Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-06-19

| opfchH correspondence OF The Commercial.
| PHILADEL pHrA, June 49,
| The National Board Of Trade has been in ses
sion several days thus week. 1t scarcely noe,
be said that ts deliberations are very importan
to tho material interests of the country. The
ssoeiation Id composed Of delegates from
| the Boards OF Trade of man,
of our principal cities, and thus efYectual
| ly represents the business concerns OF tn,
whole people. This National Board was organ
lied in Philadelphia seven years ago. and til,
| immense practical results OF its establishment
long since approved the judgment OF Mr.. JOIN
Welsh, and tho other. leaders in the movement
The Board IL, in effect, Congress-, to whicl
the business OF the country turns for satisfac
ton on disputed points, and which it looks fo
the determining OF trade priciples and policy
There is not merchant in the land, no matter
how limited his affairs, but who is directly in
terested in these deliberations. One action
Tor instance, OF the present convention wal
a decision III favor OF a uniform system of
weights and measures. This is one OF the most
important subjects bearing upon the trade OF
the world. The currency question WAS thorough
ly discussed, q decision in favor of early specie
payments being reached. Congress was mem
orialized to repeal the law increasing the rate OF
postage on merchandise and printed matter.
This topic shows the value of such an organized
force as the national Board Of Trade. 1t is 30
strong, 30 manifestly represents the business of
the nation, that it can command attention in
Washington when appeals OF individual local
bodies might fail of effect.
The Roman Catholic celebration OF Thursday
surpassed anything ever done by that church
hereabouts, noted as the Catholics are for their
religious displays. The creation of an Arch
bishop was all event unique in our experience,
and the presence of Cardinal McCloskey and the
Papal delegation gave the affair an exceptional
interest. Hundreds OF Priests were in attend
two Archbishops. The new "See" comprises
the whole of Pennsylvania. Archbishop Wood,
its Just appointed head, has been long recog-
nized III the leading Catholic prelate Of the
State. 1t id just little curious that Wood is Of
English parentage; that he was born in this city;
and that until nearly middle life he was engaged
in mercantile affairs. with no thought Of
the Priesthood. For ten years he was q
bank clerk in Cincinnati and he WAS otherwise
employed in n worldly way before he entered the
church. When he decided on the change, how
ever, he had astonishing opportunities for promo
ton, being placed above the heads OF men who
had been struggling for years for position, and
within ten years Of his ordination he was 'coad-
jutor bishop of Philadelphia, in direct line Of
the full succession, which shortly followed. Pos
sibly another such case cannot be found in CATH
olic history in the United States. or course the
occasion referred to was great one for the be-
liovers in Rome, and they made the most Of it.
To people OF quieter mind there seemed to be
think alike, and it doubtless served its purpose.
The pressure of other events has rather al
layed the feverish political feeling. The ull IL
most likely but temporary, but the citizen can
not think of too many things at a time, and 30
many matters have recently claimed his attention
that the =" Managers" perhaps fancy that the cry
for investigation will "blow over Per-
haps they think, too, that if the " Era
OF Good Feeling" can but be made to
begin right here it may have wholesome Of
Faa nd tIatl haf l. n nant al uat
the people, basking in the discounted light and
heat OF that contamination, may forget all
about their grievances. The only striking re-
cent event in this line has been sort of mani
fest issued by the "Pilgrim Club" in refer
ence to the CHARGE that the club improperly in
terfered in municipal politics. The plea is that
the association is one formed for social purposes
only. and that while some OF its members may
be connected with public affairs, as body it
f%o ass nSnns seg ssnsa to Do to with ths peI Card
majority, including Mayor Stokley, are rec
ognized ~ prominent in politics, and II the
whole list of membership was procurable it
would be found, it IL said, to contain that ele-
ment in the same proportion. Bat very likely
more has been made OF the whole subject than
it deserves. II the "Pilgrim Club" as body
is not political organization no one doubts
that it's MEMBERS being politicians, improve the
opportunities there given to their own ends ana
no one would doubt, either their entire right to
do this if those ends were honorable and to the
public advantage. That the club has seen
fit to make this defence IL about the weakest
point in the whole case.
The operations of the City Passenger Railways
for last year have Just been published IN the re-
port OF the Auditor General OF the State, Igive
a few OF the most suggestive figures. The
authorized capital of the companies IL Sl5,O0U.-
900; the paid in capital and floating and funded
debt, -, 537. 000-by which it appears that the
capital as authorized is just twice the amount
paid IN and debts Incurred, proportion it is
safe to say without many precedents in stock
business There something over 231 miles
Of railway in the city, engaging Wv cars ,,har ana
of 7S,50S, 235 passengers were car
ried during the year. The receipts
we're S5,O56, 45l and the expenses S3,482 l2S,
leaving a profit Of 81 ,574, ,323 The most notica-
BILE fact in the whole report is that while the
proportion of expenses to receipts, IN 1873 was
72.6 per cent in 1874 lit WAS but $50 per
cent. The companies are thus seen TO
be making more money than ever, while they
are more vehemently than ever opposinga q re-
duction of fares. These figures show that the
companies could establish tive-cent fare and
sell twenty-five tickets for dollar and yet make
very large profits. The net earnings OF the
Union Line (5Sf7,0lD are more than double
those of any other Company. The End
and Sd Street comes next with profit of
a17I,7 More than this, the End and Sd has
more miles of rail than the Union, while its re-
| repts are less than half those OF the latter.
| The "Gridiron" WAS certainly one OF the
shrewdest specuations-perhaps the very
shrewdest- made in this city.
| While upon the railway question iet me refer
| to the innovation in "Bummer cars" on some OF
| the roads. These cars are open at the sides,
| with seats running across the car, instead OF
| lengthways. The passenger consequently en-
| ters the car at any point, instead OF at
| specified point-the rear platform When
| the car is pretty well filled, THIS
getting aboard is sometimes delicate opera
| tion. The passenger can step into the aisle
| which can accommodate him, for there ID no
| main connection between them. Then arises a
| feeling of hesitation. There will be motion
| made towards 4 ow OF seats which in second
may be seen to be full, requiring change OF
plan. All this in the crowded street with the
danger Of, the car starting suddenly: Ihere 10
no safety as we know except stepping on the
| rear of the car, yet in these carriages the ap-
| proach must be made between the
wheels. Men have grown reckless py
much car-rding, and are seen 70
to Jump on and Off these open carriages with
n foolish risk, but even with care it is to be
feared, accidents may happon, especially to
Ladies' and children. Within ten minutes on an
afternoon recently, / saw two narrow escapes
of this kind on Arch Street.
| In the great railway compromise boti parties
claim the victory, and Of course both nave
| won il. but the Baltimore IL Ohio seems to have
carried the only point it WAS struggling for.
| Mr. Garrett only demanded-at least lt was
hia principal demand-that Col. Scott should
rive him a New York outlet. This has now
5een rendered. and is called a compromise.