New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-10
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION.
A PROBLEM FOR NETWORK TO SOLVE.

ENORMOUS FREIGHTAGE FROM THE NoRnI-wxSr-~
NECESSITY OF A DOUBLE TRACK FREIGHT RAIL
WAY OR or AN ENLARGEMENT on THE BRIH
cANAL-INEFFTCIENCY or THE PRESENT RoADs--
WHAT CANADA IS DoISG-WHAr SEw-foA
MUST DO.
TO the EDITOR OF The Tribune.
SIR: beg leave to state few facts for tbs
consideration OF Cheap Transportation Conventonts
be held tomorrow at the Cooper Iustitute between
the Rocky Mountains and Lake Michigan there Is teirf
tory enough including Of course the states now organ
ized 10 make IA States large "a Oio The commercS
OF these States all tributary 10 Lake Michigan or 70
the railways that east from Chicago at the sSuih
end Of 1t. Twenty-Five years this vast country was
very sparsely settled and most OF IL Is so still; but
nearly people scattered over lone
quarter OF the population OF the entire Union Tben
there we're not 100 miles OF railway in It; there
are 10000 miles, 5000 Of which built last year.
The shipments Of cereals, live stock, and pro-
visions from these 10000 square miles of territory
then exceedingly small for the last year Chicago
alone shipped than 100000 bushels OF cereals
eastward and yet the richness Of tins vast terrtory
only Just beginning be developed, Chicago rs now
daily receiving 100000 bushels OF grain Had she tss
means OF sendL 1t forward cheaply she could spare
every pound OF 10 Eastern markets. Enough iho'c
would be sent to her stores TO supply her own "ah'
In round numbers, this grain would load 2coO CARR
daily and would require the starting OF trains OF l cars
eastward every hour and ten minutes OF course this
to 75 OF our products will always be moved eastward
by water have not the figures at hand that show
our shipments OF live stock ana inc"
product, but they foot up to millions the manuia0-
red and other goods foreign and domestic that our
Western people receive exchange for their farm pro-
ducts are in almost fabulous amounts, and they and
vour merchants and manufacturers that supply them
are ali equally interested in the subject OF cheap trans
poration Aud, besides the figures OF this year anora
but the slightest index what they Will be at the close
of another quarter OF century when the population Oh
tho Northwest will far outrun the figures OF our
most reckless statisticans.
Since the opening OF the Erie Canal in 1926 and oy
the building OF her railways, New-York has virtually
had a monopoly Of trade Of the North West Can
she hold 1t Is the allmpOrant question TOT your mer
chants and capitalists to decide The average freight
on corn and wheat by water from Chicago to Newfork
last wear was II 10 22e by rail % 10 81 cents AZ
these rates. with local freghts added corn could not
he shiuped from Central and Western Iowa, ana
it was largely used there for fuel These rates
are entirely too high and there are nut we I'VE
| N make them less Ist Build double track railway
with steel rails and low grades for freight alone rom
New-YOrk 10 Chicago Let the work be done as low as
nossibe of actual cash. run the road honestly and as
business lower the rate Of ireg1ts acceRc
the stock to be watered Opinions OF railway managers
differ but 10 is barely possible that on sucn roal,
bushe Of corn and wheat may be reduced to II or 10
cents II must he reduced. or as VIII hereafter ap
| near You will surely lose the trade. 3D. ThOugn the
cost would be enormous, double the capacity OF mo
Erie Canal and cut off its business entirely IRON the
of the cost of repairs and the wages OF the p9lLcaI
bummers who manage them, not 10 sPeaT Tor p ,tself
long ago, and the State Of NewYork might well nave
canals and the vampires who have consumed its
revenues If enlarged it would be necessary 10 Ieeo
levels i'm the vicinity Syracuse already taxed TO It's
utmost capacity The feeder would have to be carried
Erie Canal should be greatly enlarged its lateral canals
should be Abandoned and Its thieves must be dTye zen
grain trade OF the Northwest. WI.
| But saws one you have mentioned the NewYork
far as can see they not 10 be considered when ds
Ssg lg and the NOr,West Unless some
can be found powerful enough to force the Water OUT
| exnected from their managers. They have virtually
| robbed the people OF millions of money-enough to
ana and tn thus procured sort Of legal indOrse-
81 their ot has Waeed his railway
stocks to the amount Of at least $4,000 per mile on
e@bt per cent For this enormous swndle upon the
commerce between the East and the West The people
seem 70 have remedy. But is simple truth 10 say
mat the Crangers OF the West will be % fad some
way TO DO it. AS to the Erie Jay Gould ana jun fss
issued stock and bonds sanctioned by the purchased
action of your legislators than the road origin
ally cost and then stole them as well aud now the
bonds aud declares dividends its stock regardless OF
the rascality by which 1t was issued BE assured the
gorge lower their charges for freights ana isres
down TO fair percentage on the aclua COST VI 'neh
| roads, ,. A..
Let me tell your merchants and capitalists that the
North West is not always 10 be forced 10 pay resuh
dividends from its commerce upon the watered STOCKS
OF the Erie aud the Central Railways. The BasmOro
| and Ohio road, are assured, VIII reach chicago
a The distance TO Baltimore from CncaSe
considerably less than 1t Is to New YORK we are
assured that il is being built rs cheapy as possible TOT
actual cash. and that charges will be adjusted to a
reasonable percentage of profit on Its exact cost Ne
watering its stock IS TO be tolerated But the main
| resource OF the West is in the enargement
| of the Welland and the st. Lawrence Canals
| Work on the Welland is now in progress, ana AZ
soon as Canada has time 10 recover from her Paclho
Railway scandal and and honest men are placed az
channels OF transit by water for vessels OF
1900 burden Our best informed shippers are SAT-
sfed that by this route corn ana wheat can be laid
| down IN Liverpool for what IL now costs 10 snip
! them from Chicago TO New-YOrk. IL Is agreed
| on all hands that II cents 70 Underwater
at Montreal will be the outside average figure aud many
hold gram trade OF the West she must prepare 10
compete with these prices. single cent per Dushei
other things being equal in favor OF the ST. Llwrenoe
will send all foreign shipments by that route How
there full six cents bushe, not more In favor
| OF the Canada routet
am glad your merchants are rouslng themselves 70
the situation. They grasp the trade OF continent
but let them not rest anced security PALMYRA, Al
exandria Venice, Genoa. Lisbon, Amsterdam-each one
led If not controlled, tue comncrce Ot tle world Ihey
! lost IL, and by no moro controlling than nov
Thu eaten the supremacy OF New YORK. You must get
raj ways, canals your CustOm-h0nse, ana AN
business transactions down 10 tue bedrock OF OLD
fashioned honesty II you would retain tue commerce Of
| the American continent. WE
NeW York, Sept. ~ 1873.
THE MEETING TONIGHT.
The call for the public meeting this even
ing at the Cooper Institute, for discussion upon tho
subject OF cheap transportation ana the formation OF