The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-07-17
Relative Cost of Transportation by
Land and Water.
From the Washington Chronicle.

| From the Washington Chronicle1
1t is generally conceded that trans
p, portation by water is necessarily cheaper
than transportation by rail. Whether
well founded or not, the people believe
it, and on account Of this conviction they
are demanding the completion of water
| lines across the country from the MiSsis-
sippi river to the Atlantic cities.
1t might be well for some one to inves-
tigate this subject thoroughly on scien
tiic and practical principles. there are
many existing facts which would seem to
weigh heavily against this theory A few
may be named by way of illustration
1. Before the general Introduction of railroads,
many rivers We're used for the purposes of naviga-
ton which are now abandoned.
2 Many canals, heretofore employed profitabIy
for commercial purposes, now barely pay expenses
OF repairs and manae ement, totally disused.
B. some OF the best paying railways lie along the
channel of navigabe rivers, the shores of our
great lakes, and by the
4 double track railroad from Albany n Y
to Buffalo, has been successfully competing with the
owners of this railway are at present putting down
a second double track in order to accommodate the
constantly increasing demands made trans
portation beyond its present capacity.
g. double track railway ON the east side of the
Hudson river is new being supplemented by another
on the western shore and the tonnage of the river
said to be relatively diminishing
6. Connecting lines CT railroads are being rapidly
laid both sides of the Mississippi river from ST
Paul TO New Orleans, which are compelled 10 com
pete with the father of waters for business.
l. The relative dininuton of coastwise tonnage
IN the United States, which protected by law from
all competition " foreign vessels greater than the
relative dirlinutio1. of the tonnage of American
could not be satisfactorily accounted for any
other HYPOTHESIS than ire successful competitor Of
railways aione the coast with seagoing ships.
These undisputed and incontrovertlbIe
facts are worthy of consideration in a
thorough examination of the subject Of
internal transportation
Freights by rail at higher rate may
sometimes be preferable to freight by
water on lower terms, on account of
speed, time being an important element
in many commercial transactions.
But there ought to be some satisfacto
ry mode of testing the necessary cosYof
each of these modes of transporta fion.
The capital invested must secure fair
return. The cost of improving rivers, of
constructing and operating canals, the
cost Of crafts suited to each, their wear,
tear and risk could be ascertained with
the cost of receiving and discharging
freights. The necessary average cost of
constructing railroads. their rolling stock,
wear and tear Of track and machinery,
with the expense of operating them could
be ascertained, for the purpose of com
parison.
1t is said by the merchants of st. Louis
that they can send grain to New Orleans
by water for 6 cents per bushel, and from
New Orleans to Liverpool for 16 cents,
being % cents from the Mississippi; river
to that destination while they assert
that by rail to the Atlantic and thence to
the European market, costs 90 in the
summer and Is cents in the winter.
On the other hand the Chicago mer-
chants assert that it need not cost over
cents per bushels by rail from their city
to New York, Philadelph hia or Washing
ton. IF the latter averment can be re-
lied on, it is manifest that transportation
by rail may become the most economical
The whole subject ought to be thorough
ly analyzed.