Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-01-29
1tauntoss SpectsSsox f,
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20. 1890.
Virginia Agriculture and Commerce.

NeVe virginia agriculture ana promote tns
commerce it sustains will not in the least
benefit those interests. We allude par
icularly to the proposition to create
Board of Railroad Commissioners. For
thirteen years we have had a Railroad Com
missioner with ample powers to regulate
and bring about correction of whatever
seeming or real conflict of interests there
might exist between the leading transpor-
furnishing the tonnage, and it has not
been demonstrated that Board Of three
Commissioners with the enlarged retinue OF
clerks and officials, and, consequently,
largely increased expenditure Necessarily
incurred in sustaining them, will be able
to accomplish more than the single con-
missioner now in office has done.
This proposition of a Board Of Commits
sioners brings up the enquiry-"What is it
that holds the prices of our staple products
down to the low standard of values now
prevailing throughout the countrJe" Low
prices are not confined to Virginia, nor is
the question here or elsewhere to be
solved, and the difficulty to be Iemedied,
by war upon railroads, which, it is ell
legged, must be waged to bring our agri
culture to its former prosperity. 1t is
repetition of the same old policy on a
larger scale-a policy which has simply
entailed upon the public an expense with
out compromising benefit
1t is an easy matter to create Offices and
to increase the charges upon The public
treasury, but the experience Of the people
especially as they have bad it in The
government under the Underwood Goa
stitution, and the tendency to find reiief in
carrying many burdens OF State and
County Governments, by creating more
offices and more office holders, should
serve as warning when the proportion is
made to create large ard expensive
Board of Railroad Commissioners upon =.
mistaken policy, based on the erroneous
conclusion that the railroads are oppress-
ing the people. There Is something very
singular in this idea. Every community,
which has not the benefit of railroad trans
portatiop, is anxious to have it, and Jet, 30
soon as the long desired benefit is obtained,
there are those who seek to make the
farming and commercial interests Of the
section dissatisfied with the result OF their
own efforts. Take any section of tie
country where railroads exist, and where
will you find the evidence of the oppreseiOR
which it is alleged generally exists. the
cost of transportation is much lower, the
speed much greater, and the advantages
generally vastly superior to all former
methods, in which the speed was loss end
the expense much greater; and SO likewise
with passenger service. Then where is
the hope that a great, expensive piece of
machinery is to bring relief to agriculture,
when that remedy will not only prove
cumbrous, but is actually destitute of even
the slightest influence in shaping the
political economy OF the country, whiol
alone eau grapple with the subject OF
raising the values of the soil products, not
only of Virginia, b. of our entire land?
We are no reformers, but firm believers
in the exercise Of practical business
methods in correcting wrongs, which may
occur in railroad management as well as IL
any other department of the public service,
And right here we will cite one instance OF
many such that have occurred of late, in
which the want of railroad accommodation
which had existed for many years though
We had railroad Commissioner, but 10
not know that he could, or ever tried to
remedy the matter, was promptly correct
ed on the plan we suggest. BurkeVilie,
the point where the Richmond aud Dan
vile and the Norfolk and Western lines
intersect, though affording previously cluse
connections between the two lines. Of late
years the public convenience to the travel
aud commerce of Richmond and Petersburg
and the large interior country was other
wise. The inconvenience was often re
ferred to, but still there was no relief
Finally the Richmond Chamber Of Com
merce investigated the matter, AID,
through its committee on .iniand com
merce," interviews were had with the
railroad managers, and the matter was i'm
lnedately righted. Nor did We obtain thu
: new and superior passenger aocomnQds-
tons and the fast mail service for Stanton
from the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad
through any State iufuerce so Ear as We
are aware of. B6kwe do know that The
City Council of Ssaunton and the Chamber
Of Commerce commenced and worked
away in efforts to secure these public bone
fits till they were accomplished. Thsy
might have come in time, but local effort
:, did not hurt; on the contrary, we think
the. arguments used aud the necessity
pointed out in relation to fast mail ser
vice on the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad,
comm encing in the Staunton Chamber OF
Commerce and backed up by the Rich
nlond Chamber we're justly estimated and
used by the railroad management with the
Post-office Department, where the conf
peasation for the increased mail se2vics
could only be obtained. Now here are in
stances Of relief obtained, and many mora
of the same kind could be cited, if neoes-
sary, in which the railroads esteemed the
interest of the communities as part Of
their own; and why should it be other
wise? The truth is simply this, even after
admitting that now and then there may
apparently be cases of hardship en- tho
part of railroad arrangements, bnt tahe
them, shy and large" they are, in afford
ing transportation and quiekeniDg all th@
industries of the country, the best friends
we have in that way. Whenever there is
clash of interests, as, in the nature Of
things, may occasionally occur, it can al
ways be righted, aud in bringing agencies
to bear for that purpose, We thiLk the
common sense and business judgment Of
l. I'll O.. H. l...i