The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-02-24
IN. Y. Tribune.1
Something Statutes are Unenual to.

! Inc State OF w est Virginia is Ont
Of those young States which is as yet
inadequately provided with railroads
Like some other States, however, il
fancies it sees greater benefits to itseli
from despoiling the few railroads il
has than from encouraging the con.
struction of more. There are two line:
of road crossing its territory from east
to west, with scarcely fragment in
the other directions. No State, in
proportion to its area, has such &
wealth Of timber, coal, iron ores, lime
stone, salt, petroleum, ETC., all of which
need, more than anything else, capital
and railroads to make them of value
to her. Nevertheless, tempted by the
cunning bait laid by Jeremiah Black
she is now asked to regulate rates" Of
fare and freight.
A bill has been offered by some in
veterate Granger that local freight
shall. be carried at the same rate, per
mile, as the through freights, regard
less Of length Of haul. Rates between
Chicago and New-York and Liverpool
are made clear through: and to obtain
any business over the lines crossing
West Virginia the companies must
make similar through rates or lose the
freight. The expenditures for road
beds, rails and fixed expenses are about
the same for railroad with only local
traffic as for one with large through
traffic in addition-ifi other words the
road once built can run twenty extra
through freight trains for trifliuo
addition TO the total expense. The
through traffic. taken from other lines.
helps to pay the expenses and interest
on first cost. This short-sighted Vir-
ginia legislator thinks ii would be bet
ter to shut off the through traffic, and
leave the road to depend solely on the
l0cal--for such Is the obvious effect Of
his bill One of two things must then
happen: either the local rates must be
increased so as TO cover the entire ex-
pense, or the road must fail to pay and
the company stop running. This, Of
course, is not what is intended, but it
is the natural sequel Until legisla-
tors can devise some way Of compeIl-
ing railroad owners to run railroads
at loss. and Of paying the deficiency
ont Of their pockets for the privilege.
they would do well to leave fares and
freights to the unfailing forces Of
supply and demand.
The State has voted to remove its
capital (now at Wheeling) to Charles
ton, which, like the present site, is
accessible from only two directions,
and to reach either will require long
roundabout journey of hundreds of
miles by river or rail. What sort of
an invitation is this raid on the old
roads, to persons contemplating the
building of new proposed side lines?
The State of Arkansas has been troub-
led in the same way lately; but we are
glad to see that a message from the
Governor, setting forth the need and
advantages of more railroads, has had
the desired effect of suppressing the
agrarian movement. West Virginia
and some of the young States at the
West will learn, in time, that they
have nothing to gain by attempting
to interfere with laws of trade, or by
threatening capital engaged in OPEN
ing up roads through them, however
enticing the effort may be, for the
moment, to the demagogue.