The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-11-18


These statistics give a faint idea of
the tremendous amount of capital that
is being employed in the railroad enter
prises of the country, and the mighty
influence it would be capable of welding
in a commercial or political way, pro-
vided it could be concentrated upon a
given object. But this danger is not
nearly so great as many people appre-
bend who take one-sided view of the
case. Many of these great roads are
rivals, and will continue to be as long
as they exist, from the nature of their
work and the object of their projectors.
What is for the interest of one is not
always for the interest of another, and
the inducements that one holds out to
secure trade and travel for its line often
force others TO make deductions that
inure to the benefit of the COM
munity. A great corporation is
not necessarily q great monopoly,
but may be so conducted as to be be-
neficent institution conferrlng and dis
pensing blessings upon all within the
reach of its influence. The great gain
to the farmers of the West, and to the
produce consumers of the East in the
decline of railroad charges during the
last ten years is enough to astonish the
farmers themselves.
A reduction of few cents per 100
pounds upon freight between Chicago
and the seaboard signifies a saving of so
much money in the pockets of the pro-
Queer or consumer. To make this mat
ter plain, Mr.. Edward Atkinson bases
some estimates upon the business of the
New York Central and Hudson River
railroad, and the calculation is astonish-
ing. He says:
1.-The total saving to the whole country
in the cost of moving merchandise from
1870 to 1879, inclusive, period of ten
years, as compared to the rates charged
81, 200, 100000, or 500, 900 more
than the reduction of the national debt
since the war ended. In the case of the
Central the charge for moving 6, AL, 213
tons of freight in 1879, was S18.270, $50,
the rate per ton per mile being 1854
cents. Had the charges len as high
MS in 1869, the transpoI .f;on of the
same freight would have cost $44, 920,-
$50, or 1867 cents per ton per mile.
The New York Central line does about
one-twentieth of the railroad business OF
the United States. The conclusion is
obvious that the reduction of the trans
portation tax adds vastly to the amount
of capital available for use in further
railroad construction and In other ways.
Mr.. Atkinson thinks that the farmers
of the West secure large proportion of
this reduction, as the statistics of the
/ af al arlx oh Th1,
average prices in that city of given
quality of flour, wheat. corn, oats, beef,
pork, lard, butter and wool III 1880 were
only fraction less than in 1869. The
cost of moving thirteen tons of mer-
chandise made up of these nine articles
from Chicago to New York in 1869 was
S185, and in 1879 SCI, the difference be-
ing 1924. AS the New York price was
about the same in each year the West
ern producers and sellers received the
gain"
In most of the Western States the rail-
road corporations have been put upon
their good behavior % by the construc-
ton of rival lines; (2) by the right of
the Legislatures under the constitution
to take the property and franchises OF
incorporated companies and subject them
to public use, the same as private prop
erty; (3) the police power of the State
can be exercised at any time to prevent
corporations from so conducting their
business as to infringe upon the equal
rights of individuals and the State at
large; (4 the power of the Legislature
to annul any charter that it has granted
whenever the business of the company is
so conducted that it becomes injurious
to the public welfare, and (5) the popu-
lar jealousy that exists in the community
, against the overreaching policy of corpo-
rations. Herein lies the safety of the
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