Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-04-15


of commercial constitutions is in the direc-
ton of inharmony One of the Presidents
of the United States is credited with the
declaration that commerce makes all man
kind family of brothers, in which the
welfare of each member depends on that
of the Others This maxim followed
would not result in statements such as
have been made the past week before legis-
lat;ve committees TO the effect that the
weaker and more distant producers
are entitled to no consideration
that there IS no community OF
interest, except such is the result OF an ae-
cident of location; that no interior COM
peting points shall be recognized as such,
but shall be charged more for freight car
riagc than the chief terminus at San Fran
cisco bay, to the end that the merchants
there may control the trade of the Interior
and thus blot out entirely the independ-
ency of the interior jobber.
Mongredien's maxim is universal law
that governmental Interference with
the natural course of trade and industry is
mischievous Government goes ont Of its
depth whenever he declares, it ventures tC
! destroy one class of industry in order tC
rear another on its ruins. Instead of q
railroad being driven, by legislation, &c
inhict injury upon producers, and make in
equality more unequal, it should remain
as under normal conditions. 1t is as Prof
Perry once put it, " Il piece of capital, :
product, designated to lessen natural OBJ
structions to exchanges made by time, dis
lance and inequalities Of the earth's sur,
face"
1t is the general function of capital tC
facilitate production, but according to some
recent views in the testimony cited, it ap
pears to he conceived by some that ii.
function is only to facilitate production
where there is least need for aid. 1t is {
grand law of railroads that less and les,
needs to be charged TO each ton of freight
and to each passenger carried as eX
changes are multiplied, and to further
which the railroad is built as Il means
| Perry declares that the figures gathered by
| Edward Atkinson, puts this law beyond til,
reach of question. As for instance tina
between 1870 and 1879 the Lake Shore
and Michigan Southern Railroad increaseC
its freight traffic 202 per cent, decreased
its charge per ton per mile 81! per cent
from one cent and half to 81, and in
creased Its earnings from freight 22l pc
cent. So, in the period between 1869 anC
1879, the New York Central and Hudson
River Railroad increased It's freight traffic
2S9 per cent, and decreased its charge PEI
ton per mile 81 per cent from 23S cent
to .79), and increased its earnings 80 PEI
cent.
Notwithstanding much laundering il
management of railroads, as new things il
the world, and more laundering in all sort
of legislation concerning railroads, hostile
and favorable Perry concludes that they
illustrate better than anything else tn,
way in which capital in general works Il
increase the power and multiply the salts
factions of men. They have paid in tn,
lessened cost Of all products, he adds; il
the multiplication of exchanges Of every
name in the rise in the value of old lands
and the extension Of profitable cultivation
to new lands, and in manifold other way.
which need not now be told.
1t would seem therefore to be the choic,
of wisdom in legislation to avoid interior
encc with the natural course of trade, t
legisate in the interest of the broadest de
yelopment and exchange, and the mos
rapid multiplication of exchanges, since by
that increase i soonest effected the loves
possible attainable rates of carriage for cx
change Of products, and the most rapid up
building Of country to legislate TO aid
rather than obstruct railroading III over
coming natural obstacles and facilitating
production, and indeed, in the direction
where there is most need, if there is to be
any discrimination at all, as there must be