The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-07-31
The Transportation Question.

The transpof alton problem is not only the
most important one of the present, but the
most difficult to be solved. 1t is important
because upon it depends the Development Of
the country For instance Great Britain is
compelled to purchase from other countries
two hundred million bushels of wheat or its
equivalent in -four. OF this amount the
United States, the greatest wheat producing
country in the world, furnishes Tut twenty
million bushels. Nevertheless wheat is SO
cheap and plenty in some parts of the great
West that it will not pay for the harvesting
and marketing. 1t need not be added that
this condition is wholly caused by the ex-
pense of carrying the crop from the place of
production to the seaboard, which with the
dealers commission amounts to more than
the producer receives or about sixty cents
bushel.
1t is this state of affairs that has caused the
almost universal hostility of the farmers of
the West to what is termed the railroad mo-
nopoly. The railroad managers on the other
hand declare that they are doing the business
as cheaply as they can afford to do it, and to
make their assertion good, they turn to their
small dividends for the proof of its correctness.
The fact that the great railroad magnates, like
Vanderbilt, are becoming enormously rich,
would throw some suspicion upon the state
ment of the railroad managers, were it not
a well known fact that the smallness of
the dividends is wholly due to the vast
amounts of fictitious stock upon which they
are paid, which on several of the great lines is
two or three times the actual cost of the
roads, If it was not for this profuse watering
of stock, the dividends on the actual cost of
the roads would be enormous. In addition
TO this the present lines are entirely made
quate to do the business that in spite of every
obstacle and outrage, is doubling every few
years, and which would increase many fold if
the means of cheap transportation could be
obtained to such an extent as to quicken the
production of cereals which can be increased
to most any extent when it promises to pay.
Indeed, it is estimated that the surplus wheat
crop of the country, in flew years, under
the Indictment of cheap transportation, would
be fivehnndred million bushels.
The question is how to utilize the possible
is difficult enough at best, but the multipliti-
ty of interests renders it more embarrassing.
We are told by one party that the only
economical route for grain is by the lakes
and new Niagara ship canal, and thence |
down the st. Lawrence; by another party
that the only true way is for the United |
States to purchase and enlarge the Erie canal
Al Iolro - H.
that the government must build a through |
freight railway from New York to Chicago;
by another that the government must dig
ship canal from Ontario to the James River;
by another that similar outlet must be
made by the way of the Savannah river; and
by still another that the Mississippi river at
New Orleans must be connected by series of
ship canals along the gulf coast and across
Florida with the Atlantic Ocean below Savan-
nah.
The Transportation Committee of the
United States Senate have been spending the
summer in looking into this matter, and if
they have not gained much practical infor-
nation, they have doubtless listened to some
fine general talk in favor of each OF these
routes. But so far as we have been able to
learn, the projectors and advocates of each
contemplate government aid and are so far
entirely Objectionable. The Union Pacific
= was so grand a scheme and afforded so good
an opportunity for spectators to create
Credit Mobiliers aud get rich out of watered
stock dividends that thousands of greedy ones
are anxious to engage in similar frauds
Fortunately the sober sense and bet
ter intelligence of the nation are OPP
posed to the scheme of government aid. The
farmers of the West are not in favor of it and
the party conventions in both sections have
declared against such a use of public money.
1t is said, however, that Mr.. WINDOWS COM
mittee will report in favor of the schemes
above mentioned, and, in general way, rec
ommend the aid of the government; and in
view of this it may be safely predicted that
the spectators of the county, the Wander.
bits, Drews, and Goulds, or their kindred
are preparing for the fiercest assault upon the
United States Treasury at the coming session
of Congress ever known in the history of a
nation.
AS much as the country needs additional
railroad lines to the West, it is not prepared
to run the risk of the decentralization and cor
ruption that comes from the participation of
the government in enterprises not contem-
plated in its formation. There must be some
other solution of the pressing question of
cheap Transportation.