Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-08-07

| require to be moved over vast uistahcoS'
The surplus products OF those almost unllm-
tied basins-that between the Allegheny
and Rocky mountains and that between the
| latter range and the Sierra Neyadas-re-
ouire to be dipped out into the ocean on Ell
Their side. Production is not only 50 vast
| in amount. but it is so unequaily distrInu-
| ted 1,.l
OF the spring wheat grown in the Onited
States Wisconsin and Iowa, raise nearly
one-half. Of the winter wheat. indlana
and Ohio produce nearly one-third vi INC
corn raised, Illinois alone grows one-sixth.
| of the tobacco. Kentucky raises nearly
one-half. Nine States raise nearly all the
cotton consumed in this country, and mnch
of that consumed in Europe.
The cotton fabrics manufactured IN the
! United States in 1870 were valued at Sl51,-
O0O 900. OF those. $50 900 were man
| ufactured in Massachusetts,. OF course the
distribution of these and the great variety
/ of other commodities necessItateS vas
amount of transportation. Eleven states
occupying the Mississippi valley send 10
market annually Surplus of their cereal
products equal to 500, 000, 900 bushels.
To cheaper the carriage of that single |
commodity by the amount of only ten cents
per bushel is saving of thirty millions 10
the people.
various tAptuItuto iliNt bNth
for lessening the cost OF transportation In /
some of the States it has been proposed TO |
place railway fares and freights under tine |
control Of the State. The objections TO that /
expedient are so serious that ii should not /
be embraced. ifa better one can be found |
This country Is 50 new, 50 raw, anu 80 TN /
developed, the demands for capital are 50 /
many and 50 urgent, that any policy winch /
would tend to drive capital from Us should /
be avoided if possible. The State Is but the
aggregate of the people in the State.
The people are the purchasers OF trans
portation.
The railway companies have transpcrta-
ton to sell
The law also holds railroad companies to
be common carriers, and 50 bound to carry
for all when the price i paid. Ii * now
mOoted question whether that price shall
be named by the companies of by the peo-
ple-the sellers or the purchasers oil the ar
tces. Which of these two parties l. legal
IN authorized to fix that price l. probably
determine by the laws under which the
several companies are organized but
which of them can in fact fix II is different
question.
1t Is manifest that if the company be al
lowed 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, if the people or their agents fix
the price they may set il too low. Pur-
chasers are very apt to want commodities a
cheap as they can be had. 1t i not proba
bic that either party 10 the transaction
would always hit upon the exact equlva-
lent The consequences of a mistake would
probably be found most injurious, if made
by the people. II the company makes the
mistake and charges too much, DO one Is
Obliged to employ it. The producer has hIs
own carrying before the railway is built.
lie has the perfect right TO do 81 after 1t l.
built. 80 every company Is compelled by
the law of trade. even If municipal law l.
silent. TO carry products cheaper than the
producer can carry them, OF he viii not
have them to carry. The company must
also carry them at profit to the producer;
else the produc. viii cease. The farmers OF
Iowa will send no wheat to Chicago. unless
the roads will transport it at prices which
Will yield profit 10 the producer.
The carrier must earn money for the pro-
Queer a. well a. for himself. else he Will
soon have nothing to carry. Its a absurd
for the railways u demand more for trans
portati0n than the producer can afford 10
vas 1t was for the man in the fable ID en-
deayOr to get two golden eggs each day from
his hen-the attempt t. do 50 was del ia to
the hen.
Under favorable conditions. indeed. the
carrier may demand and receive more than .
a fair share of the products OF production. ,
W here such i the case when the State finds {
the producer makes but ten per cent. while !
the carrier makes fifteen OF twenty per cent, d
1t l. very easy and perfectly legitimate for
II to say To the company The work YOu
DO can be done for less money; We will pay
yOu for your road what II Will cost to build I
such another. OF YOU may keep your road ,
and We will build another" So.the people
are not helpless against exorbtant charges. 7
On the contrary, if the people set the 5
price, and set 1t too low, the consequences D..
may be grayer. The company has no OPP a
tlun. Ii must accept the price named or not q
run. If the rates named will afford a slight \
return on the capital, existing companies C
may continue to run, but no more capital -
viii encounter like risks. II the rates Will Z
yield no return, the road cannot be run. S
Company and community. in that case, are Y
alike ruined. This expedIcnt seems TO he n
too hazardous 10 adopt, il better can lie #
found.
The practicability of relief through gov ,
action l. being asccrtaiucd By an B
able commission constituted by a recent act i
Of Congress. y
\ third expedient, and tho most import 1
ant OF all, l. that proposed by the Senate t
committee on transportation routes to the o
sea board That r,r,,r,,,-o.. =, .,,,,-, 80. ~ -, I "
several different i,,,.- b,, ,..,', ~
Nls,i..inni and Tho $50; ~ 49,, ~ !
vonr e,rnc.t and corcf,i i'-'
iher nrorosel /, a-o-.l - - .,1'i VI
ncnditnre NJ 59o ooo o00 no. - an - i
even vcars Teyr cb,nyeI 81 j., -'i ,oI !.
winch Will lessen the cost of transporting L
,-N io'.uUt % .uo -il1Si,>ippI 'aiiey Il
The fignrss are -,Sr+I;- ~ ~ l;,.'i;,.iS r
Tbc cx1erd;.,,-o '.'- mn, =
Gems Iar-e c1Tn9,ro1 ~ - f.-,,lr u
the neoris y, j. Ia. ~ g
nation i nor To- tLaT 90 noo oon noo IL IL u
who has an csta+e ~ "a nno $50, ~ az IL :
- - - - +'V'V'' N.s"4i.t &c us =