The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-03-10

moves seed into the ground and the nat
ural forces Of vegetation produce in success
sion root, stem, leaves, noweis and fruit"
Mr.. Mill shows by humber of Illustrations
that transportation Of one kind or another
| lea al the root OF all production; add II you
take away from mems lsbogs that portion
| which consists in tho movement OF various
inanimaie objects from one point to another,
there would DO absolutely nothing productive
| left.
Throughout the whole range OF iis labors
as freight carrier the true position or the
railway is that OF "a prominent factor IN the
great work Of product On. Whatever theo-
| ries may prevail on the subject this fact 10
always recognized when "A railway u pro-
aoled, and it is only forgotten or ignored
when disputes spring up between various
clatses of producers relaiingto their respecl-
i've shares Of the sum derived from the CON
sumner These disputes must DO settled AS
best thoy may On the merits Of tho questions
involved in each particular discussion. What
wo complain OF is tho attempt OF hgltators
who, like sierra, Sndoavor 10 misrepros9nt
tho nature of ono of the important paitie' to
these controversies by depicting the railway
asa tax gaiboror, armed with omnipotont
powers and welding them frequently in an
arbitrary and oppressive manner, when 10
truth the railway is but ono ofa combination
of producers, dependent, ike its adjutors,
upon variety OF filctualing circumstances
for the amount of remuneration IL receives
for given service.
If the fact that y railway 10 producer, in
stea of m organization armed with such
weeping powers rs states possess, was better
understood there would probably be fewer
nonsenaioal theories propagated IN regard to
the irregularities of railway charges. II Is
conceded that oven IN tho matter OF taxation
ne imposed by city, state and national gov
or monts there is wat room for improve
menl, scarcely one .drtAl beng regulated in
strict accordance with tho requirements Of
good policy aud absolute justice, so il II
Were trlr that freight charges padOuk of the
nstute Of taxes, and if they did not conform
IN al instances rs strictly rs is desirable 70
tho die ntes Of equity, railway companies
w0uld ouly bo committing an error GuAlog-
Gus 20 that habilumly practced by tho con-
stilutud authorities OF This ana other c1ln-
tries. But tho railway 10 not tsX-gathorm;
1t is ono OF the producer; ana ~ ono II tho
producers IL must share tnolr fate IN tho ma,
tor Of being dependent upon II variety of
changing conditions for the remuneration i.
can receive iDr Is practical service.
A portion of the business of the world is So
regulated that ia the absence OF unexpected
influences fluctuations Ia prices rarely oc1ur;
but in another very large portion of business,
and IN nearly all matters relating t. tho
price Of products, "A multitude OF causes are
necessarily ut work in raising or lowering
prices No American farmer knows to-day
what price he will GOT for his next crop Of
wheat cotton or tobacco, Nopotroleum pro-
Queer or coal miner can tell nj what ratio bn
may sell his coal or crude petroleum year
hence, and il ho il fully assured that there
will not be tho slightest difference Ia tho cost
of production, no will be loath TO deprive
himself Of any Of the benpiits Of favorable
change in market rates. Tn farmer AID
miner, Knowing that they mutt sulldr from
excessively low prices nj times when the
supply gras ~ exceeds tho demand, are ri.
ways roady and eager to prof. by m oppo
sta condition Of things, without reference to
the cost production.
o. this general subject oftho charges for
railway service mn article In tho June NUM-
bar If tho BhnN0rS Magazine statS5 that Tho
customers OF the railways pay as little MS
they can, and with IN inj,tiorouco which Is
absolute to TIL question whether what they
pay il an adequate remuneration Tor th0
cap ,nl employed in building and msintNln-
ing lho works of whlCh they avail Themselves.
Tho rates cf rcg md iroishts upon the trurk
railroads aud upon NIL railroads ARE dctcr.
mined by competition, by tho Intelligent
in otess of the railroads themselves 30 cstab-
lsh rates which will no, bo SO high rs TO
reduce revenues, aud by variety of other
is never one" This theory is nj least partly
correct, and its wide deviation from such
procrustcan rules for railway charges Ms the
auli railway agitators advocate is largely To
be accounted for by tho fact that the
railway IS Quo Of the producers must
share tho vicissitundes to which they are
subjected