The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-04-02
Railroad Determinations.

bill with the plausible title "To prevent
Discrimination against Virginia Cities !" was
n,sscd by the recent Legislature, and having
received the signature Of the Governor mas
become law. As well as we can understand
il. Il is nulli,y, because its enforcement Is
utterly impracticable. The following sem
terce is the kernel Of the whole law. We
call attention to it as being decisive of the
whole law, and ask legal gentlemen what.
they can make Of it:
"No railroad, canal. steamboat, steamship,
or TRANSPORTATION company, or other common
carrier, chartered by or doing business IN
this State, shall charge. take, or receive
greater sum for the transportation Of any
Dcrson or passenger, or matter OF irelSnt
over portion Of is line or route. whether
such shall in whole or only in part be within
the limits Of this State, than ~ charged 10y
such company or other common carrier Tor
the like trans portation Of the like class OF per-
sons, Or passengers, or matter OF freight over
the entire length Of its line or route
we cannot see how anybody can make out
from this anything else than That railroads
and stesmbolts are to be compelled to carry
passengers snd freights all distances for the
same price, as the Government carries letters,
papers, and packages; and as all street-rall'
ways carry passengers. We know what the
author Of the bill Designed. He intended
that the charge per mile should be the same
Cor long distance as fora short one, and that
there should be no discrimination in charges
per mile for any distance. The quotation
we make is in entire consonance with the
whele law. IL VIC rightly understand the
authors motive, be has utterly failed to carry
!. out, and his law is not worth the paper II
is printed upon.
No paper has been more earnest IN us OPP
position TO unjust determinations in railroad
Ereights than the Dispatch has, yet we are not
prepared to say that railroads shall be COM
PEELED under all circumstances to carry
E.cigbts and passengers for the same charge
per mile for all distances. The railroads can
ci-ry freights for long distance cheaper
than for short one, because it costs as much
TO handle short freights as long ones. Then
we must, under some circumstances, allow q
little latitude for railroad competition. The
business and prosperity Of road sometimes
depend upon IFS energy and vim in maintain
ing a competition with Il rival line. Indeed,
1t is very often the case that the very cities
that this bill would protect would be vitality
interested in the vigorous management Of
such competition.
Our opposition to Determinations was
IL; Of 1iro
governed by the policy of making all that
WAS possible out Of places that were unpro-
Gected by rivalry-a cut-throat policy; the
policy of robbing those who are helpless;
policy hurtful TO those imposed on-that
must ultimately be hurtful 10 the corpora
Sons that pursue it.
We could never understand exactly how
laws could get at this matter Of discrimna-
lions, and have long ago come to the conclu.
sion that it will have to be mainly left TO the
circumstances which govern nearly all COM
mcroc. The grasping policy that rips open
the goose that lays the golden eggs always
fails in The long run. A liberal and generous
policy finally prevails to the interest of all
concerned. Active measures amongst bust.
nc>smen, earnest appeals and remonstranccs
against partial administration and injurious
regulations, aided by lively competition
where that is possible, will do mere to equal
ize the charges and schedules of common
carriers than the laws can, and TO these eme-
dies the matter would be better left.
We repeat that the law to which we aluCe
IS Of no force.