Morning journal and courier., 1881-11-18
Frida Morning, Nov. 1s. 1ss1.
THE RAILROAD pRoBLEn1.

The recent report by MT. Joseph P. Nim-
 mo, Chief of the National Bureau of Statis-
 tics, which contains his views in regard to
 the government regulation of railroads, re
 strictions upon pooling and combinations to
 affect the prices of transportation, and the
 general cost of the railroad traffic of the
 country, is valuable contribution to the dis
 cussion of 8 very important matter. MT.
 Nimmo urges more complete investigation
 before any definite legislation is adopted, but
 he says enough to show the nature and inn
 portance of the problem and the enormous
 and increasing influence the railroads are
 having on the condition and prosperity of the
 people of the United States. Since 1866,
 taking the averages of the leading railroads
 as basis, the freight charge per ton per
 mile has been reduced from 2.153 cents in
 1866 to S66 3-5 of a cent in 1880. The num-
 Der of miles of railroad in operation have
 nearly trebled the grain crops have nearly
 doubled in quantity since that time, and the
 transportation movement has fully trebled,
 while the average freight charges are more
 than fifty per cent. less, allowing for the diff
 ference in currency The cost of moving
 thirteen tons of merchandise from Chicago
 to Boston, which in 1869 was $369. 40, was
 in 1879, $1o2. 70; and the cost of transport
 ing thirteen tons of grain and meat that dis
 tance was $195. S4 in 1869, and $61.62 in.
 1S79 On this basis, farmer in Illinois who
 raised 5000 bushels of corn and sold it in
 Boston saved $2S9 S9 in the mere cost of
 transportation. In 1880 we exported 8, 4oO,-
 900 tons of grain and LOO 1000 tons of meat and dairy products, Of which it may be estimated that S,00O, GOO tons were transported 1900 miles to the seaboard, and the saving on this. at one cent per ton per mile, was equal to $104, 1000, 900. The transportation to the seaboard for foreign shipment represents only about one fftieth of our total internal transportation. and the total saving, reckoning the amount of merchandise moved each year from 1866 to 1880, would reach more than $1, 100 000, | GOO, and this under estimates rather than l over estimates. Mir. Nimmo expresses his | belief that the increase in the value of the do. nestle exports of the United States-from | ,$442, ,82O, IFS during the year ending June 30, | 1871, to $902, ,319 ,473 during the year ending | June 30, 1891-has been largely due to such re- auctions, and that this is evident from the fact that such products are chiefly the products of the western and northwestern States, large | of which are transported to the seaboard on railroads.
 Having thus indicated the imme impor tance of the problem, MT. Nimmo points out that nothing has yet been done on practical and comprehensive plan to counteract the tendency of railroads to be consolidated. as the accumulation of wealth gives individuals and corporations greater opportunities for control Public sentiment and competition have been left to regulate the freight charges, and much as they have accomplished, they have not accomplished all that might have been done for the benefit of the public or the most enlightened interest of the railroads and the counteracting tendency of wealth and combination grows stronger, if not in the same ratio. Mir. Nim no asserts that public remedy is demanded, and urges an adequate investigation by a commission of experts, who should pass upon the relations of transportation to the agricultural, indus trial and commercial interests of the country, the economic and practical questions connect sd with the actual conduct of the traffic in- terest on railroads, and the legal and consti- tutional questions involved