however, mado up Of theso very clements here
wanting; it il their presence which supplies it's
| effective, regulating forco to tho operation OF
popular mind has bcol slow to realizo that they
is conceded, it follows that all tho dealings Of
railroads with tho community must either
DO nnregulateatl, except by ,';ls the .,, in
force, or olae that they must bo carried on nutcr
| q creator or less aegroo Of governmental inter-
ference. Very naturally, therefore, tho chRrac-
ter aud degree OF thtH governmental interference
arc most actively discussed in thoso countries
| upon tue assumption that no such Interference
waa necessary. OF these couutrlcs, America WAS
| that one which carried its reliance upon eco
uo,nical laws the furthcBt. It IL in America,
consequently, tint tho work Of read iustnent Is
accompanied with the grcatost amount Of diff
cult lty. ~
DuT Four METHODS
establishing the relations iu which the railroads
| Of any country ehall stand toward its Govern
mont Loft wholly in tho hands OF private ndi-
viduals, or Of corporations, thoy may be indo-
pendent OF all Government control, stauding on
tho aamo footing as cotton-1nills Or iron~fouu-
dries !. or. they 'nny DO subjected t0 the opera
tion Of special municipal laws establishing tllor
obligations, regulating their charges, aud limit
ing their protita Or, still remaining tue prop
erty aud under tho control of private par
tios,, thoy may, DO subjected to an OK
| in whole or In part, tAoy may 10 owned
and operated by tho Slate. IN faot, species Of
natural law Of political evolution governing
transportation by rail may now be formulated.
are baAed upon the principles Of non-intor-
ference In industrial onterpriaeH railroads ore
first organized Oh the theory Of their sufficient
regulation by natural laws. From this lncipieut
lation by Legislative onactment into,a state Of
practical executive supervision the whole
process tendins, with . greater or less
rail must apparently bo recognized az ono OF tie
functions Of government, This prOccs8 of oYOllt-