Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-08-25


II is stated that even such delay In ship
ment aud such annoyance as railway can
intlict ON a business man not IN favor is at |
times sufficient to cause his bankruptcy, |
All this involves immenso waste OF economic l
resources Talent In business, accumulation |
of capital In various iorms and organ izstions
extending over u wide area all OF which |
ought To- have been a blessing to the labor
ing population aud the entire country, are |
snnihiated. The best known example is the
Standard Oh company. II received IA al
ready stated, SIC, o,o00.Ooo in eighteen months
in rebates. II 1t had done business at what
would have been cost tor others, 1t would still
have had that enormous sum as profit. II II
had transacted its business at such terms rs
would have involved a loss Of SAO,N,ON for |
others ou the same amount OF business, there
would still have been an equal SUN for dis
ribution anoug the members OF the /
company. Ii - a matter of course that |
us competitors were ruined aud idle
isctories old pipe lines no longer
used anu business wrecks throughout the |
country give evidence of enormous ecouo-
mic waste IL Is not to the point to urge that
the quality Of oil has been Improving, and
that the price utoil has been declining, any
more than 1t is to the point to urge tue alleged
chiyalry ot the Italian brigands AS u ptea for
highway robbery. Doubtless the managers
oithis iscompany have not been altogether blind
10 their permanent interests aud may have
given the public some ot the advantages OF
improvements in oil production, while the
enormous increased supply ot oil was such
as Ia iorce down prices II the oil was To be
disposed oi. 1t is wcll-known fact that
millions of barrels lit reservoirs have been
held from the market in order to raise prices
Furthermore, it Is worthy OF notice that Rus
sian petroleum is now a competitor oi Amer
can petroleum, although the crude Rus
sian oil contains only thirty per contum
of refined oil, while the American con-
taius eighty per ceutum. lt must be ad-
nlitted that there arc at tunes savings in
the transactions of business by a mOuopr
~, but when these are desired 1t is essential
that this line of business should be made
public undertaking, in order that 1t may be
regulated, and that the entire public may
participate III all these advantages. What
We have 10 look Mt in this is the ruin of men
engaged i'll honorable and legitimate bust.
ness. These men form part OF the common
wealth, and the body cannot thrive when its
members are IN q diseased condition. Ii
must be inquired, what would be the logi.
cal outcome of the extension of sucn
methods?
IN FAVOR OF OUR RAILWAYS.
There are many things which tho railway
advocate will urge in favor of our railways.
He will endeavor to show that rates
are lower In America than in Europe
but there are three things he will fail
| TO mention in his comparison. First our
l. railways have been built at low cost
| owing TO inferior quality OF construction, aud
| sill moro owing to the Cheapness OF right of
| way-oiten, indeed, costing nothng--in a
| new country, and to the level and otherwise
| favorable surface of our country. If we esti-
| mate the average cost of our railways at $50
900 per mile, 1t is generous figure, whereas
the European railways with which Compari-
/ son Is made will probably average $4,000
4 per mile. Second, no attention will be paid
| to the fact that terminal charges constitute
| large part of freight expenses, and that these
| are lower with US per mile on account OF our
| long distances Third, you will not be in
| formed that quality of service is a vital ele-
l ment in reasonable pb What
| bility IS there that your freight will be
shipped promptly, that 1t will move rapidly,
| and that 1t will arrive in safety? What per-
l!centsge of freight is injured or destroyed in
IA country like Germany, and what in Amer
i ica2
L Comparisons are difficult in freight charges;
/ IN passenger charges easy. No one disputes
that charges for passenger service are far
higher III America, and there can scarcely be
| doubt that, when all elements are properly
| considered, freight charges will be found rel
| aulely lower elsewhere, and particularly in
Belgium and Germany. The charges now
Eunder consideration are the rates for the or
binary average shipper between two average
points.
After all, the vital question in the compare
son is whether rates "a low as they ought
to be with u.s. and the enormous waste in our
| methods shows that they cannot he.
l. But the question OF low rates is a minor
| one Ihe low rates which We do enjoy are
| not inirequently established at the expense
| is cause Tor regret when people do not obtain
| a return on legitimate investments. I'm
| less we are nation OF paupers, we desire
| those TO receive return who invest their
means in railways Are they not part OF
| the commonwealth? And do we not desire
| the prosperity of the commonwealth?
| Snll more vital is the question OF eco
nomc liberty, which, our first article has
abundantly shown, ID involved in the prob
| lem OF the railway equally vital are good
morals and political integrity.
1t has not been thought necessary to dwell
on the inestmable benefits which our rail-
| ways have brought US, for this is a too
I'famlliar topic. This new means of commu-
nication and transportation has added to the
| material resources OF the country, has
| brought man rear to his fellows in all parts
| OF the world, and has thus promoted bene-
hcent kind OF internationalism, while it has
| at the same time strengthened national bonds
1t has facilitated the spread of knowledge,
anG in many ways tended to the ethical
| elevation of the race We must regret that
its benetcent features and its ideal demo-
cratic character have not been still better
developed, while for the good it has brought
we should remember in profound gratitude
the devotion To the welfare OF humanity of
Watt, of Fulton, and of George Stephenson,
and of a long line of scientific Investigators
and discoyerers who preceded them and pre-
pared the way for them, and who since their
time have continued their labors. Many OF
these worked without hope of pecuniary re-
ward for the love of their kind These are
| our true heroes. TO our railway kings we
owe nothing. More than ample compensa-
| tlon have they received for such doubtful ser
Vices as they have rendered.