It may be mentioned that one of the fiercest enemies of differential rates, in a work recently published, declares that the only remedy is to “restore the character of public highways to the railways by securing to all persons the right to run trains over their tracks under proper regulation!” “The Railways and the Republic” (1886), p. 372, by James T. Hudson.
Of the causes which have prevented progress in the public discussion of rates, chief has been the fact that the subject has been regarded too exclusively from the point of view of a limited number of traders or producers. The general interests of the country have been overlooked, or it has been assumed that they are identical with those of particular traders. Once the question is looked at from several sides--as it appears to those who buy as well as to those who sell, and to producers in different places--many of the complaints made against the companies as to the existing system of fixing rates are seen to be unfounded.
Those who buy commodities are interested in getting them to the various markets cheaply and in abundance. They wish the charge for transport to be small--they wish it to be small even if the distance from which the goods are conveyed be great, because their sources of supply are thereby increased. To the consumer the ideally perfect state of things would be a tariff for the conveyance of merchandise based on the same principle as the Penny Post; commodities would be conveyed at a low price, and producers over an immense area would be able to send them to market. To the consumer it would be in every way desirable that all disadvantages of distance or “geographical advantages” should disappear. Accordingly, as has been before stated, plans have been brought forward for making uniform rates for the same class of goods within a large area, or within certain regions or zones. The attainment of this is impracticable--the distance between various parts of the same country cannot be ignored, as in the case of carrying letters or transmitting telegrams. Consumers may fairly desire that the cost of transporting articles from a great distance may be lowered so as to permit of the influx of goods from remote parts. But unfortunately they cannot altogether efface distance. The next best thing is that the cost of transport shall not increase _pro rata_ with the distance. This reasonable desire railway companies have sought to satisfy, and with what results is well known.