Plausible as this argument may at first sight appear, it is,
nevertheless, in point of fact, not true as to the economical
effects claimed; as the cost of transferring freight from the
cars of one road to those of another with which it connects,
is less than that of hauling the ** empty returned cars''
back — ^rendered necessary in cases where the freight is
sent east — the preponderance of trade being largely in
that direction. It may be said, the ** dead weight'-
hauled would be the same whether the load was con-
veyed in cars belonging to this or some other road ;
but such is not the case, as the cars belonging to this road
may be used in transporting local freights on their return,
between intermediate stations, so as to be partially loaded
at least ; whilst in the other case, the cars must be
promptly returned to their owners for use.
This system of interchange of cars, so far as short roads
are concerned, is undoubtedly beneficial ; but if applied in
connection with long roads, the benefits will be found to
be derived at the expense of the latter, as in the settle-
ments between the two, the payments for ** mileage'' for
the use of cars will invariably be in favor of the short
lines. The long roads by this system arc frequently
compelled to pay the hire of rolling stock of inferior con-
struction (their own, perhaps, in the mean time standing
idle), and also to expend large sums to keep such cars in
repairs ; as they are not unfrequently sent from one road
to another in such a dilapidated condition as to involve
the necessity of switching them out of the train before



60 APPENDIX.
