Middletown transcript., 1891-05-14
Letter nom ). A. b. Dilworth.
NEW YORK. Nav 10th,

NEW YORK, May lUtn.
The cheerful news conveyed to me
| by your last issue, that the Pennsyl-
vania railroad failed to dictate terms
to the Delaware Legislature in regard
| to the $500, 900 mortgage held on the
| D. M. & v. road, was received with
great pleasure. I do say tall honors"
to those gentlemen who voted against
accepting the offer Of the railroad peo-
pie in the matter. 1t may possibly be
that the railroad may default in their
interest and the road may be sold
under foreclosure, and the State COM
PEELED to buy it. If may be permit
ted to use an expression somewhat
similar to an Irish bull, I should say
that this would prove most fortunate
calamity. The more that I investi-
gate the railroad system of Delaware,
the more do become convinced that
the railroads of Delaware should be
operated for the people, by the people
and all the profits accruing from the
transportations of the products of the
soil Of Delaware should accrue to the
entire people, and not to individuals to
whom has been granted a valuable
franchise.
The more that I have studied the
operations Of the Pennsylvania rail-
road in that State, the more thorough
| ly am convinced that it has been hor-
rible mismanagement. I simply do
not believe them when they make the
statement that the railroads have been
improbable to them, although I am
willing to accede that possibly they
may not have been profitable. But
they have never developed. or attempt
ed to develop the productions of crops
in Delaware. They have simply throt-
tied production. Years ago the Presi-
dent of the Philadelphia, Wilmington
q Baltimore company, acting in con-
cert with the management of the
Pennsylvania railroad land doubtless
after consultation with them) deliber-
ately informed committee of Della
warean peach growers, that the rail-
road company would not accede to
their request to lessen the tariff on
the transportation of peaches, because
in that event, Delaware would grow
too many peaches, and they would
have to furnish extraordinary facili-
ties for their transportation of peaches
which lasts only for short season,
and be compelled to accumulate
large amount of railroad furniture that
would be practically useless for other
seasons of the year." In one of his
happy moods, Mr.. Hinckley jocosely
said, " if we should consent to carry
peaches at the same price we are will
ing to carry potatoes, the Delawarean
would grow all peaches and no pota-
toes, +" but the railroad tariff on pota-
toes was then much too high even for |
peaches. Now, this has undoubtedly |
been the policy of the railroads. Why
it should be am utterly unable to
understand. But they have never
fixed tariff rates at prices that would |
invite the cultivation Of any of Della
wares products. Excepting those |
that command very high prices. such
as small fruits and peaches, it has |
been almost impossible for Della war
cans to get freights on their produc-
tions when the markets have been |
fairly supplied with fruit and vege-
tables. And in regard to fruit freight |
and charges their rates have been in
variably higher than the rates offered |
to sections of the country further |
South. The freight on almost any Of !
the productions of Delaware are great
er from any station along the Della
ware railroad than they are from sta
tions along the Delaware & Dorchester |
roads, and from the Crisfield, which is
on what is now a branch Of the New
York, Philadelphia and Norfolk Rail-
road. have not figures to give just |
within my reach, but should the state
ment be doubted by anybody, and that |
body will be unable to investigate for
himself, or unwilling, will cheerfully
prove to him my statement.
The cost of shipping eggs from Girls
field to New York is about 25 per cent.
less than shipping from Bridgeville to
New York, and yet Crisfield is on a
branch road. perhaps fifty miles further
south than Bridgeville.
So long as the plan Of management
Of the railroad system of Delaware
that now exists is followed, railroads
can be nothing but a calamity. be-
lieve that it has been said by a wise
and thoughtful economist that the
natural wages of producer are just
that which is necessary to keep his
body and soul together, and all that he
produces over that amount belongs to
the men who have too much sense to
produce. I do not know as they have
put it in quite such forcible language,
or rather, embellished language that l
have used, but their meaning is about
the same. That is, undoubtedly, what
the producer Of Delaware gets now.
The next calamitous stage beyond that
is starvation, and certainly no man in
Delaware, endowed with ordinary rea-
son can be convinced that without
railroads people would starve to death.
1t does appear to me that any
change in the railroad system would |
be for the better, because it cannot
possibly be for the worse. What Della
ware requires most is, that her lands
may be turned into the cultivation of
those products which cannot be pro-
duced in competition with her in
other sections with less resistance or
expense. Such is not the case with
the wheat crop. The bonanza farm
ing of the great Northwest has reduc-
ed the cost Of production there to that
point as to make it utterly impossible
for Delaware ever to produce profit
able wheat crop save when there is a
great failure of the wheat crop in some
great wheat producing section Of the
world, where the decrease in produc-
ti0n runs into the hundred millions of
bushels. And the same may be said
of corn. For some cause or another,
oats have ceased to be profitable in
Delaware, from the fact that it is ini-
possible to make oats crops there.
What is left then for the State to
produce ? She can produce magnif-
cent fruit crops, potatoes, beets, car
rots, turnips and, indeed, almost any
vegetable that can be grown successful
ly anywhere in America. Already, as
a fruit-producing section, she is thor
oughly advertised over the civilized
world. Her fruits and her vegetables
she can produce in competition with
any part of the globe. But when Ger
many, Holland and Scotland, which
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