, 1874-01-07

| used only Tor Nefghbcrhood purposes. And If raj
ways are not subject TO public CONTROL then lEa who
Commerce Of the country ia practically subject to ia,
alton It the discretion Of railway Directors.
4 RAILWAY TAXATION,
That arbitrary increase OF the cost Of tr3ukpos
| tlou ts tx, in proportion the rate charged
unreasonable cxort1onatg is clearly demonstrates
Illinois IL undoubtedly much Affected BY such Al
htrary taxatiun upon its agricultural products
one Of the Northwestern States. And the evil IL nc
measured b. the untush0ahle increase OF the cost
transportation to the teaboard Its full proportion
| appear only when the manifold emotions On loca
transportation also taken into account. The ngr
cultural, manufacturing, and commercial interests
the State md nation ate materially affected by ever
change Of the rates OF charges for transportation
The immense power OF ruilroad corporations, rs 4
Present 1nan2ged over Ill tho industrial interests
the country can hardly be oreresti1nacl. 1t ia no
our purpose to discuss the national question involved
in the consideration Of what called through
fredgh:s." But the State has control Of its interim
commerce, end II that alone be saved IN the tutu1
| from the unreasonable charges that hare been e1
toztsd fos tue Last fe years. grieyous burden wall b
essential particular from tar, to it self-estden
proposition that every excessive charge for transror
tsuon Is direct tax on the article carried. We thus
have in free country the anomaly that arbitrary
tax IL levied upon the people by few lndiTiduals
amounting In tie aggregate 10 millions Of dolura AMI
collected for the SOLE benefit and aggrandizement ol
private individuals by virtue Of right clamed bJ
them unGer their charterB.
The people. until quite recently, we're slow IN reaz-
ing tis startling fact But the problem of reasonable
Railway transportation is now befo2s the country, and
the people demand its Solution.
1t may be profitable ut this point to consider some
Of the more prominent policies, methods aud projects
relied upon and ad7ocated b3 'arioua parties et1ec
tua for the proper regulation o1 railway Transports
tiou-
1Hkonx OF ENLIGHTENED VIEW OF sE1F.nTeREsT.
Il has been claimed th8t an enlightened view Of
their ntereats would slwnys conf Il managers OF
railroad. to have due regard to the general advantage
But the theory meets With the objection that nearly
ali the ahuses Of railway management haze grown up
under this :" let alone" policy.
ain ZtA 1f fY{6r% ihu$jn n
against n-:ompesng points. as sisted IN tho first
annual report Of cur predeeessors on this Colnmis-
sion: ,.considestng that with most railroads IN onr
be 10 thar interest to build up local trade aud not to
drive 1t to terminal competing points, Just as It il
their true interest to charge moderately for the inter-
nal transportation Of isoo, coa iunter aud provi-
s3ors to stimulate local eutesI rise nud suu the
Hnet with thriving villages and towus"
their second annual thus treat Of the same sub
ject: "Tne Commissioners do not care to argue the
question In the Light of sound policy az regards tue
the railroads have Ia tuer local business. 1t IL
heis evident interest to foster and build up Ibis By
every Means In their power. Corporations which
cannot see this,--wldcA by discriminating charges
crush enterprise and industry out Of these isolated
toBus snd force them to 10 these points where
the railroads. meet only compettfnn,-a corporation
which at this late day systematically pursues such
conrse As this Is probably beyond the reach OF argu
u,ent,"
Notwithstanding the interests Of railroad coepora-
ttous naolfes.ly coincide with the Eener1l alvan
t:gs Of the puthc yet the railroad companies of this
st1ta with great nn1nmity for years, p.or to July
LAST, dscrintnatea in their charges against business
at .so2ted towns and villages.
