Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-06-18
Charles Francis Adams on Transpor-
tation.

The letter of Charles Francis
Adams, Jr, to Senator Window, in
reference to the plans now before
Congress for regulating transporta-
ton by rail is deserving of attention
first, because of Mr.. Adams char
acter and known abilities, second,
from his years of experience as
Railroad Commissioner in Massachu-
setts. He thinks the generalities
propounded by Senator Window do
not go far enough; it suggests no
com mission at all, but looks to the
collection of material only, and does
not even pretend to bring the Off
cials in contact with the real difficult
ties of the position. The McCfary
bill goes too far it attempts to Sc
cure to the public all the benefits of
competition without any of it's bur-
dens. The Commissioners, should
the bill become law, will have
neither principle nor precedent to
guide them, and will be forced into
making arbitrary, absurd and unjust
decisions They must, Sunless they
doggedly content themselves with
some barbarous rule like the Wiscon-
sin law" settle each case on its indi-
vidual merits, and thus accumulate
a crowd of Inconsistencies, real or
apparent, amid which the public will
wander more befogged than ever.
Strangely enough, for a Massachu-
setts man, Mr.. Adams deems the
Massachusetts law pretty near the
perfection of human wisdom upon
this subject. The Commissioners
appointed under it can do nothing
except listen, investigate and recon-
mend to the Legislature--serving as
medium through which to bring
public opinion to focus. "My ex-
perience," he says (and that be says
it is sufficient proof that his expert
ence has been confined to eastern
roads), "leads me to the conclusion
that there is no railroad corporation
in the United States which, to-day,
would dare to persist in any fragrant
abuse of its privileges in the face of
a calm, intelligent and well-reasoned
remonstrance from eny authorized
public tribunal" AS a substitute
for the McCrary bill, Mr.. Adams
suggested measure organizing q
Commission in the Department Of
the Interior, the first duty of which
shall be to collect the statistics and
information on every point connect
ed with transportation by rail, and
clothed with all necessary authority
to that end. He would next impose
upon it the duty of investigating all
regularly presented complaint, pre-
ferred to it against Interstate rail
road corporations, on matters not
provided for by law, giving hearings
thereon, and rendering, in all cases,
formal decisions, with or without
recommendation in relation thereto.
The CRoPs.-The National Crop
Reporter of the 9th inst, published
information of the growing crops, Of
which the following is synopsis
The area sown in wheat last sea-
son in the states of Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Ohio and Wisconsin, is estimated in
round numbers at 13,500,000 acres.
The reports of correspondents make
an increase in the present crop year
of l 1867 1853 acres, or total area of
IA, 8l2,344 acres. The yield of a |
good average season approximates,
in the states mentioned, Is 40 BUSH
els per acre. At this rate. the yield
in these states at harvest will be O |
fraction less than 200, 900, 600 bushels.
The present condition of the growing
wheat being full average probabili-
ty of q harvest the approximating
amount mentioned, is very good. |
The area seeded in oats in the same
states 10 1873, is placed at 4 AT 900
acres. The Increase this year is es-
timated at 159, 900 acres, or total
of 5,6S7 900 acres. At the average
yield of a good season, say about
333 bushels per acre, the total crop
at harvest in these states will ap-
proximate 19O,0Oo,00O bushels. |