Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1853-04-02
From the N. American and U. s. Gazette.
THE PENNSYLVANIA RAtLRoAD-sTATE
TAX AND TONNAGE-NO. @.


The wonderful increase in the facilities
for transportation that the last four years |
have witnessed, is doe 10 the triumphs ol
machinery over animal power, Canals have
been in use for ages, railroads are inven.
'ions of comparatively recent origin. So
long as animal power was the motor, canals
m ,intained sgUa'tu. g ioii y; when locom
lives were Introduced on railroads, the con-
di,ion OF things was al once reversed, and
present experience abundanily tesiilies thai
frst-class double track railroads such as
those which now lead TO Boston, New fork
and Baltimore, can carry freights al but 1T
lie more than half ihs expense pei ton OF an
improvement such as The Pennsylvania Ca
nal. ~
That such are the facts will BE- apparent to
any one who examines the subject; and il is
amazing that intelligent Legislators will res'
their opinions upon The bare assert ons 0!
present order of things, and credit The de-
oara'ion that the canal, with a new load
over the mountains, will be able 10 meet
any competition from without the State. To
repose confidence in such representations is
inevitably TO bring destruction upon oar
trad", ruin upon our merchants, and Injury
10 the State. Let The new road over the
mountains be made. We do not object 10
iliary to the Pennsylvania Railroad. Both
are striving for the same object but let
not the delusive hope be cherished, that i
will restore the main line TO the capacity OF
successful competition with the Erie Canal,
on which there are no transhiPmenls, and
whose magnificent dimensions render ii
equal 10 navigable river or with the great
railroads leading 10 rival cities, upon which
millions of tons are transported by motor
that knows not fatigue, and in comparison
with which all the horse power that could
be placed on our canal would be but insig-
ni6cant
l, is in vain to struggle against the pro-
gress of improvement. Trade will flow in
that channel which offers il the greatest fa-
cilities. No obstruction that can be placed
in the way Of the Pennsylvania Railroad
will divert the business TO the canal, so long
as far superior avenues invite il in other
States 10 other cities The fact has been
demonstrated conclusively; horse power
cannot compete with steam. To attempt
the hopeless competition now, berays dis.
position 10 shut out the lights Of experience.
Nothing but change in the propelling pow
er can restore canals TO an equality with
railroads.
Is there any hope of such change .
There is. A ray of light even now begins
family 10 illuminate the future. Encourage.
ment is given for the hope tha, canals may
once more recover their supremacy in econ
omy of transportation Mechanical i'm.
provemen,s can alone restore them. One
fact is prominent and encouraging. Ter
pounds on a straight and level railroad viii
move ton, but ten pounds on a canal vii
move several tons. The difficulty in III,
way OF successful canal competition is, tha
The ten pounds of power on The railroat
costs but little more than one pound of th
price used on canals. If the power coul'
tie of The same kind on both, canals coul
furnish much the cheapest transportation.
Great Britain has seen and acknowledge
the superior economy of railway iranspora
tion invention has been stimulated, and a
application of steam 10 canal propulsion pro
misses 10 be successful, and offers encoura
ging for the hope that new era in cana
navigation may be introduced.
To adapt the new system 10 our main lin
would require much larger expendilur
Than the people of the State might be dis
posed 10 sanction but il is not improbable
that company might be found 10 take ih,
whole of the main line as unit, remodel il
and pay 10 the State a large annual bonus
considerable exceeding the revenue ,ha
could be derived under State management
and improving it 10 the capacity of rail rout
competition. We believe this TO be possibl,
but it would consume too much space Il
give our reasons for this belief. The sub
jecl is worthy Of consideration and insiea
OF checking the progress OF the Pennsylva
MIA Railroad Company in its efforts TO secur
the Western trade, through fear that
might ou,sirp the canal, would il not b
more wise, and more beneficial TO the inlel
ests of the State, TO remove from the ralroa
all its fe,ters, bid il God speed in its race {
competition, and, BY the introduction of in
provements, give 10 the canal It's create.
efficiency?
The day has passed when an improve
ment which has not sufficient intrinsic va
ue TO commend ii TO patronage can be su
iained by discriminaiive legislation an
such Legislation is pee uliarly unjust whe
directed against corporation that, so Fl
from causing, greatly reduces the compel
tion, by retaining upon portion of the lii
a trade that would have been lost 10 II
whole. PENNSYLVANIA.
From the North American and U. s. Gazette
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD--STATE TS
ON TONNAGE. NO. Z.
1t is said the Stockholders of the Pennsy
vania Railroad have no reason TO compIa