Milford chronicle., 1885-04-24

tOrial expresses what right-mindeC
people would have thought of the
Senate if it had done the fair thing
THE Legislature of 1885 adjourned
sine die last Friday evening. In an
other column we give a brief synop
sis Of the three hundred and forty
five bills passed. But the Legisla
ture will 90 down to posterity chiefly
noted for what it did not do. A small
minority, false to the trust confided
to them defeated the will ofthe party
that sent them there, and have sown
distrust and dissension in its ranks
that will bear bitter fruit in the fu-
ture. It failed to pass the amend
ments to the constitution endorsed
by the Governor, the party and the
people, and refused to give them the
power to hold a constitutional con-
vention. 1t did nothing to meet the
great evil of intemperance that is
spreading among us daily; nothing
to ease the burden of taxation that
bears so heavily on the laboring class
in our State; nothing to amend our
clumsy and iniquitous system oftax
collecting. No general laws were
passed to meet the evils of our sys-
tenn of special Legislation; they frit-
tered away their time laying out
roads dividing school districts ,incor-
porating tribes of Red Men, etc,
work that properly belongs to the
counties and the court; and last, but
not least, it established its right to
the title of "Divorce Mill" by pass
ing most of the petitions that were
presented to it,granting in every case,
we believe, the right to marry again,
and thus perpetuating one of the
most disgraceful blots on our legis-
lation. In short, it looks as though
in spite of the efforts of progressive |
and enlightened men, Bourbonism |
was triumphant. How long will the
people continue to pay for such work?
EsE popular idea is that competi-
ton is the soul of business. and in
sures to the community skill in man.
uRcturing economy in distributing
the products, and large saving to
the buyers. 1t would seem that this
is true in all business enterprises ex-
ccpt railroads, for the elements of
that business are entirely different
from all others. Railroading and
transportation Of any kind is not
manufacturing. 1t is so recognized
the world over, and laws for its gov
ernment are enacted entirely differ
ent from those governing ordinary
business enterprises.
The railroad is a permanent i'm.
movable fixture or plant, which can
not be moved from place to place,
or sold to the highest bidder should
its business prove Improbable. The :
exposure to which its plant is subject
renders it impossible ever to be in /
perfect working order, and therefore /
day by day it is undergoing expen- /
siye repairs. This requires large I
amount of capital to be invested in
the first place, and a large amount a
of profitable business to pay for n
He'd ing up the plant, n
!. ~, sS5S2mmunities recognize the val h
~ y lJSsilk oiirOads in increasing the val g
ction pqo lands, and sending their "
n E ON 'o oeeonp conn ieedily to market. Henes5Ti
to about 50, contiDUabbdlaf Bluff. NJ le and
Louis. shus his VIZ a isessIc i0r more sam
but the communities de- ara, .T
ring them are not wealthy enough y
, build and run them for themselves. chai
, they apply to capitalists in our man nad
lOney centers to build them for sun
ZEN. If the capitalist does SO, they ing MI
re IN honor bound to see that he E92 So9s
cts, at least, a fair rate of interest the
l his investment. Their lands are hi,ii tn3t
'eatly enhanced in value by the IA thrill
lities which the railroad Affords Faso F5s.
em, but if the capitalist charges TO To
ties of transportation which only The
'ver therunning expenses and yield to SIysi e.
m legal rate of interest he is de-
lmced as an eXtOrtionist or mo-
,polist. He has his money in the
ad, they reap all the benefits, and
cannot get away, the people fully The
llize it and forgetting all about SFS.i very
nor and equity set about inducing cham
lers to start rival road, which trate6
wing accomplished, they find them The The, St
YES worse off than before. dramr dram
When there is not enough of bust iosdi Pss.i
IS on any road to yield profit byF !:
pay its running expenses and give tratiol ns I
air intrest on the capital invested
re can be no encouragement to Bah
,italists to invest more of their snccee
ney in the enterprise and so give mss,i, la.lsis
lller and more frequent service, ana 81
h more luxurious accessories. In the ias'T pS Z
h case it must be evident folly The nj
invite competition. If such is writer,
ught about, it must be that those ,Hsby aRds
} invest in it, do so in the sinister olher'e
'e of tiring out the first parties, IS spa sifl
eventually making them sell
II interest at a great sacrifice: or The
making them buy out the second 10 pres IS
lies at a great profit to them. If Tss lSssei j.
er of these two things are done. 900, vi
ssults in there being but one road arst astf dni hu
efore, and the community is no Ram9sl mum sa
er of. 1t will indeed be worse. and Gi,f WI "a
luse the surviving road must and ~ .Ga dae II
recover its losses by increased month
s of transportation, or by greatly
iced service. If neither of the peoBia eYslI
Is will give in, and both find they should
doing losing business, they will Of pape ilg,s
bine, pool their traffic and econ sniRo,s sn4R w
sc their service, so that eventually Harriet
public is the loser. The proper eminent pTine n
Sc for those who are benefited by traveller
abroad TO nI1TCnn tn 0n oil in | rem fnfer