The record-union., 1894-05-05
THE RIGHT OF THE RAILROAD
TO REASONABLE RATES.

an elaborate review. with copious ex-
tracts, Of paper on the subject. "The
Right of the Railroad to Reasonable
Rates." It is of such profound interest.
is SC simple, lucid and convincing, and
goes so far to remove prejudice and de-
stroy some popular fallacies, that we trust
our readers will ali find time to read it.
Every fair mind, that above all things
wants to be at peace with itself, and de-
sires to know the exact truth, will seek
all means possible to inform itself and to
work the clearance of error from the
understanding. Mr.. Gerrit L. Lansing,
the author of the paper, appears to have
labored to produce document that will
serve the exact purpose Of making
most important branch of railway eco
nomics clear to the average mind, and to
present the truth with such fortification
of proofs as will convince everyone with
any sense of justice.
Several years ago Mr.. Lansing was
first known as an essayist in scientific
magazines and leading reviews. From
the first his papers attracted attention.
They were quite all related to the statis-
tics of railway economics and transporta-
ton problems. He appeared early to
have made these subjects the objects of
scholarly research and original method of
treatment. His papers soon came to be
recognized as standards free from preju-
dice, mere theoretical flights and vain
speculations. They were too practical,
strong and straightforward to inspire any
other feeling than that of profound re-
spect for their vigor, while their self
evident integrity inspired for them per-
feet trustfulness.
OF late years Mr.. Lansing has written
less for the reviews, but evidently he has
not In any respect abandoned his studies
of railway statistics. Lately he read a
paper before the Chit-Cha Club of San
Francisco, and it is this which we have
presented, in abridged form, in another
part of this issue, and to which we invite
the attention of our readers.
Having probably read all, or nearly all
the essays of Mr.. Lansing, we are pre-
pared to say that this is by all odds the
clearest he has produced, the simplest, ,and,
therefore, the most forcible. The diff
Guilty among writers on railway topics,
even where they are wholly free from
bias. and are actuated by spirit of per-
feet justice, is that they deal too largely
in the technical in expression, and as
sumo too much that their readers easily
comprehend the meaning of terms with
which the railway actuary is familiar,
and statements of economic propositions
with which as a matter Of fact only the
few who make such subjects studies have
proper comprehension.
In short, ii is simple truth that nine of
ten writer's in press or pamphlet upon
railroad questions either treat the subject
with the apparent belief that every one
understands on mere statement the tech-
nical propositions in which they indulge,
or else their expression is so colored by
prejudice on one side or the other that
the influence of the production as an edu-
cational factor is greatly lessened.
It is the common experience of men of
the world that the people when reading
on railway statistics more than half the
time abandon the task before one-quarter
finished. on the plea that the writer's con-
fuse them by their technical methods,
and weary them by failure to simplify
and make clear to the understanding
lines of reasoning that presuppose knowl-
edge and methods of thought not com-
mon. It has been the chief weakness of
railway literature that it has lacked in
simple methods of illustration. direct,
clsar and non-technical statements of
commercial and economic truths, and the
treatment of the involved questions OF
transportation and the relations of forces
and factors in the business of the COM
mon carrier in q manner easily under
standable by the masses.
As result, fully half Of all railroad
literature shoots over the heads of the
very people. OF all others, it is intended
to instruct and impress. Mr. Lansing in
this. as in previous efforts, has set the
ideal pace for clear treatment of railway
matters. He is so free from the merely
technical, so lucid in his propositions, so
strong in the simplicity of bis reasoning
and so easy of method that the uniniti-
ated mind can take up this paper and
understand every proposition laid down
and follow. without painful effort. every
tn ought to the conclusion to which il
leads.
It in the simplicity of the essay that
gives is strength. It is Its judicial calm
that makes it easy reading and in
yites one to follow it 10 the close and turn
back and travel over ths ground again in
admiration Of Its style. It is the easy,
orderly arrangement of the proofs he in
vokes, of the propositions he makes, that
gives to the paper its unusual character
It's the straightforward. unimpassioned
and manly treatment Of q subject that II