The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-04-24

in its old-time fortress, the Penn
sylvania legislature. In arecent speech
before that body, he declared that the
iron and steel industry of Eastern Penn
sylvania is threatened with fatal de-
cline because the local rates on the
Pennsylvania railway system are so
much higher than the through rates
from the South and West that Penn
sylvania can not compete successfully
with the furnaces and mills of Alabama
and Illinois. Mr.. Carnegie expressed
the belief that the railroad company
could reduce its local rates oue-third
and still leave fair profit. He charged
the Pennsylvania Company with wrong
fully using the money of its stock
holders to prevent the building of
competing line in Southern Pennsyl-
vania, and in the history he gave of eff
forts to build such line strongly sub
stantated his charges. Mr.. Carnegie
further showed the Pennsylvania solons
that the Pennsylvania Company and
its confederate railroads and coal COM
binations had made their through rates
and distant prices on coke and coal, es-
pecially to Chicago, so much lower than
the local rates to Pittsburgh, for less
service, as to reduce the cost of pro-
ducton in the iron and steel industries
in Chicago to point lower than in
Pittsburgh or any other place in Penn
sylvania.
For the coal and iron substitute but
ter and beef, and Mr.. Carnegie's com
plant applies very directly to Vermont.
The farmers of this state, the manu-
facturers of beef and butter, are put to
a disadvantage in competing with west
ern beef and butter by reason of high
local rates of freight, similar in kind
and equally disastrous in consequences
to that which is gripping Pennsyl-
vania' manufacturers of iron and steel.
Dressed beef is freighted to the local
points of distribution and sold at rates
which render the growing of beef in
Vermont not simply an unremuner-
alive, but an absolutely disastrous,
business. Beef-raising in the state is
dead industry. With butter the case
is only less unsatisfactory. The situa-
ton has been often presented in these
columns. Vermont has many COM
panions in misery. There is little con-
ISOLATION in this fact, but there is en-
couragement when man like Mr.. Car
negie, himself representing firms that
employ II 200 laborers, and whose
monthly receipts from sales are greater
than the gross receipts of even the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, the
largest of the gigantic railroad corpo-
rations of this country-there is en-
enlargement when men of this stamp
stand up and demand that local indus
tries shall not be depressed or de-
stroyed by extortionate local rates of
freight.
The american Economist, speaking
of the conflict in Pennsylvania, after
describing the defeat, by the use of the
Pennsylvania Company's money, of the
scheme of competing line, says:
Now he appeals to the legislature to give
him, by law the low rates he sought to OBJ
tain by competition. He shows that the
state is threatened with decadence in each
| of its three sections-eastern, middle and
western unless it shall enact such a law
as will prevent the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company from sacrificing the local business
of its customers, in its effort to grasp dis
tant business through low rates, while it
holds local business at high rates through
its monopoly. This is like those fights be-
tween the barons in the seventeenth CEN
fury, through which the rights of the COM
mons emerged into being Baron Carnegie
| is a right valiant successor of the Bruces,
the Walaces and the Warwicks. His
scimiter is as keen as theirs it flashes as
quickly on provocation, and his retainers
are AS numerous. On the other hand, the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company is a re-
doubtable old fortress, over whose draw
bridge more of the warriors that assai il
have passed as prisoners than as conquer
ors. In such conflict will everything de-
pend upon guns, or will something depend
on the common conscience OF the people?
The abuses OF the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company's management have constituted a
chief motive in the minds of the people OF
the various states for the Indignation
against railway management generally
which has found national vent in the enact
ment Of that very interstate commerce act
from whose control the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company is, of all the trunk lines, the
most nearly exempt. 1t is like the noto'
rious worst boy in school cunning in
bringing punishment on its neighbors and
lucky in escaping itself The aggravations
growing out of its monopoly have tinged
even national legislation with socialstiC
remedies and theories There is a feeling
on the part Of many that this arises from the
too close and affectionate guarding, by the
Harrisburgh legislature, Of its monopoly
This feeling finds expression in the story
told while Thomas A. Scott was its presi
dent, that the standing formula by which
the Legislature adjourned was &c if Ton
Scott has no further business requiring
attention before this body it will now adj
journ." 1t is healthy sign when Andrew
Carnegie talks bnsiness 10 the LEGISLATURE %
Pennsylvania.
People familiar with the railway
history of Vermont and the existing
stains of its chief industries will fine