The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-08-29

Z that would not only be uultsst but woul
I If persisted in, destroy tfe Railrna
. C0Inpanies, for they, as llers cannC
aud Miil not carry on business for an
! long time without profit or the hope q
5 profit The trouble in Mississippi
: that We have no competition, afiectin
! any considerable portion of our con
z meree, buf wherever il exists, whethe
resulting from competing lines Of Raj
) ways-or Of Railways and water tram
E portafion-there Is no complaint of e1
: cessixe CHARGES. on til Mississippi
River, and the Bigbee 1.-THE latter opei
/ ating only during high waterD inter
state transportation Is 4 monopoly, an
! this is nearly as true Of interstate tran:
! portatton. Transportation or what
} called through or trunk lines, is unai
/. fected BY these rivers, for IN Mississippi
the Railroads do not intersect them; 0
if they do. each Road, 20 interseetinI
has monopoly of the transportation 4
and from the point of intersection.
If Just regulation can be made bl
Z which our people shall get the benefit
Of competitions, we will accomplish /:
great good. / think relief viii be founC
in the direction Of more near equaliza
ton of local and through rates Tn,
4 former are always monopoly rates-be
/ ing fixed entirely BY TIN asarest of til,
e.sFries--tAe latter, arc Nearly AWAY,
competitive rates, which are fixed By
the real cost and value of the work done
and they are nearly always just what
they should be; or would be so, if the
competing lines were not allowed on the
one hand to reooup t1eir losses sustained
in a war of rates by charging excessive
or monopoly rates on their local traic
or on the other to advance rates from
competitive points unreasonably by com
binations. There is no justice in afford
ing one community extra low rates al
expense of another community. On it.
face ii would seem fair and right that
freight on particular article should be
the same per mile ON every part of the
line, especially of lines like those in Missis
sippi, costing in construction and opera
ration about the same in their whole
length. Yet on a little reflection we
see that freight can be carried five hun
dred miles at a cheaper rate per mile
than for any lie distance. The cost
of loading and uni, a ling is just as
much for a olg ip as for a short
/ trip; and then there is the deten-
ton of local freight trains at the
various depots, and the nec6 ,ity for
freight stations and agents to acc0mmO-
date communities interested in short
/ hauls. 1t is but just and fair that com
pensation should be made for these in
! higher rates charged per mile than on
( longer hauls. But when this eOmpensa-
I ton is made, it is enough. That much
! is just, and ought TO be conceded; more
/ than this is injustice, and is an ex.urtion
from those who cannot help themselves,
and should be prevented by law. ia
I yor, therefore, regulation by statute
which will make the trough or competi-
{ tive rates the standard by which focal
rates shall be fixed, allowing in addition
+ L fair c9mpeE sdtion for the extra cost
4 Of short hauls, As above indicated. The
railroads cannot object to this with JUS
4 tice, and our people will get the benefit
/ Of competitive rates in their internal
/ traffic, over which the State has undis-
puted Jurisdiction. 1t will be said that
/ this traffic is insignificant, and this reg
u'ation will do no good. / answer that,
as / have conceded, if the legislature
deems 1t has power to do mOre-regu-
late directly charges on interstate traffic
let that also be done for what it is
worth. | only mean to say will not be
/ responcible for its efficiency. l answer
/ further, if the internal commerce of the
/ State be small, and so remains, the reg
/ ulation will do the Railroads no harm,
As it will affect so inconsiderable por-
/ ton OF their business; and such of our
/ people as are interested in that kind of
transportation will be benefited. If it
/ does not henifit more, It is because the
I power OF the State Is nos sufficient for q
more extended regulation. But | antici-
pate as an almost certain effect of this
/ regulation of internal traffic alone, either
/ that traffic will largely increase on ae-
count of this regulation. or that ship
ment tos and from the State of the I'd
and 3d class above noted, Gnter-State)
will be made at very reasonable rates
/ possibly both of these viii result. | now
explain why one or all of these will hap
pen; We have the Mississippi river on
our western boundry aud the Bigbee on
! the east. shall confirm nv illustration
to the former, though what is said of
that will apply to the latter, but in a
less degree. On the Mississippi river
composition is free, and if properly i'm,
proved by Congress, it viii afford the
cheapest transportation in the world
As things now are we get little benefit
frem this river. because in the main the
commerce of the State has no access tt
it except by wagon hauls and Railroad
transportation at high rates. Freigh
can't reach it except on such terms a
the Railroads will prescribe, and henc,
but little goes there. Fix the rates 5,
that freight can reach the river from an,
point in the State, at what is nov
through rates, or nearly 50; then, unles
. freight destined TO points outside of tn
State shall be carried all the way througl
at about the same it will cost to carry i
! to the Mississippi river, thence to tn
point of destination, it will 90 By tn
Mississippi river route. A Railroa
having this freight, rather than lose it
| tranporiational the way through, will Q
r course regulate its charges by this con
peting line; and the same will apply t
: freigat coming into the State And j
d this way we regulate rates of inter-Stat
/ transportation, indirectly it is true, bu
effectively, by forcing a competitio
t with the river. The same thing wi
r happen in relation TO the Bigbee and til
. cities on it. This regulation will als
; seerre to the people cheap intern,
2 transportation by affording easy an
n cheap facilities for reaching such poin
!, as Meridian, Corinth, Grenada an
jackson, land very soon West Point an
Starkville,) which have no rivers, bl
!, which have competing lines of railway
: The regulation securing cheap rates
!. points where there IS competition |
!, rail or water, practically gives eyei
7 point on any Railroad in Mississippi Il
advantages Of competitive rates as pa
: at the competing points, with only Il
! small charge necessary 10 reach theI
: added.
: So oIthiak il IS clear this regulation
e internal commerce. over which d
ln power IS undispnted, win not only gi
It us cheap rates on that kind of trait
i bnt also on the more extensive and il
Is pertant traffic called interstate col
AZ meree. The regulation would also
ce crease largely our internal CONNER,
n As rates now exist. there il practical
Of no commercial intercourse between q
l. part Of the State and another. Corn
AT worth less to day in Monroe Al
IL Lowndes and other prairie counties ii
ed in st. Lous. yet all the corn sold in W
le. and central Mississippi eomes from /
,ai Northwest Local charges are 50 hi
bv that the abundance in one part of /
on State can't be used to supply want
~ aHother. Wagons, plows. furniture 4
N other implements made in Holly Sprin
on Water Valley, Meridian, jackson 3
e. other places can't be distributed 20 c
sumers to any great extent, because
mi cheaper rates allow done those made
ses ether States give them the advanta
er- The present system is a direct premf
IT to manufactures in other States
ID against our own, hence manufactures
nd not flourish but languish here.
Is The effect would also BE 10 incre
no internal transportation by building
nd our own towns and cities At pres
Ich railroad run ~, not to, our cities.
Of bale Of cotton destined for exportat
has at Sew Orleans cant be stopped NJ
or once put on the cars at any city In
nd sissippi, because. by the system of b
- Ill i