River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-03-29
THAT RAILROAD QUESTION.

EDS. JOURNAL IT'S too late for in
dividual effort to undertake to cope
with associated, or combined strength;
and River Falls is no exception to the
general rule. To insure future growth
and prosperity she must adopt the
modern corporate method of trans
portation and locomotion, for the very
reason, that the corporate can carry
and work cheaper than the isolated
man.
A railroad that would be a servant
of the people, and work for fair pay,
would, without doubt, be a blessing,
whilst corporation with special
privileges to be used in building up
individual fortunes for the few at the
expense of the general community, is
an abomination.
The interests of a road and the COM
munity it serves, are identical, and
they cannot be safely separated.
Cost, with a fair profit added, to
encourage industry and enterprise,
should fix the price of all things, in
Guiding transportation. We want no
grasping, domineering, extortionate,
monopolies about us.
A hasty glance at the business of
River Falls, results in the conclusion
that its freight for the past year
amounted to about six hundred car
loads of ten tons each, more than two
thirds of this being flour, the remain
der, goods, groceries, hardware, salt,
lime, farm implements, lumber, shin
giles, lath, wood, wool, &C., &c.
To convey this six thousand tons TO
and from the railroad and lake, costs,
at least, ten cents hundred, or two
dollars ton by team, aggregating
twelve thousand dollars for freight
alone.
Now, we suppose that, even under
the present profligate management of
railroads, freight could be carried for
one-half the foregoing cost, or less !;
say one dollar per ton, or six thOus-
and dollars for such an amount, Then,
if to this sum we add ten dollars day
as passenger fares for ten passengers
each way, at about four cents a mile,
or fifty cents each, for the first year,
we increase the aggregate earnings to
nine thousand dollars: then if we
subtract from this sum the running
expenses of the road, we have left
what the stock holders would get as
interest or dividends on the invest
ment. Not very tempting allure
ment perhaps; but the first or the
second year would not be a fair test
of the ultimate prosperity and bust
ness of such road for with its adj
vent, in connection with the excellent
unimprOved water-power below the
village, business would receive a new
impulse, and new manufactures and
new industries, would spring up in and
about the place, and go on increasing
in magnitude, pace by pace with the
surrounding country. Thus we can
with the pencil very easily demon
strate the utility of railroads. 1t is
not, however, so easy task to build
one, as this requires cash, and so far
as the uninitiated common mortal
knows, in very uncertain quantities.
The average road of the United
States costs fifty-fve thousand dollars
a mile; the average in Britain, one
hundred and seventy-eig thousand,
and in Holland, one hundred and six
thousand. Some Ohio roads cost but
little over ten thousand a mile, whilst
others in the East are said TO have
cost eighty thousand. We find such
amazing, and unaccountable variance
In official statements, that it bewild-
ers us, and we distrust almost every
statement relating to this branch of
business.
CONTINUED.