New Orleans Republican., 1873-03-14

We reproduce the subjoined editorial from
y hn AZ N1.rIr

We reproduce the subjoined editorial from
the New York Erening Pos.:
Il is certainly fac: that the leading ON.
| merclal WORK OF the day which surpasses
| all other works IN magnitude and cOmpre-
bensiveness, Is the Improvement of the
. means of transport between tie Mississippi
! valley and the markets o. Europe In for
mer ages the great lines of commerce ran
| from Europe to Brazil and the Asiatic
| coasts. At later time half the capital of
| the world was absorbed in the commerce
| between England and India. To-day it is
| the Mississippi, valley that commands more
| money, ships and enterprise than any other
| part of our habitabe globe. And this be
! cause it has become the grand food pro-
! GuciDg area of the world. and, with the
| region furthe. west. MUST remain so for
| centuries.
The rival powers aOw contending for the
! trade of this vast region are represented
| by all the main trunk railroads which reach
! tho Atlantic cOast-the New York Central,
! with its Western connections and that with
| Boston. the Erie. the Pennsylvania and
| the Baltimore and Ohio. Besides these are
the Canada roads, the Chesapeake and
! Ohio (unfnshedi, ana new trunk line
| just completed, making connection be
tween st Louis and Port Royal, South
Carolina. 1t has hardly dawned upon the
world yet that this vast cOmbina ton OF
capital and machinery has for its principal
object the trade in food products and es-
pecially in the food products OF the Missis-
| sippi valley and the West.
The leading fact is that the consumption
of the world is famishingiy close upon the
heels of production. No circumstance is
more significant of this than the feyersh
anxiety with which the quotations of grain
and corn are watched in all markets, and
especially in Europe. The slightest rumble
of war sets every nation to boarding grain
The failure, as we may call it, of the meat
supply in Europe throws a prodigious de-
mand over our agricultural products of
every kind. Two combinations have been
| formed in England recently-One for the
| supply of beef from Texas, the other
| to improve tho facility of Transportation
between the Mississippi valley and the
| Atlantic coast. The latter is pro
| iected with reference to the supply OF
| food generally; and it is remarkable that it
| should originate in England instead of in
| the United States. 1t signifies, what has
| been long known, that the means of trans
port between the West and our shipping
| ports are managed III the interest of few
| mOnopolizing corporations. and that the
| public service for which their charters were
| granted is held of secondary consequence.
| But yet further, it signifies that the trans
| pert Is altogether Inadequate to the service
Even III OuL bcSL HuPDlIfl Eastern markets
the mass of people suffer for want of a
| wholesome variety of food through a great
! part of the year, especially in winter, Whilo
III the West they burn their corn for fuel.
! The entire mississippi valley is in actual
! blockade FOR want Of the means OF trans.
| port. We have heard the estimate of food
| products now stagnated at the great ship
| ping p0ints-ChicagO. Detroit. Buffalo 81.
! Louis. Cincinnati. and the country gen
| orally. placed indefinitely, by well in
! formed railway president at millions upon
| IallliOns OF tons" There as no doubling the
| facts.
, Tho organization Of company in Eng
! land to examine into the causes of hin.
| Grance, and, if possible, to remove the OBJ
! etructions 10 transport between the Missis.
| sippi valley and the Atlantic coast. is GER
| taInly fact of extraordinary meaning.
! There is capital behind this measure.
| stated commission has been sent out. which
| has established its headquarters at ST.
! Louis, having decided, after examining the
several centres Of distribution, that the
work could be best facilitated tr0n that
! point.
1t is interesting to know, in view Of shs
| great food problem, that new line OF rail;
| way has Just been completed between
| augusta. Georgia, and Port ROYAL, Sontl
! Carolina. The last TaiEs were laid on Sat
! urdav, March |, and the opening of the
| road is announced. This gives what the
| South has never yet had. a Geep-water har-
| bor on the Atlantic coast. Port Royal has
! long been known as second, in it's favorable
| topography and the depth of its channel.
! INST even to the harbor OF New York. The
| :riangulatiOn by Captain 6. O. Boutelle.
under the direction of the late superintend-
| ent of the coast survey. A. ID. Bache. shows
:. minimum depth of .wenty-tOur feet at
low water to the docks of the port. Cal-
| taia BOutelle says. in describing the har.
! Dor: The entrance is easy. and is now
we'll marked by buovs. go placed that it is
only requisite to sail from buoy to buoy.
leaving each on the side indicated by it's
color. 10 enter or leave the port without q
pilot. BY a first class port mean ono into
which any vessel vet built can enter
AS if nature intended to leave nothing
wanting to renew the fertility of the soil IL,
the South, it Is in the immediate vicinity OF
Port Royal that inexhaustb!e beds Of bone
phosphate have been recently discovered.
st. Louis may Se assumed as the central
point from which this invaluable fertilizer
may be most readily distributed over the
Mississippi valley. 1t is distant from Port
Royal $40 miles, shorter distance by 80
miles than between New I Ork and st. Louis.
With this difference in its favor, there ap-
roads leading to the Atlantic may not carry
on q successful competition with the north.
err aud force the latter to adopt more lib
era! ideas Of business than they now en-
tar:ain.