Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-11-02

iivss TO the Mississippi, that such wat, |
miIes o. main line, and that Il can be sup
piled abundantly with water BY feecer -
- miles 10 length, or total length Q! canM
aud /, eder Of lU2 miles. The cost 2, con.
s,rrcliun Is shown by he tabular esaimaus
TO Ire little over four and q hall millions VI
collars.
And the question nov Tecurs. can THIS 81
nal DC CONSTRUCTORS The present moment u
nuap,cinus. for the whole country gfoans
under m. burden Of extortiona,e freight TAR
| i1s. -
t...,.i whereby competing lines are swaI-
lowed up thus the whole railway manage
men, ia placed in the hands Of . few men.
and The nu G nav OF. these mouster corpor'
| sih,ns ,ave no sooner swallowed up one Of
The Try. 'hau they are oil IN pursuit oil an
other, TIe producers Vi the Country we0
are abe besinuing and end u ito wealth, de
maud spme legislation which shall as lsase
cuslnii this exp,lation.
The question then recurs what shall II he
What can the Legislal ure do TO divest these
corporations Of the rights with which the
| former Legislatures have invested them
The answer. Ms every lawyer knows, -
nothing-atsoluiely nothing. These rigbts
and privileges have attained the sanctisy VI
laws, and cannot he annulled.
What remedy then remains: The answer
IL obviuus What action can the Legisla
ture take, 50 effective, 50 sure in its action
and safe IN remedy ~ 10 pr jsct . judici0us
=, stem OF public works. the control ot whose
tolls aud tariffs shalt no longer be direcved
by the sliding scale Of capaciOus cOrp0ra
tiuns. vut subject now and forever 10 the
| vii: Ot the Legislature Of the State.
| Will il pay the State the interest on con
struction alter deducsipg -expenses Is
| question, l hear from uDfne son Of Yankee
dom.
With regard TO the probable amount Of
business that may be expected over this @
nal, opinions, would no doubt differ, even
we're we to collsct the most careful siatisiics
Of the commefce il would probably effect.
But take the enormous quantities Of grain
and -four shipped east ward, end consider the
sNefchAOdixe, lumber. shingles. 18th. iron,
nails. salt, agricultural implements-hcsvy
articles all-thst arc now sent eastward hy
rail, IL needs no ahstruse construction Of
statistics to show that the canal would re.
ccive fair share Of trade. II il true that
railways always fix q sliding single scale
for freighis wherever they come IN cOmpetI.
ton with canal or water lines Of trafDc, and
by such discriminating tariffs take from
these lines freight that would otherwise he
moved by water.
But in cas- this canal were finished. it
would matter little TO the people how much
conmeicc they succeeded in coaxing away
from the canal In this way, for the very OBJ
jcct ot building the canal Is gained, viz ::
he cheapening Of ffcighta. And this ar.
gusnsnt goes To prove the proposition laid
down in my former report that were the
State Of lhinois " contract and control q
iuiicious system Of public works, the effect
would be Ia cheaper transportation on the
single article Of grain at least 3 cents per
busllcl, aud take the amount shipped annu-
ally il would thus leave t2OO,OOO In the
pockets Of the producers, Z sum which we
now perceive that would pay for this canal
feeder and nil in two an . half years, and
this too, without considering the increased
quantity OF grain that would be raised un
! der the 9 imulating effect Of cheaper trans
pOrtation.
Nor has any account been taken Of the
saving on the transportation OF salt, iron,
nails agricultural implements, lumber, shin
giles and la,h-prtpducts IT which the farm
crs are heavy consumers.
That this canal would do fair share Of
the business In those articles can he inferred
from the traffic upon the Illinois b Mich
gan canal. With railway running along
side al its whole route from Chicago to
Lssailc. Now IN the single article Of lum
, her. the Z. L. Il. Il 4. reports having
shipped over its ronic from April 1865 to
unrch 1866 from Chicago lumber n #.
l $4,000, al shingles NJ $4,000. Turning to
: the canal reports from April to November
lsO5 We find shippc'! from Chicago, lumber
n. Il 77.UOO,O00, a. shingles NJ. 203.OOO, 900.
Comment Is needless
But, in truth. there need be nothing but
: gcb rs''is rivalry btw,en canals and rail
ways For au.hl the astonishing develuu-
; ncnt OF our Western commerce just now
) receiving al onwani striic Ivy the competi.
ti"n If the Psc'tic railway. all our energies
: will soon be taxed to furnish modes Of tran
Ill for ircighis Shall the State Of Illinois
/ Put Firth her hand 10 gather portion ri
. golden harvcs. S about To he poured through
: our commercial channels? This is q Ques
tion l.it tor the honorable members OF heI
next LEGISLATURE To- determine
I In conclusion. lei me thank the commit
! | tee Tor their uniform courtesy and kindnt IS
during INV whole connection with the pro-
iccted Improvement
Very respectfully,
Your ob't scrv't,
J. o lIUDNrfr.
, Chief Engineer.