Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-10-30
SHORT HAUL BILLS.


Another chart lin Prof. Laughliu's political
uuy hit to silence the urdngor>, anti
and other sensational dcGli liners
against our railways, for therein we discover
that the profits OF railways in the United
States show gradual decline, those OF 1883
being i'm proportion to tons carried. just half
those of 1870. Ii would be interest tug to as
certain the aggregate Of the original cost of
all the railways in the United states not
merely the aggregate of present STOCKS ana I
bunds-but al that has been SUNK III bank
rupt roads, and sec what percentage present .
earnings bear to IL.
1t has been said that the net earnings of ,
railroads are less than two per cent of the
original cost. If this is the case it vii be
diilicuit to see where the labor interests
have grounds for a very serious com
plant against capital in the matter of
railroads. We admit that the formation
of great corporations should be carefully
scrutni2,d External Vigilance is the
price OF liberty But there need be no
fears of monopoly where there is Il fair
field for competition. And there Is scarce
Is railway in the land that does not nave
to contend against sharp competition from
.Othcr lines one viii carry for forty
another bids thrtN-iiyc, then it goes down
to thirty, tWenty-liNGHud 80 ON till ireightls
carried from Chicago to Boston for fifteen
cents a hundred, and passengers Tor twelve
dollars. The people certainly have
RIGHT to employ that common carrier that
Will work the cheapest, and tine price of
3D.
When the laburerS are few and the work
is great, wages will 20 up to a high figure,
but " hen there are many labUrcr, and not
an over abundance OF work, wages VIII lie
cOrrcspOndingly low. This is the great
law oil supply ana demand that has always
regulated the differences between capital
and labor. After all the mUraliZing, and
experimenting, and disputing, and con
/ tending, with strikes and rebellion, WAGES
will finally settle at the figure that ludl-
Gates the relation of the supply to the de
mand as surely as the depth of the water
/ in the lake indicates the true relation ri
/ the inflow to the outflow of the streams
connected witt it, Great corporations are
under the same law as individuals, and no
great corporation can operate long before
another equally great Will enter tne field
and lower the prices by competition.
| Herein lies the safety 81 the people.
/ one trunk line To the west WIS no sucucr
completed than another was projected.
and 50 Un until a half GOI'h great lines
are cOutcudiug for the business, making q
"raiirUau war; that brings q huuujtlu
harvest Of low rate for Iu' p.y,ur. Rae.
/ certainly can be no cause for alarm, tex 0.
never Will be possible tor oul. puc corpora
tiuu to control AL oi these greet iluc., at.'
other lines are being HUU,u. 80 fAat iu
people VIII have trtuSpur,,U .tu .lt.I cheap
er in the future than IN .!lc ugj il. iucl
rates are regulated 10y tine Hnuuui OF com
Iltlabi, IL IllSl l''lI'' t''' 90 - I''l' ~ '''
tempt to control them by t"-i-.dtN.cuac,
mculs How can You fin the wages Of Z
common carrier any more Than tldi o. lh'
farm IuDurer, or carpenter ana JpIhtl
The power Of the employer /" agree VIII
the cmpIoye upon price for certain
amount OF labor Is one oil our inherent
rights that cannot he taken away without
an injury To- our liberties. 'Ihc striker
tries to compel his employer 10 pay wages
greater than Is Indicated by the law o
, supply and demand: and the New \ ORE
merchant tries to raNuel the lines peNou'
3 Chicago To carry FOR snort distances a. the
same rate per lnLc that IT, pdid NrjNt' ,
New York ana Cnlrir-r Il tn,4 take y
senLcra To Chicago twelve nuu'hou m''v~
, for one cent per ml!r-tNeiNe dollars
they would compel tncm to carry non
Chicago to Geneva WcntN-ilye miles,
for one cent per mile. The short maui shal
+ have the same mileage rate as the Ion:
haul. Bills are before Congress, aud Stat,
- legislatures to compel the employc, Whci
| II Is IL rallrpau cOipprduOn, To Nufk 10
less wages than he would get undo
: the immutable law OF supply ana &c
nand As wen leGlslatc upon me pflc
, OF butter ana cheese, potatoes ana corn
e or any Other cOllhOullS. As wei Try u
regulate the Rise ana lall OF the tides D
- legislative PROVISIONS, as 10 TRY 10 cohtio
| the price Oh amy klnu OF IaDOr against IN
, great law OF supply and demand HON
n can You compel Il manufacturer To pa
/ Jones dollar Il day when Brown stand
1 ready TO Go the same WORK Tor hlll"l
Il cents And no more can you cohpe
h Jones To WORK Tor dollar when anuthc
e party stands ready To pay MN COLA
L ana quarter. 30, too, IL under the pres
?. IRE Oi extraordinary competition one {
If the trunk lines takes YOU to ChlcaG,
|. twelve hundred miles Tor Twelve collar
h ii does not follow that YOU nave right I
( compel another road, say the BurllnglO