The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-08-05
THE RAILROAD QUESTION.
ny HOMER II. STUART.


Of the American Agricultural Associa-
tion" is an article by Edward Atkinson,
ESQ, Of Boston, entitled "The Railroad
and the Farmer"
The main purpose Of his essay
seems " be 10 show that the
the great prosperity Of our country at
the present time 10 due to the railroads.
He claims that the consolidation these
roads has promoted the public good,
and declares that government supervi-
sion and control Of tho roads will be un-
Just to the stockholders and detrimental
TO the business Of tho roads. He at
tributes the increase in public wealth
since 1869, TO two causes, and terms
them Free Labor and Free Railroads.
The term Free Labor defines itself. lie
does not explain what he means by
"Free Railroads : IL is fair Inference
that he means roads free from all con
troll except such as they appoint for
that purpose.
Hu anal, zes and tabulates the basi
meas of the roads, To present ia Hn OBJ
vious manner, their business. .opei ntions
and Ga. changes which are taking place
in quantities carried and charges for
carrying.
Carriage between producer and CON
sumner is part Of the cost OF the arti.
Gle. A reduction in this item Of cost is
= gain 10 the producer or the consumer,
s-Antl Tsrhalsso both. lis tables skoa:
that this reduction since 1889, amounts
10 eleven hundred millions Of dollars.
He passes this sun 20 the credit OF the
roads, and says that they have contrib
uEed so much to the public wealth. He
points 10 these figures as conclusive
proof that the public have no cause for
complaint, and hardly pretext for at
tempting any supervision Of the vast
and complicated business Of these roads,
Assuming as fact that the roads
have reduced their charges TO that ex.
tent. it docs not follow that this reduc
tion Of charges has added an equivalent
sum to the aggregate national wealth.
Reducing charges for carrying things
does not produce new things nor add ia
the former value Of existing things. II
may diminish the final cost at the mar
ket where the sale and consumption
takes place. lfa given quantity is car
ried at one time for a given sum-say
500, and precisely the same quantity
is carried next year for $50, It would
be evident the country had not gainet
$50 by the operation.
If, in 1869, il cost the farmer "a
cents to produce wheat, and 60 cent,
TO get it TO Europe, and it sold there Al
Si.50, while in 1879 it cost the farmer
the same gum to produce his bushcl
and only cost him 25 cents TO get il
to Europe, where he sold it for $l.25
he made no gain and the carrier mad,
NO gain. If anybody gained that differ
ence of % cents it was somebody il
Europe who purchased for $l.25 wha
he bought before for $l.5u,
Fit be admitted that this reduction
of eleven hundred millions of dollars il
railroad charges, caused by its direc
effect an increase to that amount il
, the manufactures and productions o
the country, the roads might claim 4
be one of the factors, and to hav,
assisted in causing this increase. Bn
they could not claim ,yv@ be the sol
, cause. Various causes have cooperatet
during the past decade-insrease O
population and of the capital investet
in productjon--employment OF con
stantly improving labor saving ma
chinery-a growing interstate com
merce-short crops in Europe. Ga
country has been prosperous, and tn
roads have contributed to this prosper
ity. But there have been other cause
Of much greater efficiency. 1t is absur
to give the whole credit to the .tranl
portation companies, as absurd as
would .e to deny them any credit wha
ever
If we should admit that the railroa
reduction in charges had added eleve
hundred millions of dollars to the NJ
tional W hin the last ten year
blish the proposisic
10 seems to adyocat