Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-22

tally untrammeled, and the control OF which has
been in the hands of those who have created the
property. But one thing is certain wherever the
railroad company has made for itself dollar it has
created many for Others and its property is at last
as much part OF the commonwealth as that of the
farmer towards the increase OF whose wealth it has
so largely contributed. Its property is taxed for
the benefit of government the same as other private
property is taxed and ii would seem to me parti-
nent for Judge Black, when he asserts that there Is
no proprietary interest in the stockholders in this
species of property, to intimate that it should no
more be taxed than the state-houses, canals and
other things belonging TO the estate. Under
the substantially unlimited control of their af-
fairs which the railroad companies have enjoyed
rates of transportation have steadily been reduced
until at present, their general rates are far below
what even your committee would ten years ago have
deemed possible. Under this management, the
coarse, unmanufactured products of the country
move at q low rate. The burden of transportation
of this class of property usually falls upon ndividu
als Thus with the farmer in Iowa, the difference
of a mill Per ton per mile may determine the ques
ton of his ability to produce corn, but oftentimes
this product is moved at rates below the average
COSl OA anu
only able to do this because it is carrying
something else more costly that can easily
afford 20 pay above the average The higher
the maximum rate, the lower is the possible mini
mum. Given certain amount TO be earned, ard
a reduction of the maximum necessarily increases
the minimum. These minimum rates largely affect
individuals and the question Of the production and
the general development of the country. The maxi
mum charge being upon manufactured and costly
articles is not felt by the producer or by the
sumer and reduction of this rate of great con-
sequence to the carrier and to the producers of cheap
unmanufactured materials, and without which
very large portion of the latter commodities could
not be produced or moved, would go substantially
to the benefit of the middlemen without making
these articles any cheaper to the consumer 1t is OF
great deal Of consequence that the artisan in Mas
sachusetts should have cheap food, but the product
of his manufacture would probably not be sold to
the consumer at any less cost, even though trans
ported by the carrier for nothing. pair
OF shoes weighing a pound might pay cent
to the lrrier for transportation from Massachusetts,
to the grain fields west Of the Mississippi, but the
merchant or the manufacturer ouy would be the
gamer The workman who made the shoes or the
man who will wear them would gain nothing In
other words the great efforts made to reduce rates
would not ii successful be OF any advantage to he
laboring man who makes or the laboring man who
consumes Reductions are sought by those en-
gagged in business, and, if made, would inure almost
solely to their benefit and for this reason they
seeking to exercise control over the property of
others.