The New York herald., 1879-08-04
RAILROAD FREIGHT DETERMINATIONS.

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
Having read in the HERALD OF the 10th inst.
communication signed Legislator and reply
thereto the 10Th the signature OF Com
merce," feel constrained to say that they both
in error in important particulars. "Legisla-
tor is right when he asserts that "As the railroads
are common carriers it is to their interest do the
best they for their customers, while IL is un-
fair to assume he does that "the legislative COM
mittee might better employ itself with obtaining
information as to the actual management of rail
road business than with listening to the
stories of discarded officials" The investi-
CATION instiaated by the Ciomber OF Com
merce for the alleged purpose Of inquiring into the
matter of freights. II might be OF interest TO in
auire how far certain "raiiroad wreckers' are con
cerned in the business and to what extent this raid
upon the railroads is intended under the hue and
cry OF "anti-corporations.' to effect the fall cam
paign And, furthermore. how far the Chamber of
Commerce is being used to build up Philadelphia
and Baltimore, while innocently imagining that
looking after the commercial interests OF New York
1 would venture to suggest to the Chamber of Com
merce that the weland Canal is looming up
and that Montreal is likely to be mean
rival to our shipping interests. II the Chamber
of Commerce is being used it would be interesting to
know exactly by whom. and it would be equally IN
tive Committee. 1t is significant fact that there is
no member from New York city on that committee
who ia in any way identified with New York CONNER
ciai interests. The chairman Is from st. Lawrence
county, and, according to his declarations, the
interests of that county and, by inference that sec
ton Of the state with Canada aud not with New
York at ALL and hence, therefore, with the Welland
Canal and the Grand Trunk Railroad. To cripple the
railway transportation of New York is to help Mon
trsul 10 ia W a. In m n twp voa
in the Assembly y:-"Montreal is the most natural
mark let Tor all territory bordering the st. Law
renee, but for the cumbersome obstructions
which the Custom House requirements interpose 1t
would be our to-day. But for the Erie Canal
the city OF Ogdensbrrg and the village of Waddng-
ton situated ut the foot of river navigation on the
st. Lawrence, would have reaped the benefit this
great traffic. Instead OF the quiet beautiful city of
Ogdeusburg and the placid villages along the st.
Lawrence we should have had great aud prosper
mercial people"
make this quotation from Mr.. Hepburn's speech
simply to cali attention to the inquiry raised by
Legislator to whether are, through this
Legislative Committee. getting at anything practical
as ~ the work., OF our vast inland traffic against
the traffic through Canada to ths North and through
Pennsylvania aud Maryland and other States to the
South. No one, Iprcsume doubts that we should
encourage traffic through State any more than
he doubts that 1t is to the interest of the railroads
of the state to encourage that traffic. Ii liz their
business. hold it, therefore, to be the duty Of tho
committee to discover what laws in their judp-
ment should be passed to promote that traffic
to the end that the State aud the transporter and
shipper may be in interests and be alike bene-
htcd. Your correspondent, commerce entirely
begs the question. ne says :'It is only necessary
to refer to the resolution of the Assembly appoint
fully or fairly stated the purposes for which the
committee appointed" not writinr de-
fence Of Legislator" though must say that
think he has fairly stated the question. notwith.