, 1877-04-02
RAILROADS.
TIE RAILROADS AND THE LAKE
SHIPPING.

THE RAILROADS AND THE LAKE
SHIPPING.
., 10 ths Edftos Of 77s 7i4tHn&
CHICAGO, March 28.-The editorial tn to-flay's
TRIBUNE, "Railroads md Their Competition"
which takca 4 somewhat rosc-co1orcd view OF
shippers prospects, recalls the following,
which haa tcen the subject Of conversation In
marine circles during tho past winter, md
which relates to matter OF vital tutcrost to
most Of tho readers Of your valuable paper:
II Is well said that railroad competition
endsin combination, with increased facilities for
robblng tho public. When tho Tom seotts and
Ft1dcns have stoton your railroads by one Of
their many processes, such as construction COM
have successfully "fobbcd the dividends by
faet-frright lines Or the like, the Stockholders
being non tss. they proceed by combination to
skiu the producer.
For grain and al1 coarse freight., the only hopc
Of the producer is the watcr routes, ehicl among
which Is the cl,sin Of lakes. and on these Con.
greae has wisely and In ths peoples interest
spent MILLIONS of dollars But II tho railroads
are allowed to pursue the'r present policy, our
longer replaced by building, Win cease 10 exist
very. soon. shv II the railroads, wlcl, have the
whole year and other peopte's rapith1 on which
TO operate, arc allowed to discriminate against
navigation ., BY carving ifeights n the f.u,mer
tton for profit y Is only question Of tinIc TO
crush out tic lake marine, ThIcs, hes only half
tho year to operate In and On private capital.
Vessels carried grain last season from Chicago
70 BuiEhlo at ~ TO cents per blshcl-nOt Cuo1
Storage rates for the time occupied III the roy
ago. Tile railroads were thun getting about oho
third their present rntc for CARRYING grain to the
ecahoasd-that ia, they hare added a00 per cent
ter rata A few years aro, when the few trunk
lines reaching Chicago lad things all their own
way, and vcrc asking As cents per cwt. on fourth
Glars freight from tho scaboarl TO Chicago in
addition oi s. Is s per cent? % for 's 'tourtS eass M
freight between the snme pointe IN winter.
Now, II 33 10 per cent paid tho difference be-
tween summer and winter carriage then, why
answer may 5o @ found IN tis fact lint, IN These these
evenly distributed over the year than formerly,
and railroads arD Bufc OF winter as well as suts
mer,E1ain. tFc!ghts., and eau. y tle policy DE-
cr average price Tor the ycar than II they charged
q living price In tho summer, and MA 10 prop
CT addition in the winter.
30 As soon AZ navigation opens wo may look for
ruinous freight rates to kill Tho vessels and
leave the rniroad thieves unhamperrd.
think the remedy for this state Of affairs Is
in the hands Of tho people, who need only act
together to get relief. Congress has express
sta.es So9 ssS Seass q Tao
tnauYurntc, and the whole, Northwest sign, petl-
tlons to Con9rcss through their Committees
on aHoutcs OF Transportation to the seaboard p"
psssee y ., .. s.s sareests
n.u AE It to 'sfft Unlawful ia.
United states 70 charge mora shan -.~ psr cent
additional to their summer rate OF carriage on nnJ
product ~ winter rate on that product. under
nt the natttl,ns ,,rro IN ttafo,,lt ~ .,,n& ,n,a.