After such experience in railway management, what
rtceise anr proper consideration at the Council Boards
Of Klilroad DIRECTOR:
COMPETITION
It has also bean claimed that competition would
lions sheu b. allowed t. charge what te5 chose tor
transportation, Just aa the merchant, the mechanic
for kale and that the law Of supply aud enznd would
regulate their cha1gee. But competition lctweep
railways exis:a only to limited extent and soon ends
in combination. a ra1lway il in lts uature
exclusive, and therefore ineTitably monop-
oily between Ill stations where there are
no competing lines aud ia this spect there is
analogy bctweeu railways and the common highways
on lad and sea- Thute c.n BE- no abs oute monopoly
u transportation OF common roads aud streets stu
of the nations There a;e as many courses IN the
reads and streets as there are stages, coaches. and
onniauhes, and there arc Is many tracks in tho sea
nou carrier by land or sea is rec to choo Ills pous
of departure, stopping, and destination, in obedience
to tie dictates OF interest and tho law OF supply
.nd demand. The competing railway carrier Is con-
lined to its iron track and cannot leave 1t for the
Eslisf M of the isolated towns md villages en- the
irircn away all other modes Of conveyance, |
md these communities arc at the mercy of IN
1n!estrained monopoly, unless tho Government In
e1fres for their protection. Sos s the condition Of
om,nunltes at terminal and so-callcd competing
points much better, for the competitor. are .ew anu
combination readily follows tho construction aud
operation OF rival lines. II was an apothegm Of
ieosge Ssel henson :at whel combination Ii pos
ible. coEuEetitiun ia u1I os&ible.
be lsth Of February Lit, before committee Of tic
g;alature OF Massachusetts, ably handles the whole
unjeet Of competision- ''Tho only thing" be says
which enar1e competition to exist Is tic presence
{ competing forces too numerous TO combine. Look
bToal over .is country, aud you Will at g.ancc
shat competition amounts .c 80 far as rail-
T9En r IRA yc1 4tn |
sse Of New York and Chic-go, two cities thou
md mills apart between which railroads have been
lem. Every gentleman on this Committee knows
lls net rate charged between New York and Chi
ago which is not established by combination. you
now tha. every mo the tariff ia to be raised low
red the freight agents Of the several companies meet
convention, and they decide how much It shall be
aiscd how much It shali lowered, and the change
greed upon takes effect upon all the roads given
Ay. You know, every man who haa looked Into this
lbject knows, that the only competition which exists
between land transportation and water transpocta-
on. When water enters into the struggle, when
avigauon opens, then the freight agents meet and
stes 1eauccd when the lakes freeze up then the
hether reduced or raised, however, the change a.
ays is the result OF combination.
Again, let US look 1t this question from another
oint of rieW- The idea Of competition certainly I'M
lies the existence OF several agents. As regards rail-
,ada however, even the combination Of competitors
that Is, upon which rE,oads converge
by mil is rn1e absolute monopoly, |
decteu only BY municipal Law and considel atoms oi
lfnerest, and in degree subject to tha influence |
ther OF competition or OF supply and demand. Now, |
large proportion Of al the rou1ls on our raj
ads points Of railroad convergenca In othcr !
orde, how many OF them look to competition for
en- preense OF protection against monopoly? Take,
+ example, the Boston Albany Road. It runs
rough deuseiy inhabited region, Tiled with manu.
curing It's and tow1 It is 200 i.es In length 1T
s elYny ftoTping places: hut CT points of
f1rcad corTergence-placts 1t which
ssiulltr Of compe!tou exists-it numbers Just /
ven. TAKE, again, the Central Road Of New York, I
Guiding its Auburn Division. It has 4O5 miles Of
I'd In the very garden aud central thoroughfare Of
continent On the whole 400 miles there exist | c
st nine points Of conveyance Six hundred miles
railroad, with sixteen competing points, and those
abisiug al the other localities may use the Central
the Boston l. Abauyras the may be, or they ] 4
y stay at holuc whichever they prefer. But is it
something OF mockerg to refer this system for q
reg0atiou to the principles which control the pro-
ction Of boots and cotton clotR7 And il this il 80
re III the manufacturing East, it is not hard to A
ag1ne whnt must result in the agricultural West. =
the nature OF the leading industry renders
IMPOSSIBLE for population to concentrate ut points ~
railroad converRence. In The West, the mass Of y
people feel themseves helpless, aud hence the !,
gry feeling prevailing against the railroad
lles throughout that region. n
r. Theodore B2cnn, III arti-e published iu Old -
hrn for February Inst says: tNothing xrhaFs ia :;
.ent OF that school Of political economy which / -
A. ~%v#nfk ~.