The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-01-29
In RAILROAD
CHARGES.

When we compare the steady re-
duction that has followed the con-
solldstlon-of the great lines of rail-
way between East and West (Which
are but examples of rule that has
affected every great line in the Uni
ted States), with the prices of the
great staples moved upon them, in
the markets of Chicago or New
York, we shall see that the benefit
Of every great reduction in the rate
charged has been secured by both
producers and consumers of the pro-
ducts moved-lsrgely by producers
the reduction in the prices of lead
ing staples being much less than the
reduction in the cost of transporta-
ton. =
The New York Central s. Hudson
River Railroad being the principal
target at which all charges Of
alleged monopoly have been aimed,
and 1t also being in possession OF the
most level grade between Chicago
and the seabOard, let US now make a
comparison based up its charges in
1859 and 1879 respectively. but we
will apply their rate to the whole
distance from Chicago TO Boston, a
distance substantially of l 200 miles.
1t will be observed that the through
line constituting this thousand
miles consists of the Lake Shore,
New York Central, and Boston u
Albany Railroads. The actual
charge on the Lake Shore YVES lower
than on the Central; but on the Bos-
ton q Albany it was higher, because
the grades are heavier. The New
York Central rate is fair average
of the three parts of this line. AS
Stunning the through rate at the av-
erage on the New York Central &
Hudson River Railroad the cost of
moving Is tons of merchandise from
Chicago to Boston, ,0Q0 miles, wOuld
have been in the year 1869, $309.40;
in the year 1879, Sl02.70. Assuming
grain and meat at three-fifths the
average rate on all merchandise,
which is fair approximation, the
rates would have been in the Year
1869. S1S5.S4; in the year 1873, S6I.62.
The reduction in the railway
charge, computed i'll gold that has
been made since the panic Of 1873
that is to say, since January /, 1864
as compared to the average charge
from January !, 1866, to January 1.
1874, has been more than half cent
a ton a mile; as compared to the
four years January l, 1866, 10 Janu-
airy l, 1870, inclusive, the reduction
in gold has been fully one cent ton
a mile.
It cannot be too often repeated
that the railway and the steamship
have eliminated distance. The
Western farm and the Eastern
workshop, the Southern plantation
and the Northern factory have been
brought near each other, and in the
process the very lines Of railroad
that have been most profitable to
their owners are the specific lines
that have performed the largest ser
vice at the least cost to those who
use them. One days wages of a COM
mon mechanic in Massachusetts,
will pay the cost of moving his
years substance of bread and meat
one thousand miles, from Chicago
to Boston.
All commerce is an exchange of
services, and it may often happen
that he who makes the greatest for
tune works the greatest benefit
the community, whether he knows
it or not; and to this rule the great
railroad corporations, even if they
have no souls, form no exception.
The principal and most profitable
among them now do the largest
amount Of work for the community
at the lowest cost of any that are in
operation, and there is no other ele-
ment in the cost Of subsistence of
the whole people that has been so
much cheapened in the last ten or
twenty years, as the cost of railway
service.-Fro79 the "RGilrOGd and
Farmer" by EdWGTd Atkinson, in
The Journal Of the american Agri-
co,-