The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-28

The ENORMOUS POWER OF OUR
RAILROADS. = Edward Atkinson, OF
Boston, the noted cotton staIisti-
clan has. a lengthy and elaborate
article in the journal of the Ameri-
can Agricultural Association. he
puts the total number of miles now in
operation at a little more than 81, 0OC
miles, and estimates hat the increase
for 1881 will far exceed 1880, when
above 1000 miles were built. He then
gives so ne figures, as follows
In the year 1880 we exported s.
400, 600 tons Of grain and a little over
| 200, 600 tons of meat and dairy pro,
ducts. Deducting the grain of Cali
fornia and Oregon, and Virginia ex-
ported to Brazil, and the dairy product
of the East, there remained not less
than 5000, 900 tons of grain and meat
gathered from the prailies of Dakota,
Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colora-
do, Texas, Illinois and Indiana. This
produce centred chiefly in Chicago,
and the average haul to the seaboard
must have exceed 1900 milss-as the
distance from Chicago to New York is
95G, 20 Boston 1000 miles.
Half a cent a ton per mile on $1,000
900 tons moved 1900 miles amounts to
$52, 600, 600.
One cent a ton per mile on 5000, 600
tons moves l, 300 miles amount to
$l04, 600. 900.
The declared value of the grain and
dairy products reported in 1880 for the
calendar year was $3.50, 600, 000."
We borrow Mr.. Atkinson's figures
merely to illustrate the power of half a
dozen great Railway corporations.
They each own from 1000 to 10, 600
miles of track, and are at work night
and day extending their lines.
These corporations are so interviewer
with mutual interests, and inter pos
session Of stocks, hat there is almost
complete unity Of action among them.
Hence -four or five men can meet in a
parlor, and sip their costly wines while
laying enormous taxes upon the Agri
cultural, the great PRODUCING indus
try, of the land.
Reflect 3 moment! By Mr. Atkinson's
figures land he writes IN defence Of the
Ro,iroads, mark that 1.-THE increase
of freight rates to the extent Of a sin
gle penny per ton per mile, on the ex-
ports of this country would take one
hundred millions out of the pockets, of
the Farmers!
One cent per TON, not pound, mind
you.
But the eight millions Of tons of
EXPORTS are only about one ninth
Of the real product OF the country, as
1t Is estimated that above IS, COG, 900
tons OF various produce are sold off
from the farms Of the Union-the
major portion travelling long dis
tances by rail. OF course if the Rail
roads raise the price of freight, the
increase must come out of the pocket
of the person who buys the article.
In justice to the Railroads, however,
we must repeat, as recently shown, that
most Of the great lines are seeking to
reduce rather than to increase their
tariff. And certain it is that produce
IS transported to-day at prices which
ought to maxi us value the locomotive
as a boon from Heaven.
Think how our ancestors, or our great
Srand-fathers, or even our fathers in
their youth, would have hooted at the
IDEA OF transporting "A bale of cotton
from Raleigh to New York, in l6 hours,
at a cost Of only one dollar!
No, we rejoice with great JOY at the
building of each new mile Of track.
And we hope North Carolina NAV soon
be webbed with bands of iron, like =
spt ders web.
But there should be no Estate stock"
IN Railroads, no Directories" and
laws = provide that no road should
co"G'ae With competing roads.