St. Landry democrat., 1881-03-26
The Railway Question.
IN. O. TiueS.I


This question of government super.
vision of interstate railways is rapidly
growing in importance. Some Of the
ablest jurists and railway managers of
the country are engaged in discussing
it. 1t is question in which the whole
country is interested. We are not pre-
pared to say that there is yet a popular
demand for q national law regulating
the rates of great railway corporations,
but there are indications that there will
be such a demand sometime not very
far in the future. The increasing power
and the extortionate and unequal
charges of these corporations cause a
feeling of uneasiness. They have al
ready affected injuriously some of the
most f1Ourishing industries of the cOun
try. 1t is admitted that they have been
mainly instrumental in building up the
country and in developing it's resources,
but having accomplished so much good
it is feared that in their greed they will
use their vast power so as to destroy
what they have assisted in building up.
The question of their supervision by the
government presents many difficulties.
BY those who favor such supervision it
is claimed that railways are public high
ways and are owned by the public.
This being admitted, it is argued that
railway corporations have no right to
charge for transporting freight and pas
sengers any more than will afford "a rea
sonable profit on the money invested
after paying expenses. The corpora
lions claim that they own the property
which they control and have a right to
charge whatever rates they please. A
week or so ago Mr.. Albert Fink sub
mitted to the public an elaborate state
ment of the earnings OF railroads, and
asserted that their charges were by no
means extortionate. To this Judge Jere
S. Black, who occupies the position of a
leader in the discussion OF this railway
question, replied. His points are SO
succinctly stated and, if correct, show
the profits of some Of the roads to be so
immense, that We give few OF them.
He says:
81. The through rates are the lowest
that are anywhere charged, and those
rates are now, from Chicago to New
York, IS cents per hundred weight, or 81
per ton.
bic experts taken by the Hepburn com
mitee leaves no room to doubt that IL
cents per hundred weight makes them
profit, though perhaps not large
"3. But the four great trunk lines
have confederated themselves together
| and combined to charge an excess OF
| fifteen cents per hundred weight, OF
three dollars per ton above the highest
rate which law or justice authorizes.
"a. If the facts and calculations OF
the congressional committees are to be
credited, an advance of only five cents
per hundred weight would be equal tt
an additional tax of $75,000,0OO on the
whole agricultural crop of 1880, and tit
teen cents by simple arithmetic is S2S5,
600, 600.
"5. believe, though Of course | can
not be sure, that the transportation, OF
| the crops does not constitute more thai
third of the whole business done OF
| the through railroads; therefore w
| multiply 1885, 0a0, 600 by three to lint
| what the excess amounts to. Ihe re
suit is $875, 000,0 900, sum simply ap
pailing..
much Is the local freight on the throug
| lines and on the shorter branches. 1t 1
probably much less than the long hauls
/! but the excuses are propOrtiOnably s
much greater that it seems fair to adj
at least another $sa5,0oe,eoa on tina
ACCOUNT
The figures presented by Judge Blacl
are startling, and are calculated to al
rest the attention Of thinking men. A
the great lines, as a rule, pool their earn
ings and thus avoid competition, 1t
evident they have the great industria
interests of the country in their GRASP
This being the case it is apparent tina
the gravity and Importance OF the qnes
ton relative to government coptfoi =.
great Interstate railways can hardi
be Oyerestimated.