Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1853-03-26

low every other road in the State 10 60 free?
Why impose oppressive restrictions upon
that road which, from its importance 10 our
citizens and the active competition of rivals
more powerful and wealthy than itself, is, of
all others, most worthy of sympathy and
assistance ? 1t has been answered, because
the State owns canal and the construction
OF the Pennsylvania Railroad will take away
It's business. The Stale must protect its i'm
provemeni by the imposition OF a tax. The
position is untenable-no argument founded
on truth can be brought forward to sustain it.
Look at the facts: coal is carried upon rail
roads profiraoly al one cent rer ton per mile
and with loads in one direction only other
heavy articles can, of course, be carried at
nearly the same rates.
The value OF boat on the Pennsylvania
Canal with crew and horses, is no, less than
FIVE dollars per day the usual load about
$4,000 lbs; the maximum load 60 tons.-
The cost of The boat and stock alone, exclu-
sive of toll, will therefore be five-sxths Of a
cent per ion per mile. 1t may be double
this amount if the boat returns empty
These are the expenses on the canal alone.
Freight between Philadel phia and Plitsburg
is subjec, 10 three expensive transhipmen,s
it must be carried in cars on the Columbia
and Portage railroads. Those who are en-
gagged in transportation over The Pennsylva.
MIA Improvements know that the expenses OF |
transportation, exclusive of toll, have never
been as low as one cent per ton per mile
How, then, can such an impro vement,
canal Of the smallest dimensions and most
limited capacity, broken by transhpmenis
at three points, compete with the best i'm
| provements of the age7 How can it retain
the trade of,he State and protect the interests
of Philadelphia, when New York; Boston and
| Baltimore have entered the lists fully equip
ped for contest, and each prepared, at any
sacrifice, to secure the largest possible por-
,ion of the Western trade Before the COM
plelion Of the Erie Canal, Philadelphia was
without an equal on this continent. After
its completion, it was forced into the second
rank-and, with no better weapon 10 defend
itself than the Pennsylvania Canal, Bilti-
scores Of inland cities would soon go beyond
il in wealth, population, and improvement.
Our beautiful metropolis, deprived of its
trade, would retrograde rapidly; property
would depreciate; our most enterprising
citizens would be constrained TO remove;
only those who had already accumulated
wealth could afford 10 remain and when,
at last, The discovery was made that the
Pennsylvania Canal could not protect the in
terests of the State, the remedy wonld be
applied loo late. After vitality had become
extinct, the resusci,alion OF business would
be impossible
1t is not true that the Pennsylvania Rail-
road will take from the main line, as il is
called, any business that this line could have
retained, had not the Railroad been con-
s'rucied, unless The Company should reduce
the charges on local freiehts 10 so low fig
ure as 10 give the Railroad preference at
those points where the two Improvements
are in close proximity; but the charge
against the Company is that these local rates
are exorbitantly high; and il is certain that
they must continue sufficiently high 10 com
pensate far the low rates which the through
fTeigh,s must be carried. very limited
study of railway statistics at the present day
will be sufficient 10 satify the most skeptical
that, unles there shall be a general combina-
ton amongst the Companies owning the
great through lines, that the rates on through
fre'ght will inevitably be reduced beyond
all precedent. Railroads having large local
) business carry through freight below the
average cost of transportation, and still pay
dividends.
5 The Pennsylvania Canal, if thrown open
to tTanspOrters free of charge, would still
have a minimum limit of reduction that
would exceed the lowest charges upon the
railroads leading TO Baltimore and New
e York.
= The new road across the mountain will
improve this condition of thing, but cannot
o correct the evil. Without the Pennsylvania
i Railroad as an auxiliary, it canno, prevent
The loss of trade. The construction of the
l. Pennsylvania Railroad was therefore essen
70 iial 10 the interests Of Pennsylvania. Tha
x it was also essential, and in no way delri
ia mental 10 The general interests of the State
y we will endeavor TO prove.
'r PENNSYLVANIA.
in CoNSuLsHIPs OF UNITED STATEs-lt is sta
10 ted that the mosl lucrative of our Consulshp
al is that al Panama, which is rated at he,weeI
lie thirty five and one hundred thousand dollar
lie per annum. Havana is next, then Liverpool
ut and afterwards in order come Buenos Ayfes
s. Manlanzas, Havre, Alexandra and Hon.
H. Kong, ~ Canton. The commercial agenc,
e. al 81. Thomas, Danish West India Islands, i
n. said 10 be worth from six 10 ten thousan,