, 1866-11-26
THE COMMERCE OF BOSTON.
Alarm at the Huh Of the Universe.

Al&f1n at the HuA OF the UR1fef8es
The citizens of Boston Rre alarmed about
their western and foreign trade. The Bos-
ton Post has an editorial article on the latter
subject, which may well make the "solid
men" of the New England metropolis un-
ea8y. It shows that from 184O-the period
when the first stcamship arrived at Boston
from England-to 1sa5, the value Of tho real
estate Of the city had increased -, ,0o0. .0oo,
and the real aud personal estate had in
creased to the amount of 81, ,253, ,8D. In
1876 the drst foreign steamship line to New
York was established, aud during tho years
immediately succeeding, the value Of the
imports and real estate Of New York rose
enormously. Tho New York lines In
creased In number, while those Of Boston
Boston has not single transatlantic
steamer under her own control, and the two
foreign steamers which make semi-monthly
trips By way Of Halifax may ut any moment
be withdrawn. 1t Is to this dlmtnution Of
steamship lines that the Post attributes the
ton only reached the value Of I'll ,00o, 900,
and In 1851 fell TO $50 oo0, 600.
This ia one view Of the cause Of the cou1-
merclal retrogression Of Boston. The rem
edy proposed is the subsidy Of steamship
lines BY the city. In other words, the natn-
ral demands OF the foreign trade Of Boston
are not sufficient to sustain even the
steamship lines once Aestab1ished by
private enterprise, and artificial support
Is now suggested. Another view was
presented on Monday afternoon, at q special
n'eeting Of the Boston Board Of frudc,
BY Josiah Quincy. II seems that he, with
many other prominent Bostouians, had felt
that the railways intended to connect their
city with tho Hudson River and The great
West; hare failed to accomplish the purpose
ern Railroad was first put in operation this
object was tolerably we'll achieved but
since then the Western and Worcester roads
have not adjusted their accommodations to
the vast Increase Of business west Ct the
Hudson. Mr. Quincy says that during the
papy has added but two hundred and twelve
cars to Its running stock: the Worcester
Ioa1 not one. During the same time the New
York Central Railroad Comrany-wh!ch Mr.
4ItAcv calls lone Of the combinations Of
this line has added two thousand and
ninetty'tive cars. On this Mr.. Quincy re-
marks:
"The engineers aud railway officers, whose
is.iin1Hy Il aPEended !otae Fs2oFr az OF op;uyn
Western Railroad could do tye tln1ts its PRESENT
hn*iueas. and Transport ten thousan3 ions day,
or two-shirds the amount received at Albany
He asserts that the managers Of the Vest
e!n and Worcester roads "opposc every
change which Involves the possibility Of
diminut{on of their profits, and all proposals
| for ulterfor but Contingent advantages.
Their obligations to the sharehold-
1 ess require them rot TO do morc business, hut
] to find out how not TO do It,"
"Thus it appears the Slate and citizens have
| eslcndcd millions in cndcayoriug 10 facili-
tate Intercourse with the West, and then
have placed the entire and absolute control
| vt Tie road ln.the hands Of men who arc in
TO degree responsible to them, whose inter-
nf,fftr INT fknf- 1r.~Ch
il not to do the very thing Intended By The
State and original si,bsczibersn
blr. Quincy enters into an elaborate dem-
onsttatfon that the rates Of 01e und freight
could protitaely be much lesscned by incrcas-
ins the u2ount Of business. lie quotes yIr.
Gait, an eminent English authority On rail.
road matters, who says:
The policy hitherto acted upon hy railway dt'
ple:c ienuranee Of the internal working OF our
railway system, so tas ss regards the extremely
low ta!c At which rasse4gsrs and gools can b
5ls w sig: 4ao M &c: - 1@a: ihst 20 ass Saa, Ii
@ osa , companies ean ~ carry p,s.sugess At exceed
r. four mlcs for farthipg@ @onc.half Of q cent?
a>econd-ctass passenger six lnilas for u tarthIne
tsa a !fn .,11 Ill, a,dss 5 ao$ Al
:. when The public come 10 know that pasecu
Ecr can he conveyed two hundred miles tor twe
nsnse hnlfEenn{ .s; fHE I've cents Which he
ftosa the Forth Of En,]and for .a,out a shiilina
shnss Gsn i 1
ave timss that sum, II requires no prophet 10 Fo.o
tri hat The days Of railway monopoly, in private
Ssnas Ssrs si'l III this country E"land' soon be
Nr. Qufncy's propositions are: First, thai
| the State shall purchase the Worcester Raft
road ut one hundred dollars q share, and the
Western at an equitable rate. Second. tia,