Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-08-05

Hhhense Oulks seek movement, nut tney
require to be moved over vast distances
The surplus products of those almost unlim-
tied basns-that between the Allegheny
and Rocky Mountains and that
between the latter range and the
Sierra Ncvadas-requirc to be dipped
out into tho ocean on either side
Production is not only So vast in amount,
but At is SO unequally distributed
OF the spring wheat grown in the United
States, Wisconsin and Iowa raise nearly
one-half OF the winter wheat, Indiana and
OHIO produca nearly one-third OF the corn
raised, illinois alone grows ouc-sixth. of
the tobacco, Kentucky raises nearly one
half Nine States raise nearly all the cotton
consumed in this country,and much of that
consumed in Europe
The cotton fabrics manufactured ia the
United States in 1870 were valued at one
hundred and ifty-scvcn millions. OF those
| titty-nine millions were manufactured in
1 Massachusetts. OF course the distribution
of these aud the great variety of other COM
modities neCCSstatcs vast amount of
tran portation Eleven States occupying
tho Mississippi valley send to market
annually a surplus of its cereal products
equal to 3OO,000,0O bushels
To cheaper the carriage of that single
commodity by the amount Of only ten cents
per bushcl is u saving of thirty millions to
the people,
Various expedicnts have been suggested
for lessening the cost of transportation.
In some of the States it has been proposed
to place railway fares and freights under
the control of the State. The objections to
that eXpedient are so serious that it should
not be embraced if n better one can be
found. This country is so new, so raw, and
so undeyeloped, the demands for capt
tai are so many and so urgent, that
any policy which would tend to drive
capital from us should be avoided if posi-
| BILE. The State is but the aggregate Of the
people in the State.
The people are the purchasers of trans
pOrtatlOn
The railway companies have Transporta-
ton to sell.
The law also holds railroad companies to
be common carriers and so bound to carry
COR all when the price is paid 1t is now a
mooted question whether that price shall
be named by the companies or by the
people-the sellers or the purchasers of the
article. Which of thcset two partiesis legally
authorized to fix that price is probably
determined by the laws under which the
several companies are organized but which
of them can in fact fix it is a different
question.
1t is manifest that if the company be
allowed to fix the price they may demand
too much. Vendors of all commodities are
very apt to want all they can get. On the
contrary, ii the people or their agents fix
the price they may set it too low.
Purchasers are very apt to want commod-
ties as cheap ms they can be had. 1t is not
probable that either party to the transaction
would always hit upon the exact equivalent.
The consequences of n mistake would prob
ably be found most injurious if made by the
| people. II the company makes the
mistake and charges too much no one
is obliged to employ it. The producer does
his own carrying before the railway is built.
lie has the perfect right to do so after it is
built. So, every company is compelled by
the laws of trade even if municipal law
is silent to carry products cheaper than the
producer can carry them, or he will not
have them to carry. The company must
also carry them at profit to the producer,
else tho product will cease Tho farmers
Of Iowa will send no wheat to Chicago,
unless the roads will transport it at prices
which will yield a profit to the producer.
The carrier must earn money for the
producer as for well as himself else he will
soon have nothing TO carry, 1t is as
absurd for the railways TO demand more for
transportation than the producer can afford
to pay as it was for the man in the fable to
endeavor to get two golden eggs each day
from his hen-the attempt to do so was
death to the hen.
Under favorable conditions, indeed, the
carrier may demand and receive more than
fair share of the profits Of production.
Where such is the case, when the State finds
the producer makes but ten per cent,
while the carrier makes fifteen or
twenty per cent, it is very easy
and perfectly legitimate for it to say
to the company: "The work you do can be
done for less money we will pay
you for your road what it will cost to
build such another or you may keep your
road and we will build another" 50 the
people are not helpless against exorbitant
charges.
On the contrary, if the people set the
price, and set it too low, the consequences
may be graver. The company has no option
1t must accept the price named or not run.
If the rates named will afford slight re
turn on the capital, existing companies
may continue to run, but no more capital
will encounter like risks. If the rates will
yield no return, the road can not be run
uhu OoulliluhltN III JhlJ CuSt, bIb
alike ruined. This expedient seems to be
too hazardous to adopt if better can be
found.
Another expedient is to build double
track railway between the Mississippi and
the Atlantic over which any party may run
trains, and all trains to run with the same
rate of speed. This is worthy of careful
consideration.
The practicability of relief through gov
ernmental action is being ascertained by
an able commission constituted by recent
act of Congress.
A third expident and the most important
of all, is that proposed by the Senate Com
mittee on Transportation Routes to the
Seaboard." That proposes TO open or enlarge
several different water channels between
the Mississippi and the Atlantic
We invite your earnest and careful consider
alton Of that proposal 1t is asserted that
by an expenditure of twenty millions per
year for six or seven years new channels
may be opened which will lesson the cost
of transporting the grain product of the
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