New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-11
TRANSPORTATION.
Meeting of Congressmen on abe subject
of Cheap Trnnsp0rfHfiOu-intere
SneecheA Made.


Meeting of Congressman on ahe subject
speeches Made.
WASHINGTON. January fs.Aa number of
the mem bers of the House of Representa-
tives met tonight at the room of the Com
mittee on Judiciary. Ia pursuance OF call
numerously signed, to take into cOnsiderH
ton the subject of cheap transportation.
REPRESENTATIVE Dunnell, of Iowa, was
called to the chair. and Representatives
Barrere. of Illinois, and Hereford, Of West
Virginia. were appointed secretaries.
Representative Holman, of Indiana, being
called upon for some remarks, alluded to
the fact that during the late Congress the
appropriations for rivers and harbors ex-
ceeded a little over S., OOO, 600, and said that
it was currently reported an effort would
be made to reduce them this session to
So, ,0O0, 900 What was TO be the
policy OF Congress on the subject
of cheap transportation was
matter of great moment, but If there was
TO be such reduction as had been reported
it need not affect cheap transportation, as a
very large part of the appropriations usually
being for socal objects, these might in
the reduction be dispensed with, and the
appropriations applied to a few specific OBJ
iects. where the entire States were con-
sidered and where the money would be
spent for the benefit of the people at large.
Representative Sener, Of Virginia