The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-07-24
THE DALLAS HERALD, UNsDAY MO MING JULY "a 1.s,

suhs certatn CLASS VINO Affect to oppose rail.
roads, and the willingness OF our people to
contribute literally 10 secure the extension
OF this road TO Dallas, was signslly mani
tested, indeed ii was assumed by the press
and aseented to by the community.
Now there 10 hitch, oil is changed, and
Dallas 10 about 10 lo,e the road, and 1t will
DO secured by some one or more Of the
several places around and hesr us who are
bidding for 1t. II is but just 10 ourselves To
DO plain and truthful in such matters.
and the mind whose attention has been
directed to those subjects is warped
or clouded which does not perceive that
Dallas 10 being left behind in the race for the
first position rs q commercial center in north
Texas by number Of ether towns end citier,
any of which by superior vigilance and
energy, and public spirit unsllOyed with
personal gain can outstrip Dallas and secure
the great pri1, in store for that City which
becomes the commercial metropolis of the
vast and rich country which 10 TO be trib
utary 10 such commercial metropolis
Dallas has the advantage Of central position,
and 1t has thus lar secured to her precedence,
but In this very fact Is concealed her greatest
danger, for while 1t lulls Dallas into false
security and insctioD, 1t stimulates other ri
val communities. Efforts are now being made
by Fort Worth, Sherman, Plano and other
communities TO secure connection with this
system OF narrow gauge railroads, which TO
the honor of our state, ms we'll as to his own
great honor, may be said to have been
originated by distinguished citizen of Texas
and through his energy and perses erance is
now being pressed forward to grand accom-
plishment Note also the fact that other towns
not so far away as to prevent their drawing
TO them trade which should come to Dallas,
have already secured the narrow gauge rail-
road. Then, If Dallas fails to secure this
connection, We will have to contend with
rivals who have the narrow gauge roads, and
we cannot do so. The narrow gauge road
can carry for lower fares and freighls, be-
cause the cost OF construction is less, and the
cost of operating is loss than of broad gauge
roads. Where, then, the two systems meet
and compete for trade, the narrow gauge
forces tho broad gauge to level with its
prices. Broad gauge roads often fight each
other, sometimes bitterly, for time, but in
the end they compromise and combine upon
tariff of rates which, in the absence of com.
petition, they can fix At will and force upon
the people.
Between the broad gauge and the narrow
gauge combination IS impossible, Ms they
cannot use each Others tracks, therefore
whenever city secures both narrow gauge
and broad gauge roads, it is assured Of
healthy ana permanent competition, and
consequent cheap transportation.
The effect of this is to reduce the costs of
transportation of cotton, grain, or whatever
Is exported, and correspondiDgly to reduce
the costs of whstever is imported. In other
words 1t enhances the value of the products,
of labor and lessons the price of its surplus.
Trade will 20 where 1t can sell for the
highest, and buy ut the lowest priced.
This is the law its being, and it seeks il
as persistently and inevitably rs water aeeks
its level.
Tho carrier, too, will demand the highest
rates no can get, and competition is the only
check which the community has in its
power to put upon him, which is or can
be available in the struggle for CONNER,
cial ascendency. In one OF our neighborlng
states, at II town wherein railroads came into
with steamboats, (lhe town was
on the banks ola navigable river, the steam-
boats carried cotton to tho seaport at fifty
cents per bale; below the town and away
from competition, the steamboats, charged
ii 50 per bale.
just so will 1t DO In Dallas If we have only
broad gauge roads, sed other towns near us
have both broai and narrow gauge roads.
The broad gauge NJ Dallas will put up
freghts here to compensate them for the
reduction To which in othar pit,na nr tnuns