The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-04-10
LOCAL FREIGnTs.

LOCAL FREIonTs.
THE naItimore ana ohio Discussion
Transferred TO the New York Central.
; UAa IN, W Herald.
The Albany Journal lends itself 10 III,
fallacy that natural antagonism exists be
tween the New York Central Railroad ant
the people resident along It's route. VIZ
believe that their interests arc idcntica.
when both are well understood. Tho
Same is truO with the various local rail.
roads and their immediate nelghbors.
, The profits Of railroads cone from their
localbusincss, rather than from that which
may be drawn from u distance. Their
local business will increase by the build.
Ing up Of manufactures and production
generally along their routes, and by the
consequent growth Of population. They
can afford to carry large quantities Of
freight at lower rates than petty packages,
and it is a wise policy to adjust their tar.
III 50 as to create local freights and travel.
The experts Of the New York Central are
In the habit Of saying that the most profit
able part OF the road Is the old road be.
tween Syracuse and Rochester. which
depends almost wholly on local traffic,
and does very little OF tho through ser.
vice. 1t is within the power Of the com.
panY to foster industry and population all
along its line, by encouraging new enter.
priSes and extending to those established
the most favorable contracts for the move.
ment Of freight.
Some months ago capitalists examined
tho advantages Of Utica for a novel branch
OF manufacture on an extensive scale,
The result was In favor Of this city, until Il
appeared that freights 10 and from Chi
cago and the Northwest, would cost con.
siderably more with Utica as the western
terminus, than il the distance to New
York two hundred and fifty miles were
added in both directions. In another
case Buffalo secured u prosperous estab.
lishment, solely because It afforded better
facilities for shipment than this city could
offer. These are only typical cases which
are constantly occurring. Every local
productive interest suffers, while the rail-
road loses directly and still more in the
growth on the soil essential 10 its enlarged
prosperity.
Against the vital argument embodied
in these facts, the Albany Journal replies
that 'tie local freight rates on this rail.
road arc from forty to ninety per cent.
less than those on the Baltimore and Ohio
road" 1.-THE production along that line,
i'll the mountains and among the rocks oil
the A~lleghenies, compares with that in
the heart Of this State, the citation has
force; II it does not, the plea is unworthy
OF consideration by those seeking an al.
justment for the common welfare.
The Journal quotes the charges for local
freights in 1867 ut 32l cents, and in 1871
at 2.3l cents, a reduction Of 2S per cent.
but 1t fails to state that the reduction IN
the same period on the whole freight
traffic was 81 per cent. These figures
prove therefore that the discrimination
against local business was in the interval
aggravated, and not diminished. tits also
notable that the Journal finds its best
figures for comparison in 1874, and thus
gives prominence to the fact that while
the cost OF running railroads has been
much diminished within five wears. no
general concession has been made 10 local
shippers in the interval. In cases where
competition has been threatened or APP
Piled, radical changes have been made.
For a long period, the charge between
Ulca and Rome was ten cents on all
classes OF freight. When the construction
of the roads from Utica and Rome to Clin-
ton offered a different route, the rate was
reduced to five cents Just one.half, and
doubtless remunerative to the company.
Such concessions to competing points
while rates elsewhere are maintained, ex-
hibit the company rs often carrying
freight Of the same class twice as fur in
IL case as in the other for the same
money. or even the greater distance for
lower charges.
This is not only unjust to the non-com-
petlng points, but as we believe, damag-
ing to the best permanent interests Of the
road. II the company finds it necessary
to carry freight from New Yorkto Roches-
ter or Buffalo, ut u given price, it should
carry tho same class to every point be.
tween those termini, not pro rata, but for
q price not exceeding the through charge.
Otherwise it uses its franchise for the posi-.
tive detriment Of the people along its line,
II ii can not afford to carry freight from
Utica to Buffalo, at the same total charge
as from New York to Buffalo, the mn.
Chinery is out OF joint. II it cannot carry
goods from Utica TO New York at the
same total charge as from Rochester or
Syracuse to New York, mathematics has
ceased to DO an exact science. This is not
the claim for pro rata charges, which is
unreasonable, because it makes no allow
ance for handling, or for idle cars. But
when the company has fixed its charges
for the whole length Of the line, it should
never collect more for traffic over a part OF
it; it should never exact more for ten miles
than for a hundred; never more for one
ton than for ten tons; never more for one
car load than for IN entire train,
Ono Of the largest railroad capitalists In
the country recently said that It had not
yet been demonstrated what is the mini.
mum cost OF moving a ton per mile on
continuous tracks at q speed OF fifteen
miles an hour. lie believed it to be less
than n cent, provided tracks were given
up to freight. No one can say how rapid
and vigorous would be the growth Of The
cities and villages OF New York il the rail.
roads would conGede to them facilities for
transportation such as to Misrepresentation
and develop industry.
Such questions should be discussed with
the conviction that the Prosperity OF the
people along the line is the richest guar.
antee for earnings to railroads, and that,
on the other hand, railroads must have re.
ceipts adequate to maintain them and to
satisfy stockholders, il they are to render
their best service to the community.