New-York tribune., 1873-06-19
THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM

BUSINESS MEN JOINING HANDS WITH THE fAh'''-"'
AND PRoDUCERs--A GOVERNMENT ROAD fA'oiED'
An adjourned meeting OF the business hlen
interested in the solution Of the railroad transportation
prohlem was held Yesterday afternoon at the Importers
, crooor, Roord Of Trade at Wall and Pearl-sts. The
ec, ~ tho meeting was to promote the organization
f an ,ssociaon representing business interests WHICH
would he an active and influential auxiliary 10 'ho
American Cheap Transportation Association orRahzeu
by the Producers Convention at the Astor Rouse i"
Nav In n abatement entitled the Commercial inter
ess OF as Related 10 System OF IIahspora
tion.~ the promoters OF the organization say;
Tn nnrsuance OF the spirit Of the Producers request IL
ia propOsed 10 organize in this city an auxiliary assoc
tion from among the substantial merchants. VINO IcpIo
sent so large portion OF the commerce OF lne M &
When we reflect upon the immense SUMS pau W ui,
merchants and their customers for transpOIaon Hitu
how inseparably business interests are keu VIII @
this question 1t is matter OF wonder lhat Dusness %
nave NOT before formed association 10 protect he
interests against the compacily ORGANIZED cor ~ t
which the railways have made In ordeI tlt tluS s'
dictate terms shippers aud receivers OF ltelRnt'
The question OF what projects will be undertaken + vi
great interest to every merchant OF Iea
estate owner in this city. The SOuthW West pushing
the project OF an Improvement III the haVSaton oI p
Mississppi River thus obtaining an outlet VIA NeWOI
leans: Congressional excursion party IS now inspect
ing this route, under the auspices OF tne Cily O ~;
Ionis A convention OF Governors has just been held
at Atlanta to consider the advisaOy OF canal through
i tn ~ ~ tbe western states are advocating
canal through Virginia uniting the waters OF the h-
nawha and James Rivers, while the NOftn-NesI Is put
ing a system OF Improvements, prominent among "lCn
are the Michigan snip Canal aud canal arOunu niagara
Falls. The project OF a new callal through ouI oMu
state uniting the waters OF Lake Champlaln anu 1ne
Hudson was put forward in last Legislature but as
il had not been sufficiently studied ana cOsluereu was
postponed until next session All the aDoVemenuoned
schemes yet only on paper but Canad ~ puIsn
ance OF a law passed by the last DOmlnan Parliament
is at work enarlIng the Weland Canal WHICH, ls soon
as completed Will undoubtedly add largely to the con
siderable amount OF trade she has already diverted
from NeW-YOTk. All Of the above contemplate trans,
DortatOu By canal but there are many pracucal ana
Shire wd men who think that the relief we seek must
come from developing and Improving our ~ stem oi
railways. ,-,. =, -,, . a. .
senger roads and all calculations Of the capacity OF
railways for freight purposes ana the cost oi suIh Trans
traffic When reflect that freight trains are ODBeu
10 keep out OF the way OF passenger trans and under
favorable conditions cannot run more lha Ohequhfer
OF the time, can see under WhdI a qsuNahlaEe We
labor with double track road exclusively IoI irelgl
goods can be laid down IN ChcaBO Clhflhhau, or St'
Louis from New-IOTk In about three days Wmle the
average present Is about 10 days, the saving IN
interest alone upon the immense value OF goods con
stapty I'm transit would in few years 20 far toward
paying the OF constructing such road 10 say nOth
ing OF the saving the expense, estimated by good
Judges al onehaf present rates II the delays, un
certantes, and expense OF the present system were
thus modified New York merchants could increase their
business relations with the West 10 almost unlimited
extent; Western merchants COud carry smaller STOCKS
and do business upon less capital and, indeed, such
country because grain and other produce could be Tor
wared 10 the East at all seasons instead OF accumula
ting a the principal Western shipping ports during the
Winter as 10 now does tying up vast amounts OF capital
which, II liberated could bc kept Ia motion supplying
the West with the manuiact1rts oi tho East ana 'he
East with the produce OF the West.
