The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1862-04-28

! Investigation into inc cost ul transportation
and ,uch plan, perfected as will insure thu
transportation Of her surplus produce int
, European markets at n TcmunerhtlVe Ifice-
not rohlcr price. Lastiall, when the price
Of flour rose III the English market, your rail
roads Immediately claPpcd on one dollar
barrel Tor transportation, Uui the western
farmers got no benefit from the rise he still
had % sell his grain ~ o "Urhgy low rate
while in England 90 the tailoring man, 1t was
staryingly nigh IhU. men were ruined At
both ends, while tie shipper made no more
money than he should have done hy convey
ing il at REASONABLE rate, aud receiving back
paying freight
There is probably some truth IN this state
mcur The evil 10 the western farmer j. no,
over stated, but what any "nycs,igation,' ,
such ~ the writer refers %, can DO, hy way
| Of remedy, is more than we can see. The
railroads DO rs all other business CORPORATION.
Ghi rs men IN business do, charge for then
services ani commodities what they think they
can get. That the railroad, are not, with oil
Their charges, making much money, ought,wc
presume, u be inferred from the fact tia, %
iew Of them make dividends.
We would suggest, though not by any
means for the first time, that the radical evil
III this whole matter is, that men in Illinois
are starving themselves TO raise bread for
men who are starving IN England. To rcc,i
iy it the sensible plan seem, to bc,cther thai
the Illinois farmer should Z, 10 England and
raise grain fbr the consumer there, or that
the consumer there should come to Illinois
and sit himself down near 10 where the grain
j. raised But ~ the Illinois farmer cannot
Eu,,luyI tIn ,tl,t 4. T. 81 .,
English consumer 10 come 10 Illinois. The
difficulty seem, To- be chiefly in the distance
between the parties. This difficulty would
10 doubt be in.urmouu,abIc, if people in the
west could do nothing but raise wheat, corn,
pork ana beef, But ~ Il happen, they can
do much besides. They can raise vol aud
flax, aud they can make both into yarn aud
cloth. That is, they have the natural means
aud facilities for doing $50. How long il viii
BE- before these facilities are improved We 10
not know. No doubt the time is coming when
they will be fully improved, aud that time
would be fastened By the continuance Of the
present state Of things, which makes the
western farmer u newer Of wood and drawer
Of water for the east and for Europe. The
nearer the plough loom and anvil are brought
10 each other, the better tor any people. 4
country which raises nothing but grain, ur
agricultural produce, is poor country. 4
country is always poorer, the less It's indus
try is diversified and Is richer the more it +.
varied Strong and cunning nations try t.
keep all the nations they can, confined rs
hear a. possible 90 the growth u raw produce.
When these Unite! states were col 1uio4 Of
Great Brta,u .h" mother country suppress
ed the colonial looms aud iorges Raw pro.
. Iure b. bulky auI pays ag"ly IN freight
i lU"l iuat wuu. .tscarry across the ATTAIN
t.r % cargo, ~ tine manufactured goods worth
u million II dollars, could not curry. Of many
kind, Of raw produce, over twenty thousand
dollar. Yet 20 would take the sam" tonnage
and the samc numhor Of 'eamcn. aui cost ns
mash tD tnhr across twenty thuu,au! dplIar,
worth % the one case ~ it would Il million
81 dollars worth IN the other \ million Of
dollar, worth o.. raw produce would require
the use Of five vessels. while the fine manu-.
iarHrr- would call FIR only Que. OF course
the commercial countries like 10 ct the ear.
rylug OF these bulky articles, aud would
keep every other country 1t can control from
beng its own carrier Hence the liIbern!ity
oi the English navigation laws, which sought
t. cripple the shipping interest and carrying
uDlilue, Of her American colOniC, The
same with manufactures. England has al
ways been jealous Of the expectation Of the
machinery Of hcr stupcudous wprkshpp-.-
she does not want other nations to catch the
kupwlcig" a her manufacturing secrets.
The time has past, 1t i true, when. 50 far M
America j. concerned, surh lrrcaution can
avail any thing But there was a time when
they had them uses; and there is no mistak