The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-16

uncertainty the part OF the state Legislature and
nized principles of trade on the part OF business
men, The State has been clearly dereict in its duty
In failing to furnish or encouraging individuals to
furnish proper terminal facilities especially at the
great seaport of New York 1t would seem, indeed
as II the great Empire State. whose pros
perty is 80 :, largely dependent upon. the
commerce which has grown up ABOUT its
matchless harbor had been almost wholly indifferent
to that fostering care which governments have nvari
ably given to their commercial marts. London and
Liverpool would be nothing in u commercial sense
without their magnificent system of costly docks.
which the very life the cities where they stand
monuments of enterprise and the public bear the
burden OF the great expense not only with satisfac-
ton but with pride. Venice and Genoa in the past
would never have been commercial cities at all but
for the lavish expenditure of money upon
their elaborate conveniences for the accommodation
OF ships and tor the transfer OF csrgoes.
1t is indeed. the with every commercial city of
ancient and OF modern times. and viewed in this con-
of New York the result rather OF accident
than Of design. for if the wit of had devised
system more calculated to. retard than to
encourage commercial growth most assuredly
We find il here The commerce OF the
Atlantic seaboard necessarily concentrated
more. Phiadephis. New York ana Boston. cen.
fury ago New York least important of either of
these four terminal points. The Erie Canal. first
opened In 1928. by giving New York direct commune
cation with the West ut placed her in the front
rank and advanced her to position with rapidity
the canal revoIutonized the system Of the traffic
which the canal inaugurated. but New York.
seemingly satisfied with her great superiority. has
failed to give the needful encouragement to the
railway interests The first great railway line con-
structed in this State connecting the trade of the
East with the West was the New York Central.
which Boston quick to capture and to-day by
skilful arrangement of terminal facilities. drains
into New England over sixty cent Of that roads
only truly New York line. receives from
the State or city little OF that encour-
ass roads hsrs
fact that Philadelphia and Baltimore give not only
facilities for the delivery and receipt OF freghts at
their water fronts. but carefully provide for the
local distribution of carsoes in the city, while New
York, through its Legislature and the city through
it's Board Of Aldermen gives practically no encour-
agement whatever to the Erie road-the great trunk
line OF the State The distribution of cargoes by that
line is made from jersey City, and is necessarily
by water; yet neither New York city nor the State
has done any thing worthy OF the name toward faci
itating or encouraging that road in its efforts to ben
matter this should the trunk lines stop bringing
Western produce at less rate than produce of our
own State. Baltimore and Philadelphia would
it, and within month after the stoppage New
York would be without load OF Western produce to
ship to foreign ports nd the lower END of our city
would be without business and the storehouses
empty. To the credit Of President Jewett,
of the Erie road be it said he is
bringing order out of chaos in the management Of
the much abused Erie and it is not for legislative
committee to listen to evidence of men who have
been disappointed nor to aid in the attempt to assa
the character of an able and upright man as Mr..
Jewett mas SHOWN himsef TO be:
1t seems to us that the Railroad Legislative
Committee might better employ itself with
Obtaining information to the actual man
agement Of railroad business than with listening
to the stories of discarded officials and the con-
fusing statements Of experts who. whatever may
be their accuracy as to the correct method Of
bookkeeping. in the very nature of things have
little conception of the complicated involved
in the vast amount of traffic which constitute the
business of the rival lines Of transportation between
the seaboard and the great West. The rail-
interests to do the best they for their
toners. 1t is natural to suppose that they would
endeavor to avoid dissatisfaction in any quarter 1t
should be the purpose of investigation the part
of the State to discover and point out how the inter-
ests Of the State be best subserved by encour-
aging and regulating the operation of those great
corporations to which 1t has through its Legisla-
ture granted franchises. These franchises may
may not have I, been originally . too liberal but it
time when railroad transportation was untried and
their power for good i'll to toe State entirely
Goa5s H Ssf Original eAa ne
ter. 1t is the duty Of the statesmen
to SO modify the law as to bring the subject Of
transportation within the condition of the changed
state OF trade and commerce. II the investigating
committee will only do this, while leaving out all
extraneous matter, and make their report accord
ingy. they will do service to the public by fur
nshing substantial material for future Legislation
upon the very complicated and perpexing subject
OF railway transportation and no one will deny
that such materials much needed not
only by the legislator, but by tho railway
company themselves, for while in older countries,
where the populations are more compact, the chief
railway problems have long been solved in
this more widely extended country. with Its gener
ally sparse population the question of railway CON-
municatiou between consumer and producer.
whereby benefit may accrue to both and the rail-
road at the time be enabled to pay profit
its Investments. is problem even now with
the Oldest roads very far from solution.
In fact, railroading in this country. with
all our great system of connecting lines.
is still in its infancy. but with proper
knowledge Of its needs and capabilities, and with
proper encouragement from the State and city
government, so as to bring its management into
harmony with the public needs, the oft.repeated
complaints now made-frequently without any
knowledge whatever of the situation-wll be done
away with. We throw this hint out to the investi-
eating committee and along with ii the suggestion
that they might perhaps probably employ their
value of the different methods Of keeping accounts
and of writing up ledgers LEGISLATION