, 1862-01-06
The Gtihune.
MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 1862.
ARMY TRANSPORTATION.
Fearful Waste Of Public Money.
The Economy of Two Gents per Mile
for Carrying Troops-ss Local >, ".
stThrouEhs, ,, Kates---Shovg1ng how
Government Money Is Squandereds

The Economy OF TWO cents per lille
4sThrouEhs, ,, Kates--ShoW1ng how
Government Money Is Squandered.
The estimated average value Of 4 cargo Of
passengers by regular train from Cincinnati
10 st. Lonis, via the Ohio and Mississippi rail"
road, is 5000. This is actually more than re.
eeipts amount to. Now, VIC will assume t9at
500 soldiers arc to be shipped over the road
the fare authorized By the Secretary Of War
being two cents mile per man. Onc tram
viii carry all Of them, so that the additional
expense, over and above the cost OF regular
train, is triflng: say the wear and tear OF ao-
ditional rolling stock, and the trip back 0ne
hundred dollars will cover al extra cost. Inc
SO that S6.s4 fare is paid for each soldier, or
s5.472 for the cargo. We now sec train
ou;,inst train, or $500 against $5.473-indicl-
linz enormous profits in favor of Government
TRANSPORTATION, as against ordinary business, d
train filled with soldiers being worth to the
passenger train This illustrations is sufficient
10 proTc tAat the Secretary of War has au-
thorized an outrageous system Of public plun-
der for tic benefit Of railroad corporations.
could further Illustrate this subject, if neces-
sary, by following troops over the ciregltous
rc-shjpped, showing that they have made
Journeys Of goo miles, where the direct route
was $50, at the expense Of the Government.
I believe stated yesterday that Leading
Western railroad men have declared their
READINGS to carry. troops for one cent per 1aile
Messrs. Griswold,7 Robb and Turner-three
leading railroad men Of Chicsgo-fecently
| testified, On oath, before the Investigating
Commission sitting in this city, that they re-
5arGicd one cent per nliie per man ample eonpe-
sation, and that they would cheertully carry
| troops for. that fare. So, we discover that
| Secretary Cameron has authorized the expend-
| iturc Of two dollars where one would hare
| betu full compen5ation-two million dollaFs
| where one million was sufficient. When you
| reflect that the vast army uf the Potomac mas
been carried over the Pennsylvania railroaa:
| at authorized rates, two cents per mlle,) FOL
may imagine, if you cannot compute, the enor
nous amounts Of public money which tn
Secretary Of War either care1essly or Wliitull.
land some will say Mr.. Cameron did not up
dcrstaud the subjcct) las caused to be squan
dercd among. the railway corporations 81 m N
self is said to be large shareholder in I'll
Northern Central Pennsylvania road. wi
| not agrrayate the subject or tile reader b
expiating upon the enormous aggregate cs
| uended in similar manner upon the renalr
ing railways Of the country.
TIE AUTHORIZED ARMY FREIGHT SYSTEM.
But 1hc Secretary Of War did not stop wit
the passenger traffic He arr7lngcd trei5l
Il system with rare ingenuity. He donbtle;
saw money in it for sspoor Pennsylyauia."
have no schedule Of Eastern rates, but tt
| following was published in the newspapers
St. Louis, as the rates authorized by the Go
| cr1,n,ent. Isuppose there are similar cards
| the East, for the Secretary Of War wou
hardly discriminate in this matter, viz:
It OFFICE SUPERVISOR OF RAILROADS FOR
TIE WESTERN DEr'G. g. S. A, 7
T. ST. LoC1s, No., --.-..--, 1885,.
70 .Poesideatx and 4supe,zatendeate Of Railroad
: Hesfs,n Department, z. S, Army:
The following il the basis established BY lte *
f77iuseHt for the transportation Of troops and ST
plies fer the army:
: Fer passenger per mile, two cents for distans
y | mnycd.
Equipments, munitions and supplies accom-
nying regiments, .fryt class local rats, which "
average about Us follows: