The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-09-26

| increase OF Tie laJtef over INC lOFIl-
or should be simply in proportion
10 tho increased expense of care
and the risk incurred,
Again, the railroad companies
should DO allowed more in proper
ton, for the transportation Of u
ton of freight one hundred miles
than for two hundred miles--more
in proportion for two hundred
miles than for five hundred miles,
The reason is obvious. II requires
the same handling for short dis.
lance that it does for "a long distance.
Tho only additional cost after once
ready to move, is that of wear,
fuel, engineering, etc. In arriving
ut just and proper conclusions
upon a bject ofathis character, it
cannot bo expected that II lawyer, 4
physician, q farmer, merchant, me-
chanic, or % teacher, however
eminent in their several vocations,
or enlightened upon general sub
iects, would be competent to fix tho
standard that should be enforced
touching a subject so delicate and
intricate, and Of such vast import
anee to the present and future Of
the country.
When disease eudaugers the life
.of u citizen, he applies to a
physician; when hie rcputa-
ton or property is involved +,
he applies to n lawyer; if one
seeks knowledge as to farming,
he goes to tho farmer, of experience;
if house is to DO constructed, ap.
plicatiun is not made to the profes.
sional man, but to the mechanic if
we are to Journey across tho ocean,
we trust ourselves to the control
and guidance Of sailors and not
land lubbers. So it should DO in
the effort to fix the standard of
charges by railroad companies.
While the honorable members OF
the different professions and avoca.
tons in the Constitutional Convon-
ton may direct wisely, as we hope
and believe they will, that the Leg
lislature shall have control over this
vital question, yet wetrust they will
fix no unvarying standard as to rates.
When the wisdom ofptho Legis-
ature shall be called upon to act, it
should be under a law giving the
railroads. and Ithol people Of the
State fair showing for justice. Our
Judgment would suggest a mixed
commission, consisting Of regular
State Engineer, another person of
large mercantile and commercial OK
perience, and a farmer Of compre.
hensiyc Judgment, to represent the
people of the State, and an ongi'
neer, u master mechanic and y CAPT
talist, TO- represent tho interests OF
the railroads, If these could not
agree an umpire should be selected;
and the rule 50 adopted, should bo
permanent for q certain period
say one, two, or three years, We
imagine the shorter period the
proper one, at least until our popu.
lation, business wants, etc, become
much more permanent than they
are at present. We confess to the
difficulty Of a very just solution OF
the subject. We believe that in
Massachusettsthe lawtixes theright
of the Legislature to regulate the
charges upon railroads, whenever
their gross receipts get above six or
eight per cent. upon the capital in.
vested. Asa matter of course, I'M
der this rule, their gross receipts
never get Caboye the amount fixed
by law. But one great good results
from the regulation. The profits
are expended in improvements on
the road. Extensive and durable
warehouses;, steel rails, the most
substantial bridges and road beds,
Strengthened curves and crooks, i'm.
proved rolling Astock are supplied,
[nnd,,in q word, travel and trans
poriation-arer made, more comfort
fable and safe. : tGs&EEs Nu9Ns@s.s
| Since writing the foregoing, we
sec that our old contemporary of the
Marshall Hemld hos called attcp 4
|tion,to. sspbieots SJWos commend
his views and feel gratidcd that 30
oldrand faithful sentinel on the
wateh-tower of public interests has
takenihold oftheHsubj gssia9I