The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-05-02

This would bringSt. Louis, via Savannah
2lO miles nearer Liverpool than New
York, with continuous water communication
and !, 1876 miles nearer than New Orleans
and it would decrease the distance 10 the
seaboard, as compared with New York, 80
miles.
A ton Of freight from St Louis TO Liver
pool by way Of New York, now costs $ll, :
~, from St. Louis to Liverpool via New
Orleans 1891. while over this proposed
route, according to Col Mcfarland, it can
be transported from st. Louis TO Liverpool
for 81 H. This would be 81 Is less than
by way of New York, and 81 70 less than
by New Orleans, or a saving Of nearly nine
cents per bushel on wheat over the present
routes and back Of this the certainty of a
more rapid transit, through region where
trosts eau never impede transportation.
Gov. Smith, Of Georgia, says
This work will furnish the cheap trans
portation so much needed by the whole
country, will open home market for our
varied products more attractive than that
which the West now finds abroad, and In
my Judgment will cure the trouble com
planned Of without resOrting On the extra
ordinary expedient above referred 30.
Uniting, as it will do, two great systems
OF navigation, It's importance 10 the whole
country is so evident that il requires no
discussion. That il will greatly increase
the production of cotton is firmly believed
that It will furnish home market of vast
value TO the tOod-producing section, re-
quires no demonstration and that il will
give us OF the South what we most need
direct trade with foreign lands, immigra-
ton 10 NIL and build up our waste places
and an increase Of capital for the develop-
ment OF our resources, is susceptible of
the clearest proof The route has been
surveyed, and found eminently feasible.
The great need Of this section is cheap
food. Its soil and climate are not adapted
to the production Of grain, and the hiph
price Of breadstuffs has retarded its de-.
veIopment. The opening OF the proposed
canal will supply this need.
The census gives the average price of
corn m these States at 81 cents per bushel,
ana wheat az Slgl. In many counties,
and especially in the cotton belt, corn is
seldom less than $3.50 per bushel, and
often more than 81 per bushel
The scarcity Of food, and the excessive
prices demanded, force more than 50 900
600 Of acres In these States into grain.
This takes away from the production of
cotton about one-half the labor and capi.
tai of the South. These acres, planted
IN cotton, would add 2,5OO,O bales to our
foreign export, and increase the value of
that export about 5000, 100000 annually,
which would cause the wealth Of the world
TO How toward US, instead Of away from
US, as il has been doing in times past.
The engineers report gives the cost of
transportation by the proposed canal at
sass per ton for the same distance: that
is, from St Louis 10 Savannah. This Is n
saving Of $9.52 upon each ton, and an ag-
gregate saving Of $13,647, O24. " upon one
article in a single year the DEVELOPMENT Of
latent value Of nearly fourteen millions.
TO be divided between the producer and
the consumer.
The Southern people do not ask Con
gress Tor land or scrip to aid them in this.
but that the government shall back them
m the Sl2,NO,OOO necessary 10 carry out
the enterprise, by taking a mortgage on
each section as completed, with the power
10 sell or work at any time ii the interest
remains unpaid for thirty days, and this
as security for risk that viii not exceed
100000 in each ten miles. Granting this
aid involves no liability to the government
and while Il cannot add cent 10 the ma
tional debt or the present taxation, it will
be a source Of vast wealth, public aud pri-
vate, and will give US a national security
which we have not heretofore possessed.