Wilmington daily commercial. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1866-1877, 1874-07-10
FIRST EDITION.


AN EXTENSION OF THE BERKs COUNTY r. II. TO
THE CENTRAL II. II. OF NEW JERSEY ORDERED
THE GRADING TO BEGIN ON MONDAY.
The last effort of tho Reading r. r. Monopo-
ly to crush out the Berks County r. r. (Wil-
mington u Reading extension) by an unjust dis
elimination in the coal tariffs over the Lehigh
Valley r. r., is likely to prove as Intellectual as
its first. With the completion of each mile of
the extension of the Wilmington & Reading r. r.
new friends were brought to it until now they
extend all the way from Wilmington TO Stating
ton and it does seem that the latest acquisi-
sitions are the warmest friends of the road.
They are quick in perception, prompt in action,
and vigorous in prosecution. Having particle
pated in none Of the previous battles between
the grasping monopoly and the young corpora
ton, they are reinforcements fresh from the
new fields of business which the extension has
penetrated, courageous, persistent and practi-
cal.
That the people of Slatington and the officers
of the Berks County II. II. recognize the situa-
ton in which they have been placed by the
Reading Company in its manipulation of the
Lehigh Valley Co., is evident from their last
stroke of policy in attempting to neutralize the
effect of the discrimination in the coal tariffs in
favor of the Readng r. Il. by cutting loose
from the Lehigh Valley Co. altogether. The
Lehlgh Valley II. r. is powerless to resist the
demands Of the Reading monopoly, for it is de-
pendent upon that Company for the distribution
Of its coal freights at tde-water. In other words
the Reading Il. II. Co. owns the only lines Of
distribution at Philadelphia and the Lehgh Val
ley r. r., If it should refuse to accede to what
ever is required by the former, will find itself
restricted to its eastern terminus at Easton, its
trade crippled and itself powerless to do or dare,
the Berks County and. Wilmington x Reading
Railroads being too young, and their field too
limited at present to enable it to wage warfare
with its powerful ally.
The only policy, therefore, now open to the
Berks County Il. Il. is to withdraw its depen-
dence from the Lehigh Valley Il. II. altogether,
and to seek a union with some other corpora
ton. This it has determined to do. On Tuesday
evening last, a conference was held at Stating
ton between the slate operators and the officers
of the Berks County r. r., when it was deter
mined to extend the road from the Slate Dale
branch one and three-quarter miles across the
Lehigh river to the Lehigh and Susquehanna
Division of the Central Railroad of New Jersey.
The engineers OF the Berks county Il. r. yester
day begun the location of the extension aud on
Monday next the grading will be commenced.
lhe right of way has been donated.
The Central Railroad of New Jersey through its
Lehigh and Susquehanna Division, which pene-
trates the coal fields of the Lehigh region and
reaches to Wilkesbarre and Scranton, cannot be
strictly said to be competing road with the
Reading Company, although they both draw
their freights from the same coal fields. The
one has its tde-water terminus at Jersey City,
the other at Philadelphia and while they run
parallel WlJn, ana many ullneb CROSS ana recrOsb
each other for fifty or hundred miles, it is for
the most part through country where there is
but little consumption, and they have no reason
to be upon other than friendly terms. Such we
understand to be the relations existing between
them. But while this is the case they
are not at all dependent upon one an
other being separate aud distinct corpo-
ratons and without any bond of common inter-
est which should induce the Central II. II. of
Now Jersey to join with the Reading Co. in its
war against the Wilmington Il Reading and its
extension.
On the contrary it seems to us that it is rather
tho policy of the Central Railroad of New Jersey
to become an ally of the Wilmington Il Read
ing aud Berks County Railroads, inasmuch as
such an alliance would afford it another outlet
for its coal and enable it to build up new trade
in an undeveopod field. 1t could measurably
control the trade in coal with the ocean steam
ers which enter the Delaware bay and also
build up local trade which would be both valu-
able and profitable. We have no doubt these
opportunities have been perceived and fully
considered by the Central Il. r. Of New Jersey,
and that the union now about to be formed be-
tween it and the Berks County r. r. lis the re-
suit Of such consideration.