Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-09-25
Rutland 1ailg 9erald.
rllE RUTLAND HERALD.
THE TRANSPORTATION cow
MITEEE.

THE Tk TkANSPDhAAEEO COW-
MITTEE.
n is not usually subject of con
rranIati0n when a Congressional com
,nnter start on an excursion through the
country upon a tour of observation or
Investigation but we have had some
hopes that good would result from the
wapdcrings of the Senate committee on
TRANSFORMATION, and we have watched
their progress with interest, and shall ex-
pprt their report to contain something
hp,in, glittering generalities and sub
aucd platitudcs upon the great scheme
If giving government control over rail:
rorls. or a recommendation that Uncle
SAN shall elect the officers of the differ
rnt transportation lines across the con-
Garu. The committee have made
iau-u-v to Canada, and been iu consul
tion with Her Majesty's officers in that
Dominion. and appear to he making
anxious efforts to learn all that the ex-
,c0ence Of that flOurishing province,
has taught her merchants and business
men, tor the purpose of comparing their
record with ours.
Senator Conkling, a member of. the
Committee, in his after-dinner speech
while going through Lachine Canal, said
diat ope of the problems of our states
Bauship, is to grasp for the United
States. all carrying trade on land and
sea which we can win in the battle of
competition. Whcn the interests of the
Emitted States and Canada afe alike they
would ioin together, when they were
different they would engage in generous
rivalry, friendly grapple for the mas
tery. but that there was no hostility in
American councils towards their north
crn ncighbors. 4 ruthless rebellion
rolled upon us a great debt which bur
dens our people, though steadily melting
away, and then he resumes, . Show us
how IN transport cheaply the growth OF
Che West into the port Of New York,
and nur debt vanishes like the shadow Of
= rarting hour. He then passed de-
served tribute to henatural facilities for
water transportation that Canada pos
s.sscd. and encouraged that province to
develop all her resources in tho carrying
trade by the declaration that no ANITA
.onisn exists in the competition that
dives inspiration to enterprises OF pro
gress.
The declared object of this commit
tee in going out of the jurisdiction of
the nation. one branch of whose govern
ment they represent, is to learn the best
and cheapest route to the seahoard. The
oroblen has been worked out far enough,
that it is apparent that we must have en-
iarged facilities, and that relief can come
only with greater competition We took
occasion to suggest, few days ago. that
the building up of manufactures in such
places as would remove the necessity OF
transporting any raw materials, more
than are absolutely necessary, would
give some relief to the oyercrowded
lines, and we renew that suggestion here.
Every ton of iron ore that is transported
amile beyond what is necessary toreach
asmelting fire, is an absolute burden TO
the country. Every ton of refuse mar
bic that is drawn away from the quar-
Tes to cumber the ground of different
cities, is loss of energy and waste of
power. Let this committee of the Sen
ate, when they make their report, sug-
gosl any relief they can by increasing
competition, it will remain an incontro-
vertabe fact, that the crowding lines,
cars and boats, with wilste materials, is
an important element to be eliminated,
inincreasing competition.
Labor saving machinery has already
revolutionize6 the Industries of the
country. And one of the principal ideas
OF modern progress is how to save labor
and time If ship loaded with wheat
at Chicago could float into the harbor at
New York without breaking bulk, so
that all the labor of transferring cargoes,
or Of moving freights, was the steady
progress of the steam engine in Propel-
ling the loaded transports, we should
fnd great saving of labor and power TO
the present method of railroad transpor-
iation or part rail and part water. We
believe this may he done by connecting
with ship canals the waters of the great
lakes, the ST. Lawrence River, Lake
Champain and the Hudson River The
route of this committee is such that they
must see the feasibility of this plan, and
their report win undoubtedly contain
valuable information on this subject.
We believe, however, that in the consid-
eration of the question of how to cheap
en- freights we should also, so far as
practicable, consider also the kindred
one of how we could lessen freights by
neYertransporting unnecessary materials.
Libel suits are as plenty as thisties in
Canada. There isn't respectable news
paper in the Dominion that hasn't
dozen or two on its hands.
The Courier-Jouy7eR says that when
Cincinnati whisky fails to kill a man,
there is nothing else that can, and he
Would just as soon jump from the top
oI a nine story house into pile of pig
metal as to come down on an elevator.
A lady of the shoddy aristooracy at
81. Joe found, ON returning from walk.
some call-eards on her table. She called
servant In great haste, saying, "John,
Jonn, take these and run quick! them
ladies is forgot their tickets