St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-07-19
The Railway AutOcracy.
PleaYune.

It is going to be a question o.
weight to the people of this nation,
to what extent ought restraint to be
put upon the autocratic power OF the
railway managers. We are not now
speaking of the watering Of stocks
and bonds, or Of the building and
bearing Of values, or Of the CONSOLE
dating Of roads, or Of the pooling, or
Of the cutting Of rates, or OF the dis
examinations. We refer solely to
the practical operation Of the road.
But, it will be said, the roads run,
no matter what the financial man
agement, and the public is served,
no matter if it is also oppressed.
Now that is a question.
Let us illustrate. Gen. Palmer
(of Palmer & Sullivan, of the Mexi-
can National Company, has built a
great ramifcation Of marrow gauge
roads in Colorado and Utah. He
was president Of the Denver and
Rio Grande Colorado and Of the
Denver and Rio Grande Western
UTAH. The Denver and Rio
Grande operates 1916 miles in Col
orado and New Mexico the Utah
connection operates 1858 miles, max
ing a total OF 1854 miles, and consti-
t11tes a through route to the Pacific
in connection with the Central Paci-
fic west Of Ogden and the Burling
ton and Atchison Roads east of
Denver. The Utah division was
planned with fifteen branches, and
a total mileage Of 2747 miles, with
$48,O 100000 stock and $48,0O0,000
bonds; we suppose the amounts is
sued are about $6,500,000 stock and
something above 100000 bonds.
It is leased to the Denver and Rio
Grande for thirty years, and under
the terms Of the lease Col. David G.
Dodge, of Denver, has the control
Of it. He was Palmer's General
Manager and Second Vice President
of the Denver and Rio Grande.
The Denver and Rio Grande has
out, we reckon, about $35, 100000
stock and 100000 bonds, total
$7O,OOO,O00. The two roads de
signed to form one SYSTEM conse-
quently involved about $84,000,000
investment, besides the general pub
lie convenience, and whatever in
iures the public must react on the
investment to its detriment.
Exactly why is it not material,
but Palmer resigned, and the COM
pany last year elected Frederick
Loveioy Of New York President.
He afterward removed General
Manager Dodge. The latter order
ed the employees of the Utah divi-
sion to obey him only, claiming
control under the lease. The courts
sustained him. Not a week has
passed for some time without excite
ment over this quarrel. So long as
it was in the courts, the public could
not complain much. According to
a special telegram from Denver to
Sundays Globe-Democrat Of st.
Louis, President Lovejoy ordered a
force Of men to the frontier line be-
tween Utah and Colorado, and had
mile of track torn up on his own
side Of the line. The "Scenic
Route is consequently burst up.
There was train Of live stock COM
ing east just beyond ; it had to stop
at the first station west OF the line.
There are several considerations
involved in this fight. The country
through which the line runs is not
well settled, and the road has been
built in an anticipation Of growth.
It could barely earn it's living if well
worked fit is not well worked it
must go into bankruptcy. More
over, Col. Dodge may now combine
with the Burlington Road and build
a new connection between the Utah
line and Denver, in which case the
Colorado part Of the present system
must in self-defense build a new
connection through Utah ; here will
be- and ihexpected-a case Of par
alleling roods where one cannot
pay. S-Now he capitalists who in
dulge these Heaks expect sooner or
later to rd5oup themselves by
squeezing ~ ! public on freights and
fares; hencp lis altogether mat
ter Of the dAape1t, public concern.