The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-23

question at the present time, no conven-
tion of any party having adopted II. and
all men, no matter what their political
faith may be, should join in the protest
against its passage as inimical TO free ex-
ercise of the franchise. Il. l.. CANNON.
what New England Has Done.
TO the Editor Of the Proriience Nelcs:
SIR: At the hearing on Friday last be-
fore the committee of the city government
TO consider the question of endorsing the
bonds of the u. & ;. X. r., there was one
and which in justice TO the ~ Y. q n T..
II. X. Co., should be understood by the
public.
1t is probably not generally known that
the y. Y. 81 y. Il. X. X. Coz, has been the
means of saving the people of Providence
and vicinity over two million dollars on
one line of business in the last thirteen
years, aud at this time il is but tair that
the public should know just how this has
been done.
Previous to the opening of the n. Y. g.
n. h. X. X. in 1878, for western freight,
nearly all of this business came TO Provi
dence over the Il. g. w. r. r.; at that
time and for several years previous, the
p. q w. road was and had been charging
what is called in transportation phraseol-
ogy, ian arbitrary" of 81. 90 per ton on all
western freight coming TO Providence and
vicinity over it's line this arbitrary
charge was in addition to the through
rate, making the rate to Providence SLIGO
per ton more than TO Boston, Worcester
and other New England points, thereby
not only putting Providence business at a
great disadvantage but making every con-
sumer land all persons are consumers
pay at the rate of Sl00 per ton more for
all the principal articles of consumption
than was paid by those living in other
localities
This means 10 cents on avery barraI of
flour, % cents on every bale of cotton, 5
cents on every 100 pounds of meat, butter,
lard, cheese, etc
In ISIS the volume of this freight COM
ng TO Providence and vicinity was over
1OOOOO tons per annum, and at the present
time, as near as can be estimated. it con-
siderably exceeds 100000 tons per annum,
a saving OF 81 per ton on this business for
the past thirteen years, means saving, at
the lowest estimate, of over 100000.
The New York and New England Rail
road Company during this time has
effected saving of this amount by open
ing its line for western business and max
ing the same rates to Providence as were
made to Boston by other lines.
At first il would appear by this state
ment that the corporation must have been
the means of reducing the revenue of the
H. &W. X. X. an amount equal to the
amount saved to the citizens of Provi-
dence. This, however, is not the fact, as
the p. W. X. X. still gets its arbitrary, but
instead of its being added to the through
rate as formerly, it is now taken out of
the through rate or, in other words, il is
paid by the trunk lines west of Worcester
instead of by the consumers in Providence.
Hence this competition, il it has been un-
favorable to any railroad property, has
been unfavorable co the western trunk
lines, while il has been a very great bene-
fit to the Il. q w. X. X. because the high
er rate was detrimental to the business in
terests of Providence and continuation
of this policy would have resulted i'm
partial stagnation of the business upon
which this community is largely depend
ent for its prosperity and from which the
II. & w. X. X. derives large part of its
revenue.
IL the New York and New England
Railroad had not made this reduction
there is no probability that il would have
been made up TO the present time, as the
New York and New England Railroad
and the Providence and Worcester Rail
read are the only roads bringing this
western freight to Providence in any con
siderable quantity; neither was it neces-
sary in 1878, when the New York and New
England Railroad opened its line for west
ern business, that IL should make "a lower
rate than that of the Providence and
Worcester Railroad, as it would have Sc
cured its proportion OF the business upon
an even rate, whether il was one dollar or
five dollars per ton more than to other
points. What then was the motive which
induced the New York and New England
Railroad TO cut the western rates TO Provi-
dence?
The writer was present at meeting of
the officers of the New York and New
England Railroad when this question was
under discussion, and when 10 was de.
cdcd, and the unanimous expression of
all present was that IL was not fair TO
Providence, the second city Of New Eng
lu,. h.. f.f ali NFu nj
and that, regardless of the result, the
New York and New England Railroad
would at once take steps TO place Provf-
dence on the same footing as the most
favored city Of New England.
All railroads are supposed TO benefit the
communities they serve but IL is extreme
ly doubtful IL any railroad can point TO
any one act which has resulted in so large
n saving TO any city rs this one act of
the y. y. Il y. T.. II. II. has TO the city OF
Providence Nor is this the only benefit
Providence has derived through this road
Previous TO its entrance into this city
there were practically four roads leading
out OF the city i'm four different directions.
neither of which came in competition
with any of the others and each had
practical monopoly of its own territory
Tho \. Y. x y. L.. soon after it entered
Providence became the competitor OF all
the Others to such an extent that when the
representatives of the other roads came to-
gcthcr In their private meetings they dub
the ~ Y. * y. r.. "Ihe common enemy"
III the y. Y. * y. Il. Is the common enemy
IL is because IL prevents the other roads
from charging the citizens of -Prnxidnnce-
exhorbitant prices for their services, there
fore the ". Y. x y. T.. must be the com
mon friend of Providence and the only
common friend upon which her citizens
can rely.
This road is financially poor and its
traffic Is small compared TO that of some
other roads, but IL is n sufficient factor in