The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-06-15
RAnRoAD CONSOLIDATION.

HALFWAY VG00V1l1O14xV0s
There was N interesting debate IN the
Preach Assembly on the 20th ult, the qnes-
ton at issue being the propriety Of granting
to one Of the most powerful companies, the
LYONS Mediterranean the privilege Of CON-
str.oting several branch roads This WAS adj
vosated by the Minister Of Public. Works, but
warmly opposed by NJ. Clapier, the chairman
Of NE committee to which the subject was 10
ferred. This gentlemen took the ground that
the great companies were already too powerful,
and if allowed 70 absorb all their less important
rivals, would soon become true olissrchy-
an ;mperium in ;,nperio. The dangersis even
greater than appears on the surface, the lead
ing companies being already under the con-
troll of q small number Of wealthy capitalists
who exercise undue influence through their
representative in the Assembly. j95
This Lyons editerranean Company, Nh.
Chapter asserted, is the most feldas of all and
the one which pays the least attention to the
wants of the public 1t large. "Before con-
ceding to it new privileges" he added, "the
State shonld compel it to ful6l its obliga-
tons by requiring it to build two or three
lines which ought to have bsen in operation
ten years ago, but upon which not franc has
been expended, because they were not ex-
pected 70 yield big dividends. It should also
be prohibited from increasing or diminishing
their carrying rates whenever it suits their
purposes, thereby giving fatal blow to our
river navigation" hae a3 Et'l FL q
He then went on to show that these huge
monopolies are slowly but surely connecting
their respective lines 90 as to embrace the
who country in single net OF railways con-
trolled by single com bination of railroad
magnates, who would then become the virtual
masters Of France. "Already"-he added
..they have succeeded in placing us in an in
ferior position to every other county in
Europe as regards the means Of transporta-
ton, by establishing the highest rates of
freight and passage, by excluding third class
passengers from the fast or express trains
these fast trains, by the way, being quite slow
ones when compared with the English rail-
ways, where they run 80 kilometres an hour
between London and Liverpool, and 70 be-
tween London and Manchester. whereas the
greatest speed ever obtained on the Paris and
Marseilles line is only So kilometres an hour. "
At the conclusion Of his very able argu-
ment Mr. Clapier said to his fellow-members
" You will soon appear before your constitu-
ents Should you try to obtain their support
after acknowledging that you havegiyen up
the rights Of the State to private companies,
you are doomed to be most completely disap-
pointed"
Had the speaker been fully acquainted
with the history of our American n ilroad
monopoles, he would have strengthened his
position by numerous examples of the great
danger to the public interest, and in many
cases to public liberty, which results from the
vast and corrupting influence they WELD, to the
great detriment of our internal commerce
and with such demoralizing effect upon nu-
merous class of legislators and officials whose
subserviency to those powerful monopolies has
been of late years SO disgracefully exhibited
The issue between the railroad companies and
the people of the United States is already
made up, and there is but little doubt that it
will become, before many years, the leading
political question of the day, and that new
party combinations will arise therefrom.
Even now one of the most distinguished op-
ponents of railroad monopolies, Gov. Booth,
of California, is looming up as formidable
candidate for the Presidency, and although
the next election will have to be fought on
different issues, we feel assured that no one
but declared opponento of railroad combina-
tons will take the place of Tilton, Thurman
or Hendricks in the great national sweep
c%okns nf 1870