Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-01-31

lNorthw.s sern Lumbesman.l

fNoYshw4sse Lumbesman.l
The most popular cry of the times il
that against monopolies, and the alleged
notsOpoly that takes the seversst seof-
ing from popalar ciamor 10 that of he
railroad Against the practice OF rail
Rad, or any other corporations, when
they initiate thsir capital stock by water
ing, not too much can Be said. possibly:
and yet there Is a limit IN even this, As
in eases where earnings and dividends
have become such that extensions and
improvements are 10th necessary and
wise, and an increase Of capital by the
issue Of more stock becomes justifiabie.
Pot that il question Of management
within the company, that the public has
nothing to do with, unless IL can be
shown that an increase, or so-ca!led
watering of stock, means an added bur-
defa to tine patrons Of the road 10 freight
or passenger traffic charges What has
been the railroad record of the country
in this respect ! Have railroads in
creased or diminished the cots OF
transportation At this time We are
particularly concerned with Grain and
lumber freiehts, and will leave the pas
seneer business entirely DOT of the ques-
ton. The value obtained for farm
products years ago and nov. and the
value of lumber years ago and now
come in an incidental TO the question.
Taking grain freiQhts FIRST, We find
that in 1863 il cost 253 cents to carry a
busbel Of wheat frQm Chicago 70 New
York by lake and canal. - cents by lake
to Buffalo and thence TO New York b.
rail, and 42.6 ceuts by all rail between
the extreme points. In 1872 about IL .
same rates a. above prevailed on wheat
BY lake and canal, and by lake and rail,
bat the all rail rate had sunk from 42.6
in 1858 to X3.5 in 1872. The railroad
monopoly was beginning to bs felt. you
see In 1876 all ffeiQhts ratified down
below, ranging through the three meth
DDS Of carriage thus: 81, Ills and l6.5
New York. The railroad monopoly had
got in its work, not only in reducing
the cost Of tran sporting wheat from the
West to the East almost tW0-thirds In
eight years, bat al we'll in compelling
lake and canal rates to drop Correspond
ingly. Watering stock, extending lines
and floating securities did not sealn to
burden ths people very much with high
| OF freight charges. In 1882 1t cost 81
cents to carry bushel of wheat from
this city to New York By lake and
canal, 1913 BY lake and rail and l4.6 by
all rail.
The foregoing figures show that in
stead Of the growth OF railroad power
and wealth enhancing the cost of trans
portation it has most decidedly worked
| the other way. This has been accom-
plished while east and west roads we're
| multiplying, an enormous volume OF
stocks and bonds we're being fosted,
and pools-supposed to be the very
quintsssence Of monopoly-were being
formed to uphold freight rates. 1t il
strange that the granger and working
men Of the cities have not noted the
gradual oheapening of fretghts under
what they consider the crushing nonOp,
oily Of the railroads. go
| How has this decline in freight rates
affected the value of farm produce? Let
% recall little experience. After the
panic Of 1861, When the Wild cat banks
| IN Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa went uI
with an explosion, No. wheat in north
srn Illinois, which had bson selling fol
10 cents, dropped to 40, rejected selling
for much leas. During that year and
the years following it cost at least g
cents to ship bushel Of wheat fr II
ono Of the central northern counties OF
Illinois to New York. OF ooursl
all movement stopped, what
grain there was sold by the
farmers at 10 cents bushel, going into
elevator and waiting for higher price
or for the opening Of navigation. The
condition vas no better till the wal
broke out and the imitation of currency
and thS absence Of ye0Man from farms
at the front shortened production anC
raised prices. Alter the war and col
lapse Of things prices settled aga r
though not % low a. before the wa
But We find that freight rates wer,
Igraduaily declining, which had the @
fect Of raising the prices Of grain in tn
interior. Today, thOaQh prices hav'
dropped ths past summer, wheat is sell
ing in Kansas for Is cents y bushel. an(
more, whereas IL the freight rates d
1868 were yet in existence II would b
worth nothing at all. The change hi
been brOaght about ~ railroad mo
nop0ly. Granger is9islation has always
run a-muok at the railroads. II III,
farmers of the country had consulted
their own interests intelligently they
would have politically killed and buriet
every man who proposed law calcu
lated to hinder railroad construction
or hamper their unlimited spread ovel
the country.
Carrying the consideration a little
further, with reference TO this aQricul
tural class, compare the condition oil
the farmer before the era of railroads
and now. The following shows the
prices Of farm products in 1916 and
1882 in the State Of New York. W.
have to go East for comparison, be-
cause there were few farmers west Of
New York in 1Hl6. Of course It may
DO said that che Increased value Of pro-
duoe SINGS 1876 ID largely owing to she
vast multiplication Of population, and
the building ~ great cities. Very true
but our increase in population and the
growth Of great centers results from
railroad building. without railroads
New York, Philadelphia. Chicago AuG
81. Louis would have required 1000 year.
Instead Of from Ave TO ten decades T.
reach their present magnificent proper
tions. Railroads have made the Unitec
States country with 5000. 000 mouth,
70 commune the products Of tho farms
The comparisons referred to are M fol
l0Wn.