The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-12

L. a.
FREiaHr AND PASsESaEE RATES.
taving reviewed as briefly as could
the general relations OF the company to
the State Come to the question OF It's pol.
icy therefore as represented by It's taritl,
.ard ! recognize this TO be the important
Question which has originated the pro.
posed legislation. AT the outset desire
20 say that the company recognize that Il
has received from the State in Its sovereign
capacity valuable franchises, and that It
owes TO the State the allegiance which the
creature NECESSARILY holds 70 the creator,
and that far from desiring 10 antagOniEe
the state or any Of It's interests, Ii has ali
earnest desire 10 pctsue such policy as
will promote It's interests and secure
friendly relations. Your honorable COIN
mluee will bear In mind that the mana.
gers OF so great corporation, by tho very
Necessities OF the case have grave
respOnsi bilities to various and often con.
illuling interests The line OF It's opera.
tons embraces seven States, subject 70 all
the various laws and regulations pertain.
ing to the same. The managers arc bound
not only to look to the interest OF the citi.
zehs OF those States doing business upon
its lines, but also TO have fair and proper
Consideration for the interests OF those who
us stockholders aud creditors OF this great
Corporation look to them To protect and 80.
cure their interest. LISA very significant
fact That whilst practically the same tariffs
are operating In the seven States, all Of
which have close and extensive relations
with the road, no organized complaint Is
heard except from West Virginia, and this
fact alone think sufficient to cause your
honorable committee to hesitate in adopt.
Ing the present bill, which proposes 10 the
most radical manner to alter all the rela.
lions between the road and the State, and
break up the unity OF system which ex.
perienCe has demonstrated acts with uni.
form and benifcent effect upon the entire
Work
In dealing with the question Of railway
tariff ! recognize that am undertaking to
explain the most intricate and important
Commercial problem in the worlds histo.
ry OF to-day, and that Of necessity In so
short 0 space as this discussion permits Of
can but touch upon q few OF the general
features and the most Important Of the local
Ones which affect the interests OF your
State. In tho outset desire to call your
attention to the fact that the railway lines
Are not, only in competition with each
other, but that tho great Trunk lines
are IN competition with rail and lake,
rail and river, lake and canal; and that all
those systems arc vieing with each other
IN the struggle for the trade and traffic Of
the country. In addition to this the great
Commercial Ccntros Of the country, both Of
the scaboard and in the interior, are
Struggling with all the rivalry induced by
love Of wealth. Therefore no
fixed basis for tariff rates can
Possibly DO secured, and it would be rs
reasonable to expect that legislation could
Control and determine the value OF stocks
aud the great commodities OF Commerce
Such rs cotton, grain and oil-as 10 con-
trol this Commercial article Of transporta-
ton. In order tomore clearly present the
case for Your consideration, Propose to
show, first, the relations Of the Balti-
more and Ohio road to this general sub.
lect, and then how those relations effect
tho local Interests Of your StNte and other
Interests on Its line, aid think Won win
agree with INC il fail to show that there
is no Uneven bearing OF the system on
Certain interests and in certain localities;
that II tsS easier 10 complain and ind fault
than II Is to perceive and apply the rem.
edy. The railway history Of the world mot
only in our country, but in the older
Countries Of Europe, Is full OF The ques-
tlon Of Discrimination, and SO long 4s rail.
roads exist, and the rivalry OF trade and
Commerce continues, SO long will this
Complaint be heard.
HISTORY OF TIE u. 4 o.
Tho Baltimore 4 Ohio Road in IT'S In.
fancy looked to the Ohio river as It's OBJ
jective point. At that day the great com
mercc OF the West iloated upon It's rivers,
aud Parkersburg and Wheeling We're
looked to US the cntrepots Of this bust
hess. At the other end OF the line BalG-
Morp, with its rapidly increasing popula-
ton, was extending its commercial reid
tons by means Of water communication
with the principal cities and States on the
Atlantic coast, leaving largely to New
York and Boston the commercial suprema.
oy OF tho eoNpiry, so far rs tho foreign
Commerce OF thd world was concerned.
The rapid development, however, Of the
Railway system OF the country, particularly
in the West, stimulated BY the increased
volume Of money issued during the war,
began to gridiroh all Of THO Western and
Northwestern States, and tho first effect
Was to transfer to great extent tho carry
Ing trade from the YRtor to tho rail. Tie
effect OF this upon the Baltimore \ Ohio
company was two-fold: In tho first place,
It cut OH by moro direct limos leading to
COMPETITIVE cities the business which It ex-
pected to receive at Wheeling and Parkers-
burg, and atthe same time these lines, ex-
tending directly from the West to all parts
Of TIP seQhoard, diverted from Baltimore
city largo part OF tho business lonp by it
to points along and tributary to tho 0oast.
In this state OF affairs the managers OF the
baltimore & Ohio road ioresaw the alter
native OF that corporation being reduced
to tho ownership OF local line extending
from tho Chesapeake to the Ohio, or the
Necessity Of stretching ont us arms whpr.
ever competition mado it necessary 10
reach the trade centres. It at the same
time recognized that Baltimore city, with
tho increasing competition in the territory
which had heretofore been tributary to it,
Gould nat n itself support 4 railroad whose
ramiilcations were s6 extensive unless a
reliable and ever.increasing business could
DO built up with the great CONSUMING
marts OF Great Britain and the Continent.
There We're therefore two things to be
9one, i baltimore md its great ally, tho
Baltimore 4 Ohio road, Yerf n0ttd allow
themselves to DO optstrtpped in this great
race.
The Baltimore 4 Ohio Company, for the
lack OF individual assistance, Organized
the first regular steamship line between
RallMore and Liverpool, to open the way
for this necessary development, and in
doing 80 sunk over throe-quarters Of a
million Of dollars, but accomplished, even
sSIss friends, the, end / had in view. ' At
The same time il invested its millions in
extending its lines TO the great cities DIST.
Louis and Chicago-those great reservoirs
oi tho traffic oftfis eQntinent-and having
completed its system Y has taken It's place