The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-11-03
Tie ia ShntrsEwatsf-L,nsss

UHfiugthe session OF the Henat6 LON NIT ll
tee on|Trausportat,on. in LSuhyille, Mr.sJ-
j. PORTER, late President of-the Board Of
Trade of that scity, was examined. hF.
PonrEn was the chairman Of a committee OF
the National Board Of Trade, which passed
two weekzsa 3the. White Sulphur Springs
in Angus, ,6o, considering the subject OF
the central water-line.. In answer to cues
tons propounded to him he said that the
committee made, report which was subse-
ouently adopted by majority Of more than
two.thirds of the National Board.
This report asserted that water-line OF
communication between the Valley of the
Mississippi and the Atlantic seaboard vas
necessity for the transportation OF the pro-
ducts Of the West and East and for the ship
nent of heavy manufactured goods West
that such water-line from the mouth of the
kanawha river up that stream to New river,
and up that river to the mouth Of the Green:
brier, thence to the summit of the Allegha'
MES, and upon the eastern slope OF that
mountain to the James river and Hampton
Roads, was the most central and practical
route for such water-line and that this pro-
ject was of such vast importance that the
Government could afford to give aid to it. #
Mr.. PORTER further stated that the COM
mttee of which he was chairman found that
very little freight could be carried by rail
profitably at less than one and a quarter cents
per ton per mile, and that they found that
freight could be carried by water at less than
one.third of that amount.
Mr.. PORTER stated that the committee had
examined the relative markets and all the
water-lines to the Atlantic as an outlet for
western produce and gave the decided pre-
ference to the central or Virginia water-line
over them all: and he further stated that ii
was believed by the committee that western
rriglts-tuking st. Louis or Cairo as fair
connecting points-Would take the james
River and Kanawha canal rather than other
competing lines. To this statement he added
that the central line, according to an average
of several years, would be INSTRUCTED by ict
for only thirty days.
Mr.. PORTER estimated the tobacco sales in
Louisville at $4,000 hogsheadS, valued al
sl1 100000. Fer this staple Mr.. PORTER;
views were directed to the central water
line as the best outlet.
Resolutions Of the Louisville Board o.
Trade decidedly iayoring the construction
of the water.line by congressional aid were
presented to the Transportation Committee
The testimony in behalf Of the great work
given in Louisville was very strong, and was
received with marked respect by the com.
miltee.
While on the subject we copy the follow.
ing paragraph from the st. Louis GLOBE:
eve are advised by those who have tho.
roughly examined this question that, equa-
ting the distance, actual and lockage, pro-
duce can be put at the CapeS Of Virginia by
the central water-lne through the Firginias,
including transfers and tolls, at 145 cents
Der bushel New York at Is cents; Liver
pool at 30; cents. Time to Hampton Roads,
thirteen days to New York, fourteen days ;
to Liverpool, twenty-siX days. The canal
has both the distance and speed and cheap
ness over the river, if New York or Liver
pool are the objective points, but ITS capacity
is far below it. Yet it occurs to us that
ST. Louis has commercially slch an in
terest in this central water-line through Vir-
einia that 1t would be unwise In our people
not to impress on the congressional commit
Tee, row with lis, charged with this trans
portltion question with our deep concern in
this important outlet to the sea-