The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-09-16

1t is not unatural that the people
of New York and New Jersey should
regard with dislike thc Reading
Railroad consolidation, or that they
should welcome with exultaton the
Injunction granted by Chancellor
McGill, of New Jersey, upon lease
OF the Central Railroad of New Jersey.
New York City has long had the
great advantage of active railroad
competition, toge her with the larger
advantage Of free use of the Erie
Canal Philadelphia, meantime, has
been practically in bondage to sin
gle railroad company which possessed
a monopoly under which the com
merce Of the city could make no
headway. Both New York and New
Jersey for many years have been per.
mitted to buy coal taken from the
mines of Pennsylvania at less price
than were required of Philadelphians,
who live nearer to the coal mines and
who have a right to enjoy the bereht
of their position. That New York
City and the State of New Jersey
should be averse to surrendering the
advantages they have had in these
particulars cannot be complained of,
but it is equally unreasonable to
complain that Philadelphians should
try to obtain justice for themselves,
and should rejoice when the instru-
ment for obtaining it had been fash
ioned,
1t is safe to say that no event that
has happened for many years gave
more solid satisfaction to the com
mercial interests Of this city than the
extension of the power and the area
of control of the Reading Railroad
Company. That great enterprise
presented itself to Philadelphia, not
as combination for purpose of op-
preston and extortion, but as a pro-
ject which would at once relieve the
business Of the city from the tyranny
and hurt inflicted by the great cor
poration which hitherto had held
Philadelphia trade at its mercy.
This relief, in fact came at once. 1t
appeared in the substitution, by rail
way officials, of courteous solicitation
OF freights, for insolent indifference
in the quick settlement OF long de
layed claims: in the offer of increased
facilities for shipment and immediate
enlargement Of certain kinds of com
mercial operations, No Philadelphia
man not directly Interested in the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company
would be willing to return to the former
condition of things. The practically
universal feeling is that the city has
had a great deliverance, and that now
for the first time for many years
through the instrumentality Of the
Reading combination, the commercial
forces of Philadelphia have positive
assurance that they may operate un-
der conditions of fair play.
Thus Philadelphi ans do not wei
come Chancellor McGill's decision
and they do regard with feelings o
satisfaction the assurance that thu
power to break lease does not in
volve the ability to forbid coop
erative action, which will attain al
the purpose for which the lease was
arranged. They are not Indifferent
that the price of coal shall go up o
60 down; but they are much NOR,
deeply interested in having made
permanent a system which will sup
| ply them with fuel at prices lowe
than those that must be paid by con
sumers at a greater distance from
the coal mines. The Philadelphi;
manufacturer cannot be expected t.
mourn because his competitor il
Jersey City or New York must pa
more for fuel than he pays. Nor Cal
any citizen of this State find reason
for regretting that provisions hav'
been made for stopping the practice
of mining Pennsylvania coal at
loss. There is no reason, in moral
or in revealed religion why we shoui'
disembowel the State Of its minera
treasures for the purpose of supplying
to citizens of New York the best fue
in the world for less than its rea
value. These are some of the con
siderations which reconcile the peo
pie hereabouts to a consolidation o
railroads that has appeared yer,
grievous to some other persons.
The PHILADELPHIA Manufacturer
Sept. 8.