The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-08-18
The Power Possessed by the Railroad
Kings.

The power which the railroad kings
hold over the property and prosperity
of the people of the West is realized
only by those who have given careful
study to the economy of commerce.
The marvellous agriculture of the
Western States is rendered possible, or
at least profitable to the producers, by
cheap transportation. Nearly every
man employed upon the fertile lands
of the Mississippi Valley creates sur
plus product, which he must send to
the consumer in the East by means
of transportation which does not alb
sorb the entire value between the bare
cost of production and the market
price, or else his effort is wasted.
Cheap transportation-that which per-
forms service for what it is worth-is
the great conservation between pro-
Queer and consumer, preserving one
from loss and the other from ruin. It
is the only means we have of placing
the products of our cheap farms in
successful competition with the dear
lands of Europe. It must be the serv-
ant of the resolute people who have
created it Qor, properly considered,
| the people have built all the railroads,
with but small outlay ON the part of
those who now control them), and not
their master.
If the railroads are permitted to pur-
sue their present policy. to charge all
the traffic will bear, the producer or
consumer must suffer; the one will not
receive enough for his product, or the
'othef must give too much for his pur-
4 chase The three parties concerned,
the producer, the transporter and the
consumer, should each be dealt with
fairly. The first and second should have
fair reward for their service, and the
third fair equivalent for his money;
this is the solution of the transporta-
ton problem. Now the product is
purchased from the producer at the
minimum price, and sold to the con-
sumer at the maximum price. 1t is
bought on the prairie at the bare cost
of production, and sold in New York
at an advance of 160 per cent, and the
railroads usually reap all the profit. II
often happens that corn is purchased in
the West at twenty-five cents q bushe
and sold in the East at seventy cents
! Should the railroad kings, this year, in
crease the cost of carriage but five
cents on every sixty pounds of freight
the weight of bushel of wheat, they
would levy tax of $1,000, 600, en- thu
product Of the West They often ad
vance the rate fifteen cents on the hun
dred pounds just ut the time that th'
crops are to be moved.
The ability to absorb the entir,
profit of production is not the extent o
their evil power. By rebates, draw
|. backs. and determinations of one kin.
or another. they destroy all healthfu
competition, and give unfair adyan
, tages to certain individuals and local
tiles. Under an honest system al
would have equal chances to succeed
success would depend upon intelli
gence and industry but under q sys
tenn warped and twisted by the capric
of monopolists. failure is possible eve
!. in the face of indefatigable industr
, and perfect adaptability to tho bus
ness undertaken. An unjustifiabl
favoritism, which grants unfair advar
: tages to few business men, place
! them above the competition of q
' others. If an individual gets r.
! bate of twenty or thirty per cent
on his freight bills, it is evider
that he has a great start in tn
race with his competitors. Th
large shippers and "those VIII
Q stand with the system get all th
. favors. and those who are strugglin
!, are forced to struggle on. paying all Ii
"traffic will bear" And even I'll
trade of cities is crippled by arbitral
discrimination in favor of other cite
"Competipg points get better rat