New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-11-18
THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE POST.
PONIES ITS VISIT.


! We have to express our regret that tn
Senate transportation Committee ha
postponed its visit to New Orleans unit
| after the holidays; how long after tina
date We can not anticipate.
| 1t is especially to be regretted, becaus,
st. Louis, having kindly undertaken K
manage our interests in the premises
unfortunately permitted persons to opec
the testimony in regard TO the loves
rivers, who could not pretend to thai
knowledge SO indispensable to correct
comprehension Of our interest. One OF
these witnesses expressed the opinion that
bulk grain could not be transported
through New Orleans except with caution.
and even went SO far as to state that steam
| ships ,oere toned 0uer the bar! a statement
so absurd that he subsequently corrected
it. st. Louis had been left to testify in
| regard to the necessities of the upper
| river, and she should in common sense and
comfy have confined herself to that part,
leaving to New Orleans the evidence,
which is fully prepared, to satisfy the
transportation Committee that this is
sound route for sound grain. The Mis-
sissippi takes its course from st. Louis
to the sea through seven States. which
together produce more than three hun
dred million bushels of Indian corn. The
States of Louisiana and Mississippi alone
produce more than twenty million bushels
annually, and could produce more,
were the labor not more proftably
employed in the culture of cotton and
sugar. New Orleans receives annually
more than four million bushels of North
western corn for domestic consumption,
and the cotton States have consumed,
within twenty-four years past, at least one
hundred million bushels. These facts
prove that the Southwestern States are
the home OF the corn plant; that the grain
Is housed, kept and consumed here, and
That there can be no damage resulting TO
corn from its storage here or transit
through our Stale and city. That the
passage to Europe is safe for Indian corn
will be proved by certificates of more than
thirty cargoes in bulk. or several million
bushels. Western corn transmitted by this
route to Liverpool.
We have some right to complain, also.
that the Fort st. Philip canal has not been
impressed upon the Transportation Com.
mittee as New Orleans could have wished.
st. Louis has prescribed the modes OF I'M.
provement on the upper river: why no: d,
allow New Orleans to designate the mode
which experience has taught her to be the
best, if not the only one adequate for the |
lower rivers Yet in series of measures
which we see published by St. Louis for
he development of the valley interests.
We find the particular mode of improving
he mouth of the river left open, thus
eaving the questions settled here in re.
sard to caissons, wing dams and dredges.
o be again revived for discussion and de.
ision.
We long ago took occasion to except TO
he recommendation by St. Louis ola par.
ocular plan for the improvement Of the
liver mouth. To succeed in this object
re must have tlnahimity. We have it here
) favor of the canal. and it weakens our
respects to have competing and rejected
lans thrust upon us. We are glad of co.
peration in this great enterprise, but
lust object to this assumption of superio. {
apacity to direct the whole work on the
Mississippi. 1t is neither just nor wise. {
ew Orleans has conceded the claim of st, I
ouis to direct the mode of improving {
70 thousand miles of river. can not she q
dulge New Orleans with the direction of 7
at short and important space in which f
lie is SO deeply interested, and which no c
her interest can comprehend as well as t
IT merchants and mariners. v