Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-02-13
Gurfka Daily Sentinel.
THE DarEAT or THE REAGAN

In telegraph, a day OF two since, an
ncuns, ~ sdvsrse report from the
Hosf mlttee On Commerce on the
This action probably seals
tisn Of he measure. 1t is severe
Blov 10 the people Of this State, and will
ssnorsily be regarded by them as such.
Thy had come to look to this measure as
their only hope Of relief from the exac-
tions Of the trans sentimental monopo-
lists. OF course, the presumption is
raised that the railroads used money and
otLer improper influence to defeat the
Reagan bill. Such an differences is justi-
fed, when We remember the unanimity
with which the bill passed the House at
the last session. Yet we can discern
why an Eastern Congressman, u%ninflu-
encsd by improper motives. might array
himself against it.
The theory of the Reagan bill is that
no more shall be charged for a shorter
than for a longer distance Of continuous
carriage. This is the feature which par
ticularly commended the bill to the peo-
pie of this State. They saw in it that
no more could be charged them for mer-
chandise laid down in Nevada than is
charged the San Francisco merchant,
who enjoys the benefit of water trans
portation. In other words, that the Ne
vada merchant would get his goods at
through San Francisco rates, thus saving
the back freight enormity of the Central
Pacific Railroad Company. This was all
very well, from a Nevada standpoint,
and would have suited our people admir-
ably, but, unfortunately for us, the peo-
pie Of the East did not care to place
themselves under the operation of a Fed
sral law which would compel them to pay
as much for short as long distances.
Hon. James Wilson made the
chief argument against the bill
before the Committee on Commerce.
He took the broad ground and urged it
as a fundamental principle of ~transporta-
ton that the longer the haul the lower
should be the rate. This is of course a
good argument with the farmers Of the
old West who are situated at remote dis
tances from the great grain markets. Mr..
Wilson illustrated this idea as follows
Suppose the greater distance over which
. car load Of freight is to be carried is
1000 miles. and the rate 500. Another
car load Of the same kind Of freight il to
be moved over the line at a shorter dis
lance Of SO miles. Can 500 be charged
for that also? Undoubtedly this can be
done under the construction Of the section
given by its author. Whatever is charged
Tor the greater distance may likewise be
put upon the shorter haul. If $3.50 be
charged for 900 miles, the same amount
may be charged for Is miles. And this is
to have the sanction Of law. One or the
other Of these constructions must be given
to the section Either it prohibits o low
rate for q long haul, or authorizes an ex-
orbitant rate for . short haul.
And thus our pet scheme has fail len a
victim to the notions of the long line ship
pers. They desire to get to market on m
thing like unequal footing with those who
are more favorably located in regard to
the matter of distance. It might be con-
cluded that the sharp competition be-
tween the great network of roads in the
older States would guarantee against ex-
tortionate freight charges, but of late the
system Of combination has sprung up
among the railway managers, and the
people shrink from being left to their
mercy. Hence, we fear that the Reagan
bill is dead past all resurrection.
The people of Nevada must now look
for relief in some other direction. Posi-
bly, some measure calculated to meet
the case-to give us cheaper rates-may
be devised at this session. but we confess
that we have little hope of so desirable
q contamination. Happily two or three
competing overland roads are nearing this
coast. and will be through within the
next three years. If not sooner, we may
then hope fer something in the way of
benefit arising from competition.