Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-10
Territorial Rights.
Especial Telegram to the Globe

Special Telegram to the Globe.
CHICAGO, Dec. 9.-The Railroad Gazette,
In discussing the territorial question as
between the Chicago, Milwaukee & st.
Paul and the Omaha line, concludes as fol-
lows:
"We fully believe that the greatest econ
omy in railroad construction and opera
ton can be effected only by the exclusive
occupation of a given territory by a single
system, and by the close cooperation of
adjacent systems, and by a certain degree
of cooperation of all the systems OF a
country,s so that each line and part of a line
may do that, and only that, which it can
do best and cheapest. To be completely
effective, the railroads must be worked as
n system, and we have little doubt but
that, by successive steps, little by little.
going backwards at times, but on the
whole advancing, we shall approach the
ideal, and, if there shall be no radical leg
islation compelling great charges at once,
that while approaching this ideal of the
maximum of effectiveness and economy we
shall preserve many of the benefits Of the
individuality of separate lines and of COM
petition. But we shall not reach this
stage of a division of territory among sys-
TENS this year or next, or all at once, nor
without previous notifications of existing
systems, and probably with accompanying
legal restrictions and regulations. The
system now proposed is the French system,
minus the regulations which protect the
community. There the country is parceled
out among six great companies, and one
might not invade the territory of another.
But the companies with these great priv
leges were by nc means left to do as
they pleased with them. Besides the
lines which were sure to prove
profitable and which they wanted to build
they we're required to build in the aggre-
gate thousands of miles of road which they
did not want to build, and which would not
pay, and in great part do not pay yet.
Moreover the construction of their roads
and rolling stock and the accommodations
which they offer must conform strictly to
requirements established by the govern
ment and enforced by government officers
of the highest training and skill and devo-
ton to their duties, and they cannot make
any rate for transportation without first
submitting it to a cabinet minister and
receiving his approval.
None of the Northwestern railroad COM
panies wish to adopt the territorial divis-
ion of the French system in their own in
terest. They must expect to have other
leading features of that system forced
upon them in the public interest. In
France the railroads are regulated by an
authority almost as thoroughly informed
concerning railroad business as the man
ayers of the railroad companies them
selves, and very unlikely to do the COM
panies% injustice. In this country, if there
is regulation, it is quite likely to be
through demagogues, and almost certain
to be by lnsuficiently informed men, who,
with the best intentions, sometimes do
grave injustice. But we need not argue
the question. No one, much less the
Northwestern railroad managers, need to
have pointed out the dangers of the kind
of state regulation they are likely to have,
if they lead the people to think they need
any. They will certainly get plenty of it
if they attempt to limit the construction
of railroads in the territory which they
occupy.
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