New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-28
RAILROADS. US. DEMAGOG UES.

When demagogues NEEDLE with public in
tcrest they are governed, not by desire 10
promote the public welfare, but by impotence
to get votes, rightly or wrongly. Consequently,
when they propose remedy it is apt to be
worse than the disease, and when they asSail n
real evil they are pretty sure to attack the
very features that are least Objectionable. This
has been exempliGed most clearly in the treat
ment Ivy demagogucs Of the transportation
problem. There is not single measure that
they have proposed that has not been calcu-
lated to iuiure the public far more than it
could benefit. La aiming their assaults chiefly
at the rates charged for transportation Of
freight, the demagoSues have attacked the
very feature of railroad management that Is
least censurable. In the report of the Com
missioner of Railroads of Ohio interesting
facts are given. which present the matter III
Il very strong light.
The report gives, what is hardly presented
in any other official report, a separate
statement of transportation Of freight for thr-
teen years within the State Of Ohio, with the
charge for such transportation, contrasted with
taxes paid for all purposes within the state
each year. The growth of traffic has been
marvellously rapid in 1881 1t was five times
as large as in 1869. The cost of tTaDspOrta-
ton has therefore increased, but by no means
in the same ratio in fact, it has much less
than doubled. Tle reason is that the rate
charged has decreased from 2,4I6 cents per
ton per mile in 1869 to only .915 Of one cent
per ton per mile in ISL. These are average
rates, too, for all freight, on all roads, short
distances as well rs long 1t is shown that on
l. final 1t Of
freight in 1881 was higher than the
average receipts by all roads in the State
Whereas the companies, all taken together
moved 739 million tons one mile III 1859,
charging for the service over SIS,OOO,OOO
they moved nearly 1852 million tons one
mile in 1881, ana charged for the service
less than $31, ZOO, 900. Nearly So per cent OF
the charge in 1869 has been taken off, and
vet there are demagOgues who are senselesS
enough to rall at grinding railroad monopo-
lies" lust as they did when the charges were
nearly three things as heavy.
II cannot be said that this result appears
only because rates in 1881 were exceptionally
low. The fact is that, as the official tables
show. the average charge was still lower both
in 1850 and 1879, and in the latter year was
onlv SO of one cent per ton per mlle-almost
exactly one-third of the rate in 1869. The m
crease of traffic has enabled the roads to make
this marvellous change, and i'll the fact that
the railroads have the strongest possible III
ducement to secure such an increase Of traffic
NV reducing charges, as fast as they can do so
wprtih HesOit protection for the public IL
tcrests infinitely stronger than any that the
most stringent law can supply. Ii Is not on
the side of cost of transportation that the
public most needs protection.
The official statistics show, moreover, that
the saving to the people, by reduction III rail-
road freight rates in Ohio alone, is more than
twice the entire sum paid in taxes OF all kinds
in that State. At the rates Of 1869 the freight
transportation within the State OF Ohio would
have cost last year $j6,3S4,50l more than 1t
actually did. But the whole amount paid in
faxes of all kinds in OHIO last year was only
1900. $3.50. \ reduction worth 9j6,OUO.0OO
in a single year has been made voluntarily by
the companies, while the State and local gov
crnmeuts in Ohio have increased the cost of
their services to the people over Pl,O0O,OO0.
This does not indicate that the railway service,
if conducted like other branches OF govern
mrnt. by politicians professedy for the benefit
of the people, would have been less expensive
or more helpful to them than it has been. In
fact. the self-intercst OF managers and owners,
who are anxious to get all the business that
they can for their roads, has benefited the
people by a reduction of about two-thirds in
the rate charged for services, while the poll
ticians for the services which they render,
charge the people ut higher rates than they did
thirteen years ago.