The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-04-10
New York POlicy.--A New ROute...The
Green Bay and Minnesota Railroad.

New York POlicy...A New ROute...rhe
Green Bay and Minnesota Railroad.
A spirited war is now being waged III
New York between Railroads ard Canals,
il the issue of which the entire West has a
deep interest. The friends Of the latter
lind 10y computation that railroads are
trenching immensely npon the freightin2
business, which has been regarded hereto
fore as the peculiar prerogative of water
c,rriage. These estimates show that dur
i'm the season of 1854, property, the
transportation of which would have added
o7er q million of dollars to the canal revcu-
us, was carried upon the railroads Of that
state. A comparison of this result with
tlnt of former years shows that railways are
tgespassing on the water moGes OF trans
portation each succeeding year with d rap
~, i,creasing petcentage-so fast, indeed,
.hat loafs are seriously entertained that the
g,r,rec viii eventually inonopolze the
fr2j~al.nr .1si..css Of the West, and render
tic cla glory Ct New York subject of di.
rect reXation mon the people instead of a
sonrcc Of revenre and wealth TO obviate
his, two ln5tnods are proposed. The one
Dy .le-;ng canal t2l.s AZ their present rates,
md ;rposi'g q :ax or RAILROADS sufficiently
LARGE to roricr them incapable OF further
coynperitou ia tie ireiehting line; and the
c.aer. by reducing canal tolls to figures low
enough to insure the same results. For,
we believe it to he universally admitted
that. left free entirely from tariffs, transpor-
tion by water is by large percentage
cheaper than transportation by any known
process of land carriage We observe that
the controlling political influence in the
state is in favor Of the first named process.
The prominent commercial journals, and a
majority of the leading politicians of the
state recommend the imposition Of a tax on
the railroads. Gov. CLARK has lately made
this the subject Of special message to the
legislature, urging its adoption. The pro-
liabilities are that these counsels will govern
the policy Of the state. And to our mind
the probabilities are far stronger that no
more suicidal policy could be adopted. A
dozen years since it might have been done
with ilnpunity. But the position of New
York to the West has materially changed
within that period. Then her canals and
railroads furnished the only practicable out.
lets to the immense travel and business Of
the West. Whatever tariffs she might then
impose, or policy adopt, were acquiesced in
ec necessitate. The surplus of the great
western granaries must reach the seabOard,
and through her channels, at whatever trib.
-qte, so that it was kept without the limits
Of prohibition.
Ten years, however, in our country, is long
enough to change the whole face and course
of things. Other avenues are open to the
Atlantic, to the North and South of those
over which the New Workers are now quar-
refing; fact which it would be we'll for
the Legislators of that state to consider.
Aside from that by the lakes, and the Well
and Canal, and the more southern one
by the chain Of railroads through Ohio and
Pennsylvania, a new route will be opened
the coming season which will combine the
desirable features Of cheapness and speed.
The completion Ct the railroad from To
roaso On Lake Ontario. to Couingwood at
shc head Of Georgian Bay, off Lake HUI.
ror opens route some six hundred miles
nearer to New York city than. by the old
way Of the lakes and the Erie Canal, and
with but t. single. additional transhipulent
If New York adopts the policy recommend
cd by her authorities and presses, necessity
viii compel tbs West to desert her avenues
df-trs5spSfsason. The produce depot Of
~ XII go LIB "a