Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-05-05
TRANSPORTATION.
Plan of Investigation Adopted By the
Congressional Joint Committee.
Lake, Canal, River and Railroad Routes
Their Facilities and Charges.
The Western and the Southern Routes
Thorough Examination of their
Respective Advantages.

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: WASHINGTON, d. c., May l.-Th
: committee ON transportation routes, O
which Mr.. Window, of Minnesota, i
! chairman, has decided upon a plan o
, investigation which is embraced in thu
following general divisions:
First-Lake and st. Lawrence routes
, Second-Lake Erie, canal and th,
. Hudson river route.
: Third-The James river and KanawhG
canal route, embracing the Improvement
of the Kanawha and Ohio rivers.
Fourth-The proposed Georgia cana
route.
Fifth-Mississippi and gulf route.
! Sixth-The various railroad routes
from the interior to the coast.
In regard to the lake and st. Lawrence
river route, inquiries will be made as tc
the advantages which this route offers
for through transportation from interior
ports to Europe. The practicability oil
employing lake sailing and steam YES
sells on the st. Lawrence river and
canal, and on the ocean; the
commercial advantages offered at
I Montreal for transhipment of mer-
chandise; charges on Canadian canals;
the capacity of those canals; actual ton
mage and number of vessels employed
on this route during the last twenty-five
| years; actual value and amount of
American productions exported to for
eign ports by this route, Uia Montreal
and Quebec, during the last twenty-five
years; actual cost of transportation to
European ports; probable time required
! by sailing and steam vessels from lake
ports to Liverpool, and the disadvan-
tages of the route arising from ice, fogs
and other dangers of navigation; and
shortness of the season of navigation,
freight charges, insurance, etc.
In regard to the Erie canal and Hud-
son river route, inquiries will be made
as to the actual freight charges from
lake ports to New York during the last
twenty-five years, cost of transportation
per ton per mile, cost of tranship-
ments from lake vessels. to canal
boats, including the general subject of
storage of corn and grain while awaiting
the demands of consumption, length of
the season of navigation, time con
sumed in navigation, probable reduc-
ton of charges by the proposed enlarge
ment of the Erie canal for the capacity
of boats of six hundred tons, and the
probable increased capacity of the canal
as commercial highway by such pro-
posed enlargement, rates of insurance,
relative advantages offered by this route
and OF freight railways, etc.
1n regard to the James river and Kan
awha canal, investigations will be made
IN regard to the value of the Ohio river
as commercial tributary of the canal.
the geographical limits and population
OF the territory seeking this outlet to the
seaboard, probable amount of western
products which would pass through this
canal If now completed, probable cost of
enlarging and completing the James
river and Kanawha canal and its con-
hections, probable time required to COM
plete the same, and the cost of such
construction and Improvements, length
or season of navigation, etc.
A similar investigation to the above
VIII be made in regard to the proposed
Georgia canal route from the Tennessee
river to the Atlantic. In regard to the |
Mississippi river route the committee !
Will inquire as to the actual freight |
charges from various river ports to New |
Orleans during the last TWENTY-FIVE
years; depth of water for navigation |
from the several river ports to New Or |
leans at all seasons during the same ne
riod; the practicability of transporting |
corn and grain in bulk in the Mfssissip- |
pi river and its tributaries and storing If |
at New Orleans; number of days of s1s-
pension of navigation at st. Louis and |
other river ports on account of ice or low
water; the amount and value of corn
and grain exported from New Orleans
during the last twenty-five years: ton
mage and pilot charges at New Orleans:
rates of insurance; probable cost of pro-
posed improvements of the Ohio river
and Mississippi above st. Louis, and
rates OF freight from New Orleans to
ports of Europe and the North Atlantic
ports during the last twenty-five wears.
Under the sixth division, which relatesl
to railroad routes from the interior to the
coast, the committee will inquire as TO
-he actual cost of the several trunk roads
exclusive of watered stock; actual
-reight charges per ton per mile during
he last twenty-five years; percentage
Of the freight receipts consumed by
lctual cost of transportation; time ordi-
larily consumed in the transportation
)f agricultural products of the west from
principal points to seaports; cost of
shipment and storage
peed and maximum profit for freight
rains; relative charges for through and
way freights, and other inquiries. For
he purpose of ascertaining how rail-
Dad facilities for the transportation of |
western produce to the east can be !
increased, the committee will person.
lily examine each of the water !
outes. Such examinations to be made 7
With the special view of determining !
he relative value of each, as they al
AVE their advocates, who are desirOus
# receiving share of the attention of
he committee. The kind of informa- 4
ion desired can only be obtained from i
iersonal observations by visiting the L
arious localities. Inquiries will be
nade as to freight charges from New C
tork and other ports OF the United {
'tates to European ports during the last a
years; value and amount ofl
orn and grain imported into England f
nd various other corn and grain i'm g
orting countries; the average price Oft b
orn at lake ports, at ports on the At y
antic and Pacific coast, and at various Z
,reign ports, during the last twenty u
We years; rate of Insurance, etc, etc. C
Inquiries will be made in regard to a
le Canadian laws or commercial regu- d
Itions which discriminate in favor of T
ritish vessels, or which operate in the a
ature of such discrimination. The c.
Immittee viii ascertain the annual in
'ease of the product of the west requir-
e transportation to the east, and the n
'lative increase Of railroad mileage in K
le western States, and of routes for x
such products from the Sc
est to the seaboard. They win also sy
Dtain the most reliable information hi
hich can be had from official and other in
'urces as to the amount of the surplus L
,oduct of each of the western States
Id demand for this surplus by geo. hl
'aphieal districts, viz: Eastern States, IS
iddle States, south Atlantic States, III
llf States and foreign countries, thus M
stermining the relative value of home M
Id foreign markets. While thecOmmit- w
e have thus prepared for themselves q
lart embracing the general scope of in
Ieir inquiries, the plan viii be modi- In
I'd and enlarged in such a manner as In
ay apDear TO be reouirad by the rasl1Ifa n