Workmen's advocate., 1890-11-15

of Chicago had the following in its last issue;
 "The manifest destiny of railway property in this country ls toward con sohdalon. Oppressive legislation from the hostile temper of the people Is gradually forcing Such a result, and un- less this undergGe5 change 1t k safe tO predict that at no distant day the vari ous detached and Independent lines of railway, which are now the life of com. potion, will be forged into vast trans continental chains only limited in their extent by the boundaries of the conti- nrnt. This is diametricaIly opposed to the wishes and best interests of the peO pie, but their unreasonable antagOnlsm to interests with which they should really feel themselves closely identified, and whCi are in fact the mainstay of their ocial, political and financial wei fare, is fast defeating the very object of their attacks. Such defeat means more | than the mere consolidation of railway capital. It means a complete paralysis of healthIul competition, with all the advantages inurng therefrOm to the l pubic; 1t means a CurLalIment Tn eX- i penses which have been distributing ! among the people a large amount of 1 revenue; 1t means the stltling of indl- ! vdual effort and emulation of a vast army of railway officials and employees, and the concentration of such endeavOr Ill a few great generals whose diCtum | will be law unto itself subOrdlnatng | all others into the mere autOmatlCal parts of a great machine. The pOten. tiality of such undesirable results should be sufficient to awaken in the public mind alarm at the dangerous tendency of the times and to suggest the wisdom of desisting from further efforts to weaken railway interests by laws which have proven themselves futile and un- just. These laws have been inspired by popular clamor without due Considera- tlOn of their far-reaChing effects, It was expected from them that they would dwarf or at least control corporations which were already too large and power ful, but they have simply proven the means for aggravating the trouble. The weaker lines have been forced into warfares that have proven disastrous, and as q last resort are seeking the pro. lection of the stronger lines, which are forced to absorb them in order to keep their revenues intact
 In so far as the tendency of railway property to consolidation is concerned, the Rd'llcdy Age merely states a fact and therefore is correct. Again, in so far as the pubIlc outcry against railway despOtism has heretofore resulted in legislation which instead of preserving competition has promoted consolidation, the Railtr0y Age correctly also states a fact that we have repeatedly pointed out and commented upon. Two weeks ago, for instance, we observed in these columns that the public demand for government regulation had been met by an Interstate Commerce. law, which, ostenslbly enacted in the interest of the people, was actually indited by the attorneys of the great trunk lines in the interest of the Vanderbilts, the Jay Goulds, the lIuntingtons, and dozen other railway kings, who contemplate the consolidation of our whole railway system under one management. But, as to the effects of competition itself, the Raiilrdy Age is plainly mistaken and obviously illogical. The only argument in its favor that this mouthieCe of smalt r corporations can advance is, that "C0n. sOlidatiOn means a Curtailment in eX. penses which have been distributing among the people large amount of revenue'; in other words, that it means the suppression of a large number of agents, advertisers and intermediates that produce nothing at all, but live handsomely at the expense of the rail road industry. In order to pay these fellowS-aCtual bIoodsuCkers their large commissions (which, according to the statement of Auditor McNair previously referred to in these columns, amount to two hundred million dollars year, it is necessary for the railroads to levy a corresponding tax upon the pub lie. Should railway consolidation re. suit in ridding the people of such tax, it would therefore be a public benefit tc