The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-26
GOVERNMENT AID TO RAILROADS.

remote that It's discussion would be altogether pre-
mature TOT announcer century or two.
GOVERNMENT AID TO RAILROADs.
--~---~~~~~-~-~>~~~~~~~-
WASHINGTON, April 20, 1858.
| To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
One OF the most absorbing SUBJECTS now agtated
IN out OF Congress Ii that OF Pacific railroads
subject well worthy the attention OF the people In
terested In the development OF national re-
sources, and particularly the development OF I'M
mense mineral regions OF the Rocky Mountains, the
great repository OF the noble metals. Mexico,
poor and disordered though she be- has always ex-
erted great influence on commerce through her
great mineral resources and her coinage, which
reached to nearly every commercial port OF the world
and was basis Of moneyed value everywhere. But
poor anarchca Mexico Is fast losing her long boosted
supremacy, and her wealth is declining as ours
is inc reasing, and wealth is enhanced rs we In
and multiply the facilities for getting and dis
tributng the nooler metals to the great commercial
centres Of the world. And while individual enter.
prses should be conducted with individual means,
yet there are enterprises so gigantic In their proper
tons as to be beyond the abilities means of pri-
vae or corporate individuals. These enterprises may
be classified as to their general characters. For
stance, mining companies, whose principal objects
are to get sudden wealth by deving for gold silver
or copper and abandon the exhausted and unpro.
Experience does not show that this class Of enter
prises brings about any permanent benefit or i'm.
provement OF those sections wherein they have ope-
rated that ouast the enterprises themselves, except
perhaps in u very small degree and they are cOnse,
Quently of interest only to those whose means are
engaged therein Many OF the great placers Of Cali
f0rnia once teeming with Industrial life. are now
abandoned and non-producing. Now these sections
Of country producing gold, silver copper depend
but n small favorable Cnndltt0nQ NJ
transportation to market because the profit OF work.
Ing those minerals L. so great that extraordinary
cost OF transportation can be borne without reducing
the profits to the average per cents OF interest lent
capital. Bot another class Of enterprises engaged
In getting out to the country for Its every day uses
the baser metals and minerals, "a ron lead TIN, coal.
petroleum. building stones and valuable clays and
useful and valuable woods, &C., cannot incur high
rates Of freightage because cost OF freghtage IL
greater per cent OF the final value OF these products
than Of tho noblcr metals; and they are so dis
tribnted In the country rs to be within tho
| reach Of ALL by means OF existent lines
Of transportation; nor Ii 1t renunerative TO
undertake the development OF newly found
repositories OF these substances, except there be
transportation established therefor, while the con-
trary condition Is applicable to the noble metals.
Now, to secure such Development as viii insure re-
| muneraGive Investment OF capital and permanent
| employment OF labor, by which any section OF coun-
try Is to be developed and made TO contribute regu
larry ana continuously to the wealth ANA progress OF
the nation third class Of enterprises are 10 be de-
pended on, ana must he invited and aided and fos-
| tered, because mutually dependent mean roads
'the veins and arteries OF the nation, along which
carried Its products, It's c-blood, ana upon the
suciency OF their number. their proprieiy Of d.
rection and freedom from obstruction depend tho
ease and rapdty with which the more distant parts
OF the nation receive the nutriment that VIII pro-
mote life, health and vigor, without which supply
| they VIII langulsh and de-"
1t Is certainly OF the principal duties Of gov
eminent 10 foster and aid those individual enter
| prises that promote sectional intercourse, enhance
commerce and develop the agricultural resources
aud mineral wealth OF the newer sections Of the
| national domaIn We know that those governments
which have promoted commercial intercourse by
public means have to the highest stages OF
prosperity, and that their continued prosperity has
been the result OF the security and confidence arising
from the stability OF governmental aid AID pro-
lection.
our government has been slow to give material
and 10 internal improvements, for the sole purpose
OF increasing the national wealth Elaborate sur
veys have been ordered with a view 10 naugurate
extensive improvements TO reclaim inundated bot.
tom lands, but the resulting operations limited
as to leave some doubt as to whether there
intention to carry the indicated works TO compile
ton, and consequently the vast bottoms 0f the
dti0n now than they were quarter VI century
The national turnpike was about the first step
taken by Congress towards facilitating internal
intercourse, and was for long time the only means
means OF well established intercourse between the
then Western Territories and the Eastern markets.
The next important material aid granted toward the
promotion Of commercial intercourse and the de-
velopment OF agricultural wealth was the land grant
to the state Of Illinois In aid Of her railroad system,
which accelerated the settlement OF that state by
enterprsing, thrifty farmers beyond any IKE
development Of other States or Territories without
cost to the nation and resulted In bringing Inc
naming lands into the market and realizing their
value a. much earlier period Alter the gooa , re-
government has scarcely hestated 10 grant lands In
sep . u Athony me subject of Internal lines Of com
munication has been discussed for near half CEN
the great euterprse Of national interoceanic ra
way route by the aid OF the national credit-th0
greatest enterprise OF ans Kind ever undertaken.
Il In halrI ay n ReunSyyQ-
| MIA Central and New York Erie railroads were the
greatest enterprises known. either as to length OF
| character OF obstacles to be overcome; yet tho
three roads together but little more than half
the length OF the Pacific Railroad; with far less
natural obstacles 10 be overcome and without 1.-THE
1 OF the adverse circumstances OF construction.
| II any other reasons or arguments are needed to
defend the wisdom OF the subsidies granted by Con.
| press In aid OF the Pacific iairoad than those Of
deyeopment OF the public lands and the min
| era deposits of the Rocky Mountains, with q
| view to bring them Into market and enrich
| the public treasury and to foster international aud
| intcroceanic intercourse and general commercial
relations, they 10 be drawn from the results OF
| the government aid granted by England and Franco
| light or dividend returns on investments made.
| In England tue Increase IN The commerce has been
passengers aud goods carried six tunes greater
than before the Introduction OF the railway system.
| II has been estimated that the saving In carriage
alone by railways In 1865, "a compared with the for
mcr cost by roads and canals, was sixty-six per
cent, or gI2 900 00o-greater than the annual taxa
| ton OF the United Kingdom. And yet all this was
| an increase OF commerce, for the roads and canals
1 were doing their FORMER WORK, Will lnCIeASe.
| Commerce has increased I'm the proportion OF the IN.
| crease OF railways.
France had but an Indifferent system OF railways
In ls42 and in 1851 she had about 1000 miles OF rail-
4 ways. About this time the Emperor took the rail-
way system In hand and IN 1891 there were
| $500 miles nearly u railways AID the
| exports and imports had increased more than
100 per cent in about seven years; In 1895 France
had !, 100 miles OF railways. NJ. Flachat estimates
the saving TO the national commerce OF France By
railways az 5000 900 900 per annim In 1910 tho ex-
ports and imports sj0,0)0 per mile or railroads
| open, while In 1865 they were sg2,50O per mile OF
roads open and the entire increase was about
al OGO 900 600 caused almost entirely by the intro
| duction OF the railway system. And these results
| were produced IN densely populated countries where
| commerce was supposed to be thoroughly established
| and agriculture, manufactures and trade had been
psablisned IN every OF those countries, and