Arrows of the Chace, vol. 2/2: being a collection of scattered letters published chiefly in the daily newspapers 1840-1880Ruskin, John
History
Arrows of the Chace, vol. 2/2: being a collection of scattered letters published chiefly in the daily newspapers 1840-1880
Ruskin, John
Authors, English -- 19th century -- Correspondence; Letters to the editor -- Great Britain; Ruskin, John, 1819-1900 -- Correspondence
[74] The _Daily Telegraph_ of Saturday, August 8, contained an article
on the "Increased Railway Fares," in which, commenting on Mr. Ruskin's
statement that, given the law of political economy, the railways might
ask as much as they could get, it is said that Mr. Ruskin mistook "the
charge against the companies. While they neglected the 'law of supply
and demand,' they suffered: now that they obey that law, they prosper."
The latter part of the article dealt with a long letter signed "Fair
Play," which was printed in the _Daily Telegraph_ of the same day. "To
Mr. Ruskin, who laughs at Political Economy," concluded the article;
"and to 'Fair Play,' who thinks that Parliament is at the bottom of
all the mischief, we commend a significant fact. An agitation is now
on foot in Brighton to have a second railway direct to London. What is
the cause of this? Not the Legislature, but the conduct of the Brighton
company in raising its fares. That board, by acting in the spirit of a
monopoly, has provoked retaliation, and the public now seeks to protect
itself by the aid of a competing line."
The letter of the correspondent "S." (also in the _Daily Telegraph_ of
August 8) began by asking "what the capitalist is to do with his money,
if the Government works the railways on the principle of the Post
Office."
[75] Several of the letters had been written by residents in the
neighborhood of Sydenham.
[76] B "Essays on Political Economy" (_Fraser's Magazine_, June, 1862,
p. 784), now reprinted in "Munera Pulveris," p. 1, § 1.
[77] "Fair Play's" letter noted the result of investments made in
bubble railways, generally by "honest country folks" or "poor clergymen
and widows."
[78] A Alluding to an article in the _Daily Telegraph_ of August 8,
headed "East-End Emigrants," which, after remarking that "Mr. Ruskin's
question, Is England big enough?" had been just answered rather sadly
by a number of Poplar artisans, described the emigration to Quebec on
board the St. Lawrence of these inhabitants of the Isle of Dogs, and
how, as the ship left the dock, "there were many tears shed, as old,
familiar faces looked on each other for the last time."
[79] Never, it seems, written.
[From "The Daily Telegraph," December 8, 1865.]
_OUR RAILWAY SYSTEM._
_To the Editor of "The Daily Telegraph."_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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