Evening journal., 1906-09-27


thus ruined the Tidewater canal and when
that road acquired the schuyllSiil Navigs-
tions Canal the freight on coal was ad-
vanced, and has remained, at Si.oo per ton
more than the canal rate
The Pennsylvania railroad obtained con-
troll Of the Delaware and Rarltan caaal
by means Of a 800 year lease. Since tnen ITS
enormous traffic Of 100000 tons annually
has been reduced to nominal amount.
Notwithstanding the vast increase Of trib-
utary Industry and commerce.
Philadelphia started a project for ship
canal across New Jersey believing 5;
would greatly increase the Industries ard
trade Of both states. In some mysterious
way a law was put through the Legisla-
ture of New Jersey called General Canal
Law" This humorously provides that no
canal shall be built longer than three
miles and does not authorize them 10
touch any Incorporated city or town. or
course no one viii put up money for a
three mile country ditch without traffic,
beginning nowhere and ending at nothing.
Consumers Pay the Cost
Destruction Of the canals leading from
the coal fields to tidewater has directly
caused the consumers TO pay 81 per ton ex-
ira for a large portion of the coal which
has come to the coast during the past
thirty years. This additional and unneces-
sary burden aggregates hundreds Of mill
lions Of dollars. 1t was forced upon the
people by and for the sole benefit of the
railroads without the slightest return to
the people.
What right have the railroads to go 10
the peoples legislature and put through
a law. the sole result Of which is TO de-
public expense at a cost OF nearly siO.0O0,-
900. and thereby put upon the people, for
the exclusive benefit Of the railroads a
direct tax amounting to tens Of millions
of dollars annually?
II would be equally ijusuhable II they
should seize the highways Of the State
IN order to force everybody to sell their
wagons and ride only upon railroads at
a cost three times greater.
AS well allow a private corporation to
build a system Of wmterworks In compoti-
ton with that owned by the people and
when the peoples representatives have
rival, permit the citizens to be forever
charged three times the former reason
able rates for water.
1t is a matter Of doubt whether the
cupidity Of the railroads, shown by
such acts OF corporate burglary or
the complacency Of the people, shown
by their submission to such Oft re-
peated outrages. should receive the
greater blame for these strange condi-
tlons II the people ever make the
perilous experiment Of acquiring and
operating all railroads. II win be due
to such corporate malpractice by the
roads themselves.
Canals for the People
The canals were built, first. and by
the people. II "A paralleling railroad
could not compete successfully, the
private corporation should not have
built 1t there.
TO go ahead thus with a line which
must charge higher freights, with the
intention Of ruthlessly destroying the
prior and cheaper route OF the people,
was entirely Incompatible with the
duty to the public which every rail-
road owes as a common carrier. The
English Parliament has prohibited
railroads from acquiring control OF
competing canals and waterways.
Eloquent explanation. although not a
Justification. can be found in the fol-
lowing comparative figures from the
report from 1866 Of the United Rail-
ways Of New Jersey relating to the
Delaware and Raritan Canal before II
was leased for 999 years:
Cost of Camden and Amboy
r.. r.. and equipment .... $4,000, 900
Cost Of canal and appurten-
ances ..-..... ............... 43Sl,251
Cost of operating the railroad
for one year ...... ....... 3,S0l.732
Cost Of operating canal for
same period ...... ........ 36O,5ls
Net revenue from railroad. 511.161
Net revenue from canal . 933, $40
The railroad returned little over
five percen on the investment, while
the canal earned nearly twenty-three
per cent. and the operating expenses Of
the canal were less than one-tenth
those of the railroad.
People Forced to Buy
The average cost per ton per mile
for moving traffic on the railroads OF
the country is ten times what it is by
water. Why should the people be
forced TO use the more expensive
method where the cheaper is practice
able? And why should not the public
protect itself against this extortion
! The above facts lead one TO wonder
whether the railroads were created for
the people or the people for the rail-
roads. Railroads are entitled to the
same protection for their legal rights
as individuals. but they must also OBJ
serve their just obligations to the peo-
pie from whom their corporate powers
and privileges are derived. This
principle is coming to be more gener-
ally accepted.
IL Is a great natural advantage foI
a state TO be upon tidewater or navig-
able streams leading thereto. Missouri
gets ten cents bushel more thar
Nebraska for its wheat crop for thi.
reason. Kansas saving over Nebraska
in 1901 was-5 cents on wheat. Sf95S..
$685. 3 cents on corn, S5.5S5.54S; and
cents on oats. S1.0Ss.944-a total extr,
net profit OF S115S0,OOO. II Nehrask,
could have obtained Kansas prices sh
would have realized Sl4.267, 1000 NOR
from cereals alone in one year. Blu
the harbors, streams and canals mus
be adequate in width and depth and b
kept in navigable condition to insur
these rich benefits Manufactures fav
orably located also reap these grea
advantages.
Tho or1ar of a roffro,a ,,...-f.z,,,