No matter how much improve and increase our
produce OF the West, such as i've stocA &c as well as
much OF the manufactures OF the East muse always be
fOr frei gh necessity. IL Is said that the New
York Central and also the Pennsylvania Railroad,
freight; doubtless tuis would greatly increase their
but it Is also probable tHat Messrs Vanderbilt
ana tDat the people viii get but very slight abatement
in the charges now current on those roads, A freight
aud owned (lut not Operdted) by the Government.
such a road built snd owned by the National Govern
meut could not be forced into combination with tue
present mOnOpoHes as every piitato nne mas Deen @
hch has promised competition ana been Dut for that
what price freight could actually be carried at fair
profit tue private mOnopohes would have TO approxl-
This should Dc free 10 any corporation wn0 would
put rolling stock ~ and operate 1t under general
railway law, charging rates not over seven per cent GU
actual capital invested. Under such system New York
could have line OF their own Boston, Phil
adelpha Baltimore, Cincinnati, Chicago, ST. Louis, ana
all other principal cities and sections or country whose
interests Justified could, without trouble, stock trans
portaiOn company and have their freight carried FOR
cost the abuses of the present railway system the
inside TIngs the swindllug management the Credlt
Mobier" freight lines, and the watering OF the STOCK
IL necessary OI iIi"ay COMPANIES 70
the OF bushels OF AT the place Of production
10 get one Dushel TO market and We would mere ask,
WHAT Is the difference 10 he pOduCGr Mhethe ne lOses
OF the product OF his labor Dy failure IN
the CROP whether II is absorbed by the ABOVE aDuses
md of the commercial men of New-YOTk We would ask
this question: What is the difference you whether the
crops tail so that you have none To export or whether
abuses the price at the seaDOdrd 50 1hd the
world cannot afford to Duy themf In either case you do
do business, but III the latter case some other
city nay-by prOyiding facilities aud avoiding the
abOve-named evils--secure the commerce which you
lose Importing merchants however may say that the
question does not interest thein because they DO not
export any produce, but maintain that 1t does inter
tuem because If the producer does not get any thing
for his produce he Will not be able TO buy ana pay for
.af fh4Va raj
III is not intended that this movement shall be pO
cal one any further than the present monOpoles
pei It to II present legislators are cOnrOledDy
tbe corporaons TO 80 great extent that cannot
obtain relief then intend to have voting cOnsttu
ency strong enough that corrupt legislators may be
retired TO private life and put IN their places,
majority whom cannot DO DriDed 10 Detfay the inter
ests OF the people. IL Is essenlalya peoples move
meDt for it promises Increased facilities for commerce,
cheaper food for the people, reform III pubic morals,
and Is practical step toward Civii service REFORM;
New-YOrk merchants can accomplish, ana winch alone
of great value are as follows present New York
competing the trade OF the west az disadyan-
tage with Baltimore Philadelphia, andsboson, and the
average those cities 10 principal points West
from Is 10 70 cents per 100 pounds cheaper lan from
NewYurk The for THIS may be found IN the fact
that in Baltimore the Baltimore ANA ONO road is largely
owned by Baltimore merchants ana Is operated IN the
interest OF that city In Philadelphia the same may be-
said OF Pennsy lyania Central Railroad. In Boston
the same is true III regard to the Hew-England aud
Grand Trunk roads, while in NeW-YOrk, the great me-
tropOs OF the nation the trunk lines TO the West
pen hv a cone of stOck iobers who have no possible
interest IN the or the city beyond squeezing
the largest possible amount from IL tnat be OBJ
ined regardless of the fable OF goose ana the gOl
den egg 1t Is well known fact that during the past
wear large quantities Of goods have been shipped from
ork 10 West via Boston. such state OF things
Is anomalous, uni ust and reflects put little credit upon
the ability aud enterprise VI tue merchants OF NewYOrE
Tie combined influence OF 60J or 200 prominent New
York houses doubtless remedy tne matter and IL
redress can De obtained in this way ought without
d dfculty, TO control capital when combined with
Western connections 70 Duid merchants road to COM
petlng points West IL is not probable, however, that
sucn "A contingency wall arise because wnon We show
oar uower W obtain redress. 1ne transpOrtauo
companies have always had combination, cooperating
WIN eacu olner tOr tneir mutual p?OnL. Way should
moi the merchants do the same tDng
The gentlemen present represented various CONNER
ca interests formally organized for deberation by the
election OF william Duryea Chairman and f. b. Thur
Der as secretary Alter short consultation 1t was de-
cded TO appoint william c. Browning, L. B. Thurber
III Nnaars EnIrneld Mnrlin. and M vmnn Ia committee