The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-05-13

Mr.. Robert Porter writes. an interesting
letter on English railways from Crewe in
which he describes the conduct and man
a5ement Of the London and Northwestern
Company. The employees Of this road
certainly have a hard lot compared with
those in this country. They arc over
worked and poorly paid. Tie hours they
arc compelled to putin are almost beyond
belief.
Not long since the train hands in Scot
land struck. With them it was not q
mere question whether the men should
work tity.six or fifty.seyen hours q week,
but whether they should be required TO
hang on at important duty till nature was
80 exhausted that they would fall asleep
elntching the handles Of the critical levers
on the accurate moving OF which the lives
Of hundreds Of travellers depend. AT one
Of the meetings Of the men an engine:
driver stated that in one week he worked
ninety.six hours, his Thursdays spell last
ing twenty.three and ope.halfhoars. A
pointmsn had 200 hours duty in a single
fortnight. A good guard iortwenty con-
secutiy g days had 800 working hours, or
an average Of eighteen hours a day.
In regard to the cost Of travelling and
freight charges 9lr. Porter says:
With the two exceptions Of Russia and
TnIkey We find railway travelling more ex-
nsnsiTe In Great Britain than in any other
EnIonean country. In the United States,
IiGe Russia. a shocking example OF pro-
taStien aud high.priccl travelling, the
svs,,,ee charge iper mile per passenger in
IsSs seoardless Of class was ZAP cents or
about lid English money as aguhss "
average charge per mile per passepE :. ~ ~
Great Britain Of lsd. Thus trayeling ~ ~
cheaper IN all the protected countries o.
Eurone Excepting Russia anu lnfkeyl
than in free-trade England, iact WIN
some subsequent facts about felgnt
charges which i trust our protecuon eui-
tors and orators will please remember
when the itee-traders begin 70 groan nex =
winter about the $l1 per ton duty on steei
rails which we have more than once hearu
makes travelling so much more expensive
aud ireights 90, much higher N the United
States than In iree-trade England. /,
When in London last week ! obtained
from Mr. j. S. Jeans; Secretary OF the
British Iron Trade Association and one Of
hest informed meniint the kingdom on tho
snoject Of railway, rates on iron and iron
making material, some valuable statistics
nm colnbaratiye English and foreign rail-.
way rates oifreight charges. Asummaty
Of Mr.. Jeans tables shows that the aver.
age English rates for iron ore compared
with the continental rates is about % per-
cent higher than that Of France; 81 per-
cent higher than that Of Germany and
LuxemberR, and 81 percent oil the general
average higher than continental countries
Itis nroner TO remar kNEith some regard to
iron ores thst the average distance over
which they are carried in France and
Germany Is considerably greater than In
England, With reference to the rates for
the transported pig iron from works to
norts. tho average aseeft4ined Tor Eagland
a $50 per ion. per mile, az compared with
.5Oa Tor France and .58d for Germany,
showing o higher average rate for England
Of not less than 40 percent IS compafed
with France aud 43 percent with Ger
MANY. The average EDgllsh rate for the
transport OF pig iron frona works 10 inland
markets ia shown to be /. Old per ton per
mile az compared with SOL for Germany
and .60d for France. The difference
against England being 102 percent as
compared with Germany and ,6S percent
with France. ,.,,st G5.9 III
With reference to the rates charged In
England for the transport Of finished iron
and steel it appears that the average Of
nine leading districts comes out as l ,06t
per ton, pGr mile from works TO ports
against SOD per ton per mile for France;
sid for Germany, and $3.50 for Belglum.
Eeing respectively 1906 and % percent
against England. The average OF the Eng:
lish rates Is higher than her continental
competitors 100 percent as compared with
France; 1l5 percent with Germapy and
so percent with Belgium. Tho French
rates, 1t is fair 10 state, do not usually In
c!ude small booking charge which may
reduce the percentage somewhat and the
average length o. d lead Is Of course greater
in France and Germany, but allowing Tor
all this we. find in free trade England In
spite Of tha starvation wages paid railway
e,HpI6y6s and tho hours OF work demand.
ed OF them, that rates Tor passengers and
freight charges are by no means 80 cheap
us free traders would have us imagine,
Mr.. Porter makes no comments on the
figures he gives, but commends them to all
who are inquirihg after truth in the mat
ter OF protection and free trade.