The Pacific Railroad

From tlic Omaha Republican, Jan. V During tho construction of the Union Pacifio railroad, local freight and passenger rates were fixed at high figures - so high as to induco a very general beliief that baviog no competition for tb. carrying trade across the continent, tho roads, when completed, would exact the last cent which tho publio oould stand - in short, that the through line from the Missouri river to the Pacifio woulJ be a monopoly - rigorou3 and müicilesa' in its exactions - and that the chief ban0 efit whicli it was dcstined to coufer upon tho country was a more speedy ineans of transit across the continent. Such wcre the very general predictions of tho newspaper press, and sp", peáis wcre niado to cougress to compet' tlio Corporation to reduce its tariff. Na action was taken, howevcr, in this dirife' tion. A voluutary reductioa of 25 per cont. od pafseDgor nnd f rei glit rates procluced very general eatisfaclion. Tiiis ocourred before the roads were completed. Oq the 14th cf Juno the iirst through rates werc agrecd upon by tho Uuion and Central Pacific railroads between Omaha and Sao Francisco, fof tirst class travel. Ths rate lixed at that time, vtith ths subgeijucot reductions ai the times named below, will be seen by aa exaniination of the foilowiug tablo :■ OMAHA TO SAN FBANCIECO. ■finte. Firsi-clnsM Kirc.' June 14, 1869 !?,H?,' Jone 16; 109 JJJ "" Au" 14 is9 in on Jau"y I.ICTO W 0 It will bo seen fiom the bove wiüiiii the past sis anti a half ruonths,first-cliis3 passenger ratea betwecn Omaha and San Francisco have been reduced' by tho voluntary action of the two cornponies from $188 35 to S100. During tho tame period local rates for passengers havo been reduced about 35 per cent., and the local freight tariff has been roduced 40 per cent., while the through freight tariff has bueu reduceil' 56 per cent. Ün the lst day ol Jannary, 1870, the through rate fur a lirst class passt-nsër betweeu New York and San Francisco' was i'cduced frora $154 05 to 140 - a second-clapsrate wa3 established betweeu the Kiiiue points at 110, and an emigrant rate fixed at the extremely low pvico of SCO. Tho distance betweeu1 New York and San Ji-'rancisoo is, in round numbers, 3,500 niüe.s ; tho emigrant raio is thcrefore only % cents pur mile, which is below that of any other ïaihvay line in the United State?. The fust class faro (S140 through) i. just four cent per mile frem New York to San Francisco, oud in dividing this fare the Pacific railroad reduces with alV1 the other ruads whick forni the through line. Another important fat sliould bv overlookeii, viz : All of these fedue-' t?ons in through ratos liave been the resnlt of the urgent sol'citations of the officers of the Union l'aciüu railroad, wh' have unifonnly been the pioneers in erery inovement wliich has resulttd in a reduciion of freight and passenger rates' by rail betweeu the two oceai)3. Mr. F. Ooi ton, general piissunger aect of th Uuion l'acific railroad, waa the fir.-t to' urge, in tlie recent Chicago Conventian of general pssspger agent?, a reduciion 1 of ürst-olass tbrongh rales between Ntw York and Biio 'Francisco to four cents per niilc. Arrarcen'.ODts aro nenrly consummatcd fbr selling through tickets over this grcat continental line froir r.ew York tt all important commercial poiuts in (Jl-ina nnd Japan. The following avo the rates of firstc'assfare by Facilic mail s'eams-hip from San Francisco to some ot the poinis to wliieh it is proposed to sell hrough tiL-kuts, uodur this ncw arrangemeut : san FRANCISCO to Shanghai (peiPaolfloH. 8. CO $ HüngKonB, per PaeiflcM.3.Co.) 300 V, kiilinnia fpi-r P.iciftcM. ö. Coj -ö'J Hlogo (per Aclfic M. S. Co ) O .,i (pet Paciiia -M. S. Co.) Add to'the steamship iatea the clas fare f rom New loik to fcan l'rancisco ($140) and you have iho cost of a through licket which will carry %you mere tban half way íounil the vorld .' The Pacülc railroad id not managed as a monopfily. lts oflioers takc a motu eulavged and liberal and sensible view of tho true policy of managing so great a work as tliis. They aro lookirg to tbcf augiüeutation of the business of tho roail bytbe adoption of reasonablo ratea of fares and tieigbto, and depending upou that policy to 'increase tho net earniuga of tho road. Tho rcsult bas abundantly vindicatod the wisdom of their course. In tbe montb of Octpber tho gress earnino-a of the Union Paoifio execeded, 81000,000, and we predict tbat t{i business of 1370 will exhibí t a Very largo inercase over the eumings of lbo year just closed.