Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-02-15
THE RAILROAD QUESTION
DEPENDENCY on EACH OTHER OF TRANS
PoRrATIoS AND PRODUCTION.
Decrease in Trsfic Rates the Great Econ
omy of the sge-Reduction in Rates
Oh the Union and Central Pacific.
From the Chicago Times

From the Chicago Times
There are now 115,0o0 miles of railway in the
United States, which, reduced 20 fair values and
excluding " watered stccks,' have cost, with their
equipment, more than 5000, 900. This sum is
than one tenth of the value Of the whole prop
erty Of the people of the United States including
private lands, and than one-fifth OF the whole
capital which the products of lab II have placed upon
the land. In 1881 the railroads employed in opera
ting the roads and in construction 600 goo persons
equal to a seventh part of the male adult popula-
ton of the United States In the same year they
paid out $3.50 000, GOO for wages and material These
figures show the
VERY GREAT RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF RAIL
WAY PROPERTY
In this coustry, and the vast demand for labor
which its service creates In 1881 the railroads Ct
the United States moved COO coo of freight
OF this tonnage more than nine-tenths was made
up of food, fuel and materials for shelter, commo-
dities in which the working people using that term
to distinguish the great body OF the people from
capitalists as class-have common and equal
interest as consumers. The uses and benefits of
the railroad in moving the products of the country
thus belong in the highest degree to the people in
common, and not to any privileged class. But the
fact does not need the proof which the classification
of railway tonnage affords. The relations of the
public with the railroads so general so constant,
and so intimate that all nstinctively perceive it.
Railway transportation enters closely into all bust
ness pursuits and into all the means and REQUIRE
ments Of living. Every mans interest and occupa-
ton are, more or less, directly concerned in it,
and the prosperity OF the whole people necessarily
and vitality bound up in this vast and omnpotent
agency.
THE GREAT PROGRESS AND INCREASE
In wealth of the United States since the close OF the
to-
watercourses of the continent, imperfect and in
sufficient of themselves, also failed to be coinc-
dent with the convenient routes of travel and
commerce TO the Atlantic seaports. The railroad
alone could be the means OF developing the i'm
mense aid fertile interiors OF the country The
increase in total exports OF the United States from
1870 to 1880 was SAB 600, 000 Three. fourths of
this increase was contributed by the products of
the Western States, includ ng the Pacific coas,
which were almost wholly dHe TO the construction
OF railroads within them, and made available by
the low cost of transportation to the seaboard
The railroad was, therefore, the agent by which
the balance of trade with the world was estab-
lished in our favor, thus enabling the Govern
ment to restore specie payments.
ANY MEASURE OF PROPOSED LEGISLATION
Affecting an interest SO vast and SO vital ought
to be considered only with the utmost caution
and on the fullest information Leaving out
of view the fact that rights of property
in railroads nyiolabe as those Of other kinds
of property and as fully entitled to protection by
the laws, the spirit in which the subject of reguat
ing railroads Is commonly considered is q mistake
from the standpoint of public interest The source
of public distrust-of this spirit of apparent an
tagonlsm which frequently and needlessly becomes
real antagonism lies mainly in the multitude of
changing aud conflicting interests which constantly
present difficult and complicated questions of tariff
adjustment, taxing the best abilities Of trained
minds, and the RESPONSIVENESS of railroad action on
which is not understood and appreciated by the
public
TIE REAL INTERESTS OF THE PUBLIC
And the railroads are to be found in harmony and
mutual prosperity. Railroad owners are well aware
that the only permanently profitable basis upon
which the railroads of the country can be operated
is that which Will insure far practicable even
handed justice to all concerned subject only to the
memorable laws of trade and finance.
All transportation is burden on commerce It's
best DEVELOPMENT Is found in the lowest possible
cost and charge for servceably aud effic emily NOV
ing the exchanges of commerce II the unrestricted
operation OF railroads by their owners promotes
rairoad-bulding, and shows marked tendency to
reduction IN rates while, on the other hand legs-
aton checks railroad building, impedes traffic devel
opmeut, and tends to maintain rates in proportion
as it laws down definite and restrictive regulations
it is so far plain that the public interest is best
served by the self government of the railroads
THE EXPERIENCE OF ALL RAILROADS
Is that reduction in rates comes gradually but surely
with increased traffic and production. The aggre.
gate sum saved by reduction in freight charges
(being SO much added to the nations wealthy for
the period between 1866 and 1882 largely in excess
OF the national debt at the close OF the war Ed
ward Atkinson, the well-known railroad statist
clan, computates the ference between the sum of
the gross freight earnings all the railroads in
the United States in $751; compared with what it
would have been had the rates of 1866 and 1859 been
charged, at SS25 600 000Sl00 000 900 than the
of the direct and indirect taxes imposed on the
peope in 1881 for national, state and municipal
revenues.
IN CONTRAST WITH THIS GRAND SUCCESS
Mr. Atkinson cites the utter failure of stare owner
ship of the railways in France, upon the testimony
of the French Minister OF Finance Leon Say, who
pronounces the State system of operating railways
in France to be an utter and complete failure; the
cost Of construction to be excessive; the service
poor the nation taxed heavily each year to make
up for the deficiency in earnings; and this decisn
cy, which short time ago small, is now annu-
ally increasing, because under the inefficient system
OF State management the cost OF operating the rail-
ways is eonstanting absorbing q larger and larger
share OF tie gross receipts from the traffic. while
the method OF appointment to the railway manage
ment has become potent cause Of corruption, and
is of the greatest dangers to the stability OF the
French Republic" Concluding the article from
which we quote, Mr. Atkinson says The people
e
well say to those who undertake to govern it by legs
lative enactments, Keep your meddlesome statutes
out of the way OF this great force, and OBJ
struct progress by your interference" All attempts
to prescribe or definitely
REGULATE RATES BY LEGISLATION
Have uniformly teen failures similar in kind -nota-
bly, in Fngland-and are found to introduce more
and more greater evils than those they as ume to
remedy. familiar instance the Iowa law, re-
pealed after two years trial, which stopped railroad
extensions in that State, retarded the growth OF the
State and checked the natural decline in tariff rates
by impeding traffic development
In previous articles the Times has given the data
of the reduction in transportation charges on the
trunk lines between Chicago and New York. twill
now be interesting to note the important reduction
in the average rates railways built and operated
under the peculiar and difficult conditions which OBJ.
tain on the trsnscontnental lines the Union Pacific
and Central Pacific.
THE FOLLOWING TABLES
Cover the operations OF the companies from 1872 to
1881. inclusive. The whole number of passengers
and the whole number of tons Of freight carried
each year are reduced to their equivalents carried
one mile The mileage includes main lines, consol-
dated lines, leased lines and branches The uTes
are compiled from Government documents pub
lished by the Department of the Interior aud from
Poors Manual OF Railroads"