, 1881-03-06
THE RAILROADS.
President Ackerman's Opinion of
Railway Legislation at
Springfield
Falling Of the East"Bound Freight
Traffic During the Past
Week.

1 VI CChs
RAILROAD LEGISLATION.
President Ackerman, Of the Illinois Ceutra
Railroad Company, yesterday directed the
| following letter to State Senator ". E.
Shut at Springfield, giving his views regard.
ing the measures now pending before the
Legislature Of Illinois to regulate the rail
roads of this State. The argument is an
able one from railroad point Of view. and
will be read with considerable Interest:
CHICAGO, March s-4te Hon. n: Z. Shut. Se,1-
your note IT the 18th ult Permit me to mike i.
DsoTo s y sne EPoa9 W
doubtless agree with me that there Is always
| danger In h;.sty legislation, and never in the
true than ut tho present time. Legislators, in
their ctrorts to correct what they consider to be
] evils, often make the lntstaKe OF resortEn2 to
extremes which ura calnu1utel to produce new
| causes Of .lnrn. affecting not only the interest
ct capital. but also that OF labor: address yoi
fr th. P,rpSso OF sttfnS ~ Scr;n mnnI neve m th VII
| policy OF antagonlsm to the r.tiways Of
| this State, and to say in all frallknees
tneasures nua now before tho two Houses should should
| bccome laws. the railroads of this State would
be under the Necessity of meeting new condi
lion Ut affairs, and OF adopting entirely diff
| fcrcvs course in rueir management. Tho first
| necessity forced upon them would be tho cur
tuilnlcnt or their expenses at ail points. This
would result not only in thousands Of u1en being
ut once thrown out Of employment, but also i'll
cr,ppling fhc resources Of the roads, and their
eallrity for ong business we ~, bud ~ Illus
tlonai law Of ISL: tle fuGt OF tho punic Of
1853, with uli its attendant distress To the work
ng c!asSes being 70 u lurHe rs extent n Httribnta, a
really hive the Interest OF the State Of ILL.,
nois ut heart should pause before they
consent to the passage of laws which may result
In Il repetition Ut such disaster to 10 lurge Il
portion of tho laborng population ut the Suite.
According to the iast report OF a Tue Board n Of
wcre actually employed by tho rallrond CON-
pa,lies In illinois alone. md yon ay add at least
51.02o inore employed IN 1actorles; mines, wnre"
shops, who incidentally receive support from
the same source. Now. If ynu gentlemen take
away from the railroads Of the Stuto tho power
to receive a tuir consideration for the services
they render, you must deprive large portion Of
these men uud their fumilies OF their duly
s,stcnancc for tht reason thut the rouus will be
obliged to dispense with their services, md the
responsibility Of such calamity must rest with
plain Il proposition us can be stated.
ita,lroad companies do not purchase supplies
and materials, aud pufld engines and cars for
transportation Of freight and passengers, unless
they can Ind compensation in IL to the extent Of
fair return on tho capitnl Invested: This they
have q reasonable right TO demand; yet there
fixing rutes or transportation below the cost OF
doing business. In this they are In some In
STANCES prompted by demands % Of people living
welfare. and who havo added nothing to her
prosperity in tho past, but aru simply attempt
ing to take ndvantage OF -. popular cutlery
natcy there Is Il constitutional limit to the de-
nauds Ut these men, reaching beyond the pale
2f as a g assn whe G
discrimination tho whole railway management
Of the country, and which is fosterrd by prcju-
either Of which is hard to contend with.
With ali due respect to the gentlemen COM
posing the majority OF both Houses, submit
puzzled tho minds OF the best railroad man
ayers Of this country IN their efforts to adjust it
to the business wants Of the country. can bo
Your own good sense will tell YOU that It cau-
not Whit would you think OF a convention Of
raroa. men meeting to decide a question Of
the result of tholr deliberanons:
| au sure that those having these long lines
this vexed question set ut rest US any ono eau
possibly be, and would be:gad Of any reason-
able suggestion that would atd them. They
tempting tu solve 1t. Tho truth is, that railroad
Ing in this country IS comparatively tn its in
fsac e u froaa r. CT
improvements hnvc been nlhae in mnn-
agelueut during the past fve years,
modtles transported, rs we'll us in tho safety
ana comfort Of passengers. This whole matter,
now cause of 80 mlch discussion here, witl
gradually settle ana adapt itself to the wants Of
Europe.
Ono thing may be regarded as certainty, and
TINT Is kar sou can not by Legislative enactment,
establish one castiron rule that will apply to tho
government Of all railroads Mike; for In somo
cases. lis VIZ baye found in ou1 OWN experience.
"A general rule will not apply even to different
portions OF the same line, where circumstances
entirely change the condition of uffaiss. There |
must be sufficient fiexiollity In any given rule to
p1t t1f fa rar tf$tnQ CfIff f.t.
mate, and topography. Then, too in fixing rates,
you must .take iuto consideration the class Ut |
6c transported, tho distance. the space they oc-
cupy, tho volume offered at one time, and host
OF other things.
know how exceedingly popular it is for the
legislator to be abc to show to his constituents
how far he can go in ''crsit'sJ out n.onop0tfcs."
In fact, not not only the legislator but many
the familiar CRY. seem to havc about tho same
iden us Saul OF Tarsus had when prosecuting the
carly yChristiaus,-yiz.: that he was doing God |
services.
Tho men who at this time can rise above pop
ular clunlor and prejudice and make an honest
effort to stem this dangerous tendency. will
TO their constituents, and the best representa-
lives Of the real interests Of the people Of tho
5oped that the Legislature M w VIII iI@ pause befors sH
giving It's stump Of approval to measures cal
:ulated to bring about such condition OF af--
Justice give to I'LL matters affecting corporate
interests the careful attention they deserve,
Ind only uct after full knowledge OF ali that
s involved in tho passage Ut such meas
lrcs. Many Of these now befure the
Legislature are of too greut importance to be
mpartiaily dealt with during tho excitement at
endun1 upon un ordinary session. 1t they were
'eferrcd to Il special Commission. who, prOtiting t.
~ the experience had in other States, could
;artcuT case thay a Would Be eabed uon 10 mae
IN intelligent report and recommendation to
be next session Of the LEGISLATURE Such