New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-04
ale&, ORLEANS Republican.
AefjcJAL JOURNAL 1e THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
Mobile ant: the Ra;lrOn d..

Mobile and the RailrOndr
We copy the following communication
from the Mobile Register:
The railroad between Mobile and New
Orleans has been completed. and Is in opera
ZION. The two places are now within 1--WE
hours run of each other. The same COM
MANY which effected this Is now construct
ing its track through Commerce street and
will. in few days. connect with the Mobile
and Ohio railroad: and hereafter as thrE
,-e CONNECTED will also connect with the
railway TO Mont geometry. with the Grand
TTr,,nk railroad. and with the Northwestern
railroad.
What effect will these connections have
"a, the business and prosperity OF Mobile
Son,e predict their ruin. some Il new growth
for the city. and some regard II as a matter
of Indifference. and which viii not III any
laanner endangcl thr city. but perhaps tend
T., intuSe new life by way OF example at
least. The chancellor, to whom application
w,s recently made to restrain this extension
through Commerce street. pronounced the at
tampt to restrain a piece Ut old togylSm. Ii
must be admitted that III q legal point OF
view this argument i, lINi.n-w rrable. togy-
ism is found to he principle utterly OPP
posed to all law and where the former
exists the law must root 1t ont. and there
fore he proceeded 10 decide that the OPP
moments Of this extension had no standing
IN his court. and dismissed the case.
It will hardly do. however, to regard this
decree AS settling the question proposed III
this article and ii sill remains to bt con
sl,Itrel what effect Is likely to follow the
completion of this railroad connection. Ii
the effect be not 10 carry away produce or
merchandise beyond Mobile. III either li-
rection. it will do 40 good. IT the effect be
TO carry only the amount OK goods that so
pass now, or that would pass under laws of
trade heretofore IN operation. it will DO no
good or the maximum OF good it woHld
do would be the reduction OF freight charges
between the cities. by reason of the conpe-
tition of two rival lines OF transportation
But will it stop here, VIII it not induce
trade to 20 to New Orleans which now
comes to Mobile,
In some respects New Orleans has the add
vantage over Mobile, by reason OF its being
the entrepOt OF the provisions and produc-
tons of the great West: it also has the adj
vantage arising from its being a port of
larger foreign importations than Mobile
Aside from these. and the attractions of a
Larger and gayer city, New Orleans can
claim no superiority over Mobile. These
are, however. great advantages, and require
to be jealousy watched. and. if possible,
removed. These advantages NAV be made
irresistible. if transportation between New
Orleans and the country trading to Mobile
be placed on an equality Of terms with that
to and from Mobile.
Here is believed To be the great danger
to Mobile, viz: that by means of through
rates OF freight, in which the several trans
portatiOn lines pro rata with each other.
goods will be carried as Cheaplv to points
of consumption i'll the interior as from Mo
bile. This will neutralize all the advan-
tages that Mobile has of nearness to such
points. In truth il is found that goods for
the interior are sold as cheap in Mobile as
in New Orleans-this cost being equal to
the purchaser. any outside advantage
which New Orleans possesses is given full
field. if the cost of transportation be the
same. 1t is said this is already the ease
that -four, for example. is delivered in the
interior at precisely the same rates from
New Orleans as from Mobile. Why this
should be is not easily seen. OF course it
costs less to transport the shorter distance
than the longer; and the same goods will
be carried by the transporter from Mobile,
whether they be purchased here or in New
Orleans and carried 20 the consumer by
way of Mobile.
Why should these trausporters agree to
carry goods from New Orleans for less than
they charge from Mobile? And vet they do
These vehicles OF transportation are mainly
owned in Mobile. or were largely prepared
with Mobile capital. The citizens of Mo-
bile contributed some S1,0t0,0 600 to construct
the Mobile and Ohio railroad. l. it TO be
used as a means of injury 10 Mobile, The
Montgomery railroad was largely built on
Mobile credit: is il to become an instrument
of destruct ton to its builder,
Here is a matter for the immediate and
active attention o.. the Board OF Trade and
It's committees. The local tariffs Of these
transporters should be Immediately exam
ined, and if, as is said, and its it may be
feared, they are arranged on scales of dis
elimination against Mobile, the proper
measures to enlighten their managers
should at once be taken.
They can cause Mobile to prosper if they
will, while they bring prosperity to them
selves. They can injure Mobile. if they
will, but in the long run they will injure
themselves. Their interests and those Of
the city are the same, and true wisdom lies
in recognizing and adopting that principle.
If the advantages which really belong to
Mobile be given to her, she will succeed
and prosper; but if her own people con-
tinue, as they have been doing. to work
against her, she and they must suffer.
She seems to have been regarded at home
and abroad as fair game 20 pluck ut and
dsspoil. 1t is time tina. this disposition
should cease; 1t Is time that each man put
his shoulder to the wheel to assist her adj
vance, and to resist her injury And now
Is the time to begin so to act
COMMERCE.