The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-03
Across Our Continent.


passed SO far as the carrying of mails
is concerned. and its relations to COM
merce are no longer what they were
esteemed to be by the earlier promot-
ers of the scheme. The telegraph,
through the system of cable lines de-
viSed for the employment Of that
power, has become a mere toy IN the
fingers Of an expert operator at the
key. The transportation of nierchan-
disc is, however, another subject; and
the tra nscontinental lines, spanning the
territory of the United States and
connecting so closely the Atlantic and
the Pacific oceans afford every re-
quisite facility in this respect
George II. Daniels. the general pas
senger agent of the New York Central
railroad company, said recently that,
under the most recent arrangements
already perfected with the govern
ment. Pacific coast mails will be
transported between the two seaboards
within a .eriod of four days. "This
new service" he added, will revolu-
tionize the handling, not only of the
United States mail, but that of
Europe, Australia, China and Japan
as we'll Hereafter the mails between
those countries Will pass through New
York and across the continent. Even
tually, the officers of the civil govern
ments of England, Germany and other
European countries which have sta
lions in the far Pacific ocean will all
travel across the United States be-
cause they can make the trip more
comfortably by this route than by any
other"
There is no doubt sound basis ex-
isting for the fulfilment of this proph-
ecy, ard why should not So practi-
cal results be realized? There has
been an investment of millions of dol
lars in these transcontinental trans
portation plants. The country has
been somewhat sluggish in growing up
to the recognition of their true value
But the time has come. The slow pro-
cess of ocean traffic, so far as it in
wolves the circuit of half or three
fourths of the earth's surface, is becom-
conditions existing. And the present
may well be accepted as only an index
to that which shall follow
The day has come when the impor-
lance Of prompt delivery of merchan-
disc is animating every commercial In
dustry Of the world The operations
of the great railways of the United
States have become associated with
material reductions in freight charges.
accompanied by constantly increasing
quickness in delivery between ship
ping and terminal points.
There has been. in the past, much
unsteadiness in tariff charges in con-
nection with transportation. This was
due TO the multiplication of traffic
channels and consequent competition
between them. Losses in revenues by
the several companies. owing to this
tendency. have had the effect Of bring
ing all more closely together The
interstate commerce commission has
eXerted some influence. and it cannot
be justly said that this service has not
been without benefit to the public at
large. The commission and the cor
porations have been drawing into closer
communion with one another. The for
naer is less radical than during the
early years Its existence. This result
is not so largely due to politics as to
the broadening of the ideas of Justice
which has developed in this semi-judi-
cial body. The recognition of corporate
rights has. among other things, ensued.
The principles of confiscation and
reprisals have disappeared. The COM
missioners have come to recognize the
fact that the task on their part of ar
ranging mileage tariffs over different
lines, operated under different con-
ditlonS, was not an easy one, and
that if Justice was not to be wholly
ignored. some concessions must be
made in favor of the ownership of the
properties.
Upon this point Interstate Commerce
Commissioner Knapp has recently ex-
pressed himself in an interview with
the Washington correspondent of the
Chicago Record. Numerous conferences
have taken place recently between the
trunk line managers and the commits
sioners. and all points We're discussed
in a spirit of fairness and justice. The
commission has existed long enough to
convince it's members that there must
be no arbitrary action on either side
if the best results to all are the OBJ
jects sought A new treatment of all
the questions involved is to be under
taken. And this is what Mr.. Knapp
says concerning it:
81 am very sure that the new policy will
materially affect both earning saEd running
expenses. | venture to guess that an increase
or decrease of cne-fifth of a cent per ton
per mile in rates would insure financial pros
perity on the one hand or bankruptcy on the
other. The margin Is small that l cent
r.
red between Chicago and New York would
mean a dividend or a deficit. The difference
of l cent barrel on -four often determines
the route it will take from the mill to the
market.
THE competition between railways is ONLY
a small part of the story. If that alone was
the problem it could be easily solved by the
managers, and serious Determinations could
+ be avoided, but back of 1t is the dominating
factor of foreign demand. The Transportation
companies cannot control the rates for flour
or wheat, for example, to Liverpool or Bre-
men. any more than the farmer can control
the price when it arrives there. The prices
and the rates are both fixed at the great con-
Stunning centers of Europe, where Egypt
Russia. India and the Argentine Republic
Genre into competition and the volume of the
supply is considered, and the farmers, the
transportation companies and the commits
sion men have all got to submit to the con-
ditions that exist in the other continents"
Herein is reflected a businesslike
view of the entire situation, and one
which the public too family compre-
hends. 1t is not, SO far as the Western
country is concerned, a mere matter of
railway competition. Shipping rates
and the prices made abroad for the
consumers of our commodities play an
important part