Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-09-05
RAILROAD REFORMS.
The Present Tendency Toward Con
soIidatIoB.
We Need improvement IN Administration
ths Present One Being Too Dsspotio.


six great companies Of France have alb.
a0rbcd forty-eight companies. When the
New York Central railway was formed In
1868, II consisted Of union Of eleven
railways u takes twenty-five pages In
P0or's Manual Of railroads for ] 5s5 merely
10 give a list VI railways In the United
States which have been merged In other
lines. This shows In marked manner the
tendency toward consolidation. There In
no exception. II N a phenomenon com
mon TO ALL
When the number Of railroads has been
neodleealy great, there Ii n correspond
ingly Increased capital on which diyi-
denda must be earned, II those unnocoa-
sary lines are 10 be remuncratiye enter.
prisca, II IN easier 10 SOS the legitimate
outcome Of useless railroads In older
countries, where railroad development
\ has nearly reached In conclusion Eng
land 10 an example, and IL lisa we'll aBcer-
tanned fact that the regular effect Of at
tompts AZ railroad competition In England
has been an ultimate increase Of charges,
| By means OF combination aud cOncen.
tratl0n Of railroad property the railroad
| bnaln0ha Of the country can be conducted
| most effectively, ~ ls an Improvement
In economic methods Of large proportions.
The experience OF the world has demon.
htratod this 80 conclusiyely'that II admits
0i no doubt, aud very little reflection
on the nature Of the economic functions
OF the railroad Will render II clear 10 the
reader When the general public and the
press resist this tendency, or cry out In
childish indignation because Mr. Wander
bit bought the West Shore railroad In the
interest Vf the Now York Central & llud-
son River railrond, they are more foolish
than lab0Tug men who resist the intro.
duotlon Of new and Improved machinery.
The latter have Al least the excuse that
changed methods Of production often Oc.
oaslOn the blttcreet distress, and injure
permanently some few laborlng men, and
| II ls hard 10 appreciate u permanent adj
vantage which must DO acquired by severe
| present suffering. The impulse to such
great economics IA can bG secured by
combination IN No strong AZ To DO irrOslst-
lblo, II In ono of those forces which over.
whelm tho man who puts himself against
them, though they may be guided aud dl
roCted, viii one but put onc's self In the
stream aud move with T.,
George Stephenson, In the very begin.
ming Of ralrond construction, declared,
with wonderful insight into tho nature OF
| railroads, that there never would be com.
petition whore combination was possible;
and low years later Mr., james Morrl.
hon, one Of England'a wealthlcst NOR.
chants attempted to teach parliament the
same truth. In vain stock phrases about
Tree competition, the play " natural forces,
ana the like, blinded men. Experience,
however, At length demonstrated 10 80
Goncluslyely that IN 1879 even Mr. John
! Bright, eXtrem0et OF economic d0ctrin.
aires, no longer objected 10 the establish.
ment Of railroad commission In this
country railroads have managed their own
anRlra 80 poorly that ihoy ara now clam.
ofing Tor legislation TO protect them
selves from one another. When nm
English parliamentary commission aftor
prolnctod Inquiry abandons an eco.
monte theory which had long been one of
the most cherished Buporstitona of
Engllah thought, and deolarea that "no
means have yet been devised by which
competition can be permanently main
talned, " and whom American railroad dl.
roctora r0nounGo their most valued tradl.
ton, aud pronounce competition failure
IN railroad management, II IN time to nc.
oopt the lesson long ago taught by tho
worry nature OF railroads, and look 10
some other force than free competition
for dtllyornnce from tho abuses OF rail.
rohd power The iirat conclusion TO ho
borue In mind in discussion Of rome
dies Is thlsi The tendency of rnil.
roads toward monopoly IN IN the long run
| irreslslblo.
| Tho second observation of a general ma.
tnro upon which omphasls must he laid Ia
this Competition IN railroads. Is not only
Impossible, but undt airAblc. IL Is the
proper husinosa OF each nation 10 devotion
most completely all national resourcos,
ana 10 promote thu spiritual, mental and
phyhioal welfare OF the people In tho most
eiuoloht manner, In this matter, as In
olhofH, duty knows no limit save that of
possibility, and whatever can be done
ought To be done. We, AZ people, must
not tolerate auah waste VI power az at.
tompts AT railroad competition Involve
We should ON the contrary, ondeayur 10
encourage the use OF the most improved
economic methods
Does II follow necessarily that railroads
aro to be owned aud managed hy Inc
slater No Public functions are some.
tlmoa delegated 70 bodies of oulxnns. Tho
collection of taxes ~ public AFFAIR, but
nom time lmmemorial governments have
SOLO certain sources oi revenue 10 private
parties, and allowed those 60 collect the
taxes aud derive whatever pront lhey
could from the operation who has moi
heard OF the farmers general In pre.reyo. !
lullonAry kranoeS
Messrs Vanderbilt AVID Jowett, Ia their
letter TO the Hepburn committee, very |
properly took the ground that the con. |
Nrueuon aud management of railroads /
are an AFFAIR OF the state, and that az rail. |
ROAD officials thoy were performing pub. /
10 functions which had heon committed |
Thoro are tive, and only two, alterna. /
uNes' we must regard our railroads |
these modern highways. an a public un. |
derlaNlng managed BY delegated author /
IVY, ana develop all the possibilities OF
mls thonghh or We must pass over To A
Ns'om OF state ownership aud control.
Inc present tendency In the doVelopment
OF American railroads Is 20 correct abuses
by recourse 80 the possibilities OF dele |
gated action, Something may be- done In
thla direction, aud perhaps France Is the
iend which can toaoh Us most ABOUT these
possibilities, The Idea that RAILWAYS are /
pubic highways seems 10 have aetuated |
legislators from tho beginning Of railroad /
construction IN France, Railroads have
consequently there been built according
70 wnh'denned plan, a persistent At 1
Tempt has been mate 10 subordinate thom
70 'he public interest By oareinl state 4
supervision, the evils ot competition have
lNf the mos, Part been avoided, and char.