The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-25
TsnE SLATE INTEREST.

JEROME b. BROMLEY, District of Fairhavrn.
TEE SLATE INTEREST,".
We have referred elsewhere to the effect
that a " mt of railroad facilities had upon
the farming interests oi The state, claiming
that farmers had no cause of complaint,
that the indscrim natc warfare against
railroads was sen cess and unjust, and
that, with one exception, our railroad,
were run a. loss We do not mean 10
say that there is no cause of complaint
arant any railroad in Vermont, because
we believe that on marble and slate pro-
ducers have grieyous cause of complaint
against one railroad. They most certainly
have If their statement is correct and in
that which we are about to say, we say in
faith of that statcnient. We may say here,
that as we only intend to represent things
as they actually are, our columns are open
to any correction which the managers of
the railroad in question may desire to
make, Away provided that it is couched in
proper language and of a reasonable
length. The complaint may be briefly
stated. 1t is that the rates of freight to
Troy Or Schenectady are so high that the
slate interests of Rutland county cannot
compete with those of Pennsylvania. There
is still further complaint that the charges
for freight for the carriage of marble from
West Rutland to Rutland, to be hence
transported to New York, are so high as to
amount to an actual prohibition, hut we
intend only to speak of the slate interest at
this time. 1t is proposed to apply 10 the
next legislature OF Vermont and New York
for the passage of laws nAing lne rates OF
freight. If the legislature of Vermont has
that power which we will not now con-
slider, there are sundry reasons why
it should be exercised, as well as
some very grave ones why it should be
handled "gingerly, so to speak. We are
with these slate producers heart and soul
for every movement which promises them
relief, and they can rely upon our aid in
every possible way. The facts disclosed
at the last meeting of the producers asso-
citation show two things first that freights
can be 80 adjusted that Rutland county
can compete, at profit, with other slate
producing regions, and second, the neces.
sity of legislation so far as this one road is
concerned. A tariff was agreed upon,
July Goth, the effect of which was to at
once give life to the slate trade, and we
are told, by the producers themselves, that
if it had continued in force until the first of
November, all the manufactured slate in
western Vermont would have been Sold
OF course, with the same tariff more slate
would have been manufactured next year
than this, with like result This proves
our first proposition. But the tariff was
revoked and the rates increased in just one
month, and why? We presume the tariff
was revoked by the western roads, and, if
so, they had good reason for their action.
The rate agreed upon was forty-four cents
per hundred pounds, of which this road
carrying it only seventy miles, received
twenty-six cents, leaving so small q sum
for the railroads of from three to five hum
dred miles in length that they would no
longer agree to it. Under the present tar
if, the Delaware and Hudson canal com.
pany receive three and four-seyenth cents
per ton per mile for transporting slate.
while the other companies charge only
three-quarters of cent. 1t is no wonder
that the stock of the former company sells
at a large premium and pays large div-
dends. This, also, proves our second
proposition, the necessity OF legislation.
When, however, we come to the matter
of legislation, we are met with several
stumbling blocks, to one or two OF which
we will briefly allude. The most obvious
of these is, that any attempt to regulate
freight must apply to all roads alike, not
TO one alone. 1t is fact, we believe gen
orally admitted, that it costs more per ton
per mile to transport freight short distances
than long ores. How shall tins be proyid-
ed for in general law? Again, several
roads are so constructed and run through
such section of country, crossing per.
haps ranges of mountains or running
through swamps, that the cost of construc-
ton was largely increased, and, at the same
tint, the motive power necessary to draw
heavily loaded trains largely enhances the
cost OF transportation. To be Just, which
is the object Of law, all OF these things
should be taken into the account, but how
can they in general law? A distinction,
too should be made between dividend and
non-dividend paying roads, but perhaps
this could be considered In n general law.
Legislation in Vermont would be perfectly
useless to the slate producers without cor
responding action in New York. Only
very few miles of this railroad is IN Yer
mont, and If the way should be found clear
for general law regulating frelghts, il
could be at once counteracted by an increase
in New York in the absence of prohibitory
legislation there. There are other objec-
lions that suggest themselves, but we have
said enough for the present. We know
The unjust burdens under which our
late and marble producers have groan-