Frostburg mining journal., 1880-07-24


the repair of railroads have advanced
in cost more largely than the articles
of living, (rails alone being worth 5o
per cent. more now than then. Ihis
being "fact, it is needless, perhaps
to ask how much more, if any, the
cost of materials entering into the re-
pair than those which go into the con-
struction of railroads amounts to.
The conclusion is inevitable that tne
advance has been at least equal. Yet
the new road will carry coal over
tOrty-taco per cent. cheaper than the old
road from Lonaconing to Cumberland.
Perhaps, however, we are too fast, for
it is understood the old road will
carry coal as cheaply as the new, in
spite of the so per cent. advance in
! materials, and in lofty defiance of the
other fact that its repair line is six
miles longer than the new road. In
the form of serious, solemn business
conundrum, then-if the Georges
Creek and Cumberland railroad, a
new enterprise, can carry coal from
Homecoming to Cumberland as low as
IL cents per ton per mile, how can the
Cumberland and Pennsylvania carry
it between the same points for 2-l3
cents? And if it can carry coal then
at that rate, why can't it do so nooO ]?
and save trade which it says hangs
over the ragged edge Of destruction ?
There never was crisis more oppor-
tune for the display of railway heroics
than Just now afforded the Cumber-
land and Pennsylvania company to
"pluck brand from the burning.
Contrasted with the uniformly un-
teuable arguments in favor of reduc-
ing wages, the reasons against it are
manifold and overwhelming, and not
one is more conclusive than the utter
inability Of the companies to assure
the miners where reduction is to end.
Suppose they relinquish fifteen cents
to compete with Clearfeld, how long
would it be before they would have to
yield five or ten cents more to comply
with requisition based upon similar
pretext? With broken-spirited min
ers and fexible-tariff railroad, they
would soon call us down a lung, and
then dozen afrighted coal companies
would "halloo, boys; get down quick,
or Clearfeld will jerk the ladder from
under us
| Public opinion in this county has
settled down to the conviction that
the people own some interest in this
matter. 1t has been ascertained be-
yond cavil that this community has
never upon any occasion of reduced
wages, forcible or voluntary, realized
advantage therefr ON, for the loss o.
trade has never been greater than the
loss of wages. Our product, unlike
the Clearfeld, appears to haye few, i
any, runners )" our trade seems tc
come, like customers who approach
stores without signs. Nobody is ap'
parently reminded by pompous od'
vertisements, attracted by factitiou'
specimens, or drummer-caught by the
nape and dragged up to the counter
accompanied with the fierce injunc
ton, "buy or dieI" Its merit sells i
and as time moves on this quality, sill
perior to that Of any Of its immediate
competitors, will every year sell 1
better. Hence, if we lose trade THU
year through wages, the goods untal
en- remain on the shelves in the store
house. If we lose wages thrcugt
railroad tariffs the goods are gone ano
we have more empty shelves to weeE
over.
People, if thero is the least force il
this view, abide by it to the extent o
that force-no farther. If meme
credit us with an humble desire to bC
esteemed a protectionist Of home pur'
suits and home interests. So feeling
and doing it is impossible, while true
TO home and people, we could be un'
true or disloyal to the welfare of Tie
foreign capital invested here, certain,
| ly not to the extent to which some in
its own ranks have gone.
II the carriers can sec their way tC
make up this difference we shall be glad
to have them do il and the trade will GO
on smoothly, but if they reduce their rates
now supposed TO compare with those Of
the other roule-in order to make up tic
difference, then We should expect the
Pennsylvania railroad company to follow
Immediately with Il reduction, and our
people will be left worse off than before
| onJ thn nIOeor 1oyp thnu cboyn frniu1, is