, 1875-12-17
TIE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM,

RED by tho passage OF tile HOLMAN re6olu-
tion.
THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM.
The large number Of influential gentlemen
attracted from atl sections of tho country to
tnke part in tho fourth session Of the Ameri-
can Board of Transportation is fitting re-
spouse 10 the wide public interest taken it
the questions for which this Board has boen
especially organized to consider. There is
probnbly no other way than that OF indiyid-
ual association and agitation in which the
railroad problem can be met uuder our form
Of government. The only danger attendant
upon this plan is that tho Association will
rather lean upon Government Interference in
ono form or another than look to its own re-
sources andinduence. This tendency cropped
cut at the first days session in the report Of
the Isnilrond Committee. The Recommended
tions Of this Committee relative to State Leg
and almost entirely harmless but the general
conclusion reachod by tho COMMITTEES is full
lacols. The report sayB:
In conclusion. your Countttcs respectfully submit
that tie renedcs for the detects aud abuses In our
present systom Of transportation 1nlst comprise the
construction, by thu National Government or by ns-
tlunal aid nud With natloual control which will give
rasnltn equivalent thegeto, Of nsopa iron highwly
f1r tho movement Of freght between the grafn grow
lag sections Of tho Went Rul the Atlantic scaLolrd;
and. auxiary ihcreto, e1stIng ws,erliae, should
be Improved 4ua au: additional ones copstruclol ~
promise ths best results for the anount Of capital tn
vsated.
Your Committee respectfully recommend thu. this
Convention present n memorial to Conefoa asking
that Joint committee Of both fouscs Of Congress b.
appointed to conader md report at thu ext session Of
Congress upou ths advia,lty Of establishing smother
Executive Department Of tho National Government to
b called the Department OF Internal Commerce,
which shall be specially CHARGED with ali matters re-
lana to tho intGfnl commerce Of tho Uulted States.
II tie Board should adopt this recommend
alton, it would fail to take any higher posi-
ton or develop any more usefulness than tho
various local md national associations Of
qrangers, which have agitated the problem
for several years. past, and thus far have only
succeeded in making confusion worso con-
founded. The proposition is simply TINT the
United States Government shall adopt the
Belgian System Of Government ownership OF
part Of tho railroads. This question has been
discussed at length by tho lending press Of tho
country, md it is only necessary to say that
the Committee lameatab!y failed to meat the
objections which have been presented In its
own report for the purpose Of answering
them. Duo allowance must bo made for tho
enormous difference between our form Of
government and Of civil service aua that
prevailing in Europe where tho partial State
ownership Of railroads las been found 10
work to tho advantage Of the public We do
not share in the apprehension Of danger from
centralization to the extent of making it
an argument against the trial Of this expe-
dfoncy, but prefer to conAn8 ourselves to tho
practical Objection that, under, our system Of
loose, disjo|ntod, aud partisan.apoils System
| OF civil service, no Government railroad Gun
be so managed to givo the relief sought with
out creating uncomfortable deficiency bills
and rapidly dogeuerating iuto proaigate cor
ruptiou There is nothing in the past expo
rience OF Governmental interest In business
enterprises which warrants the beIief that
the zoad would be SO economically construct
cd or honestly operated "a to reduce rates Of
transportation without putting on tho Gov
esnment q deficiency 10 large that tho people
would be fully as badly OF as they are now al
regards actunl cost, and worse OF by tho ill.,
creased patronage and corruption Of our
party politics, Tho construction of Govern.
mont railroad, sslch as the Railroad Commit.
tee hava suggested, would not only open
up wider field for plunder than did the sub.
siliea to the Union md Central Pacific Iail
roads and the Pacific Mail Steamship Compa.
MES. but 1t would tend 10 yaster systom oi
lobbying, and log.rolling, and trading, and
achelning for the construction OF other roads
than has ever before prevailed in this coun
try. All thia would be at the expense OF tht
people. The money aayed in reduced railroad
Tates, II tho Government should put then
down on its own lines, would be swampec
in the increased appropriations to pay for thi'
new meaus for aappiug the Government re
sources.
The recommendations OF the Railroad Com
mittes relative to State legislation are not 81
wild and impraeticable, though many OF then
have been tried without any markes
improvement in tho relations between
the railroads aud the people. They
include the establishment Of Bts 1
Boards Of Hallway Commissioners, organ -ze
on the same system AZ the Massachu aett
Board; uniform system Of keeping ra' ilroa
accounts; the prohibition Of stock inf atiou
laws forblddinR railroad officials To 70 int
ested in miuing companies. fast frei! tht line
and other sehe1nes organized TO nj sozb raj
road profits; Withholding from ra Atoads Il
right of acquiring and owning la'al which
not used for railroad purposes; 'hs sbolitio
Of the pass system. etc. Thes ars reform
which would b highly desira'ols and the
J enforcement by Liquidation il Only open to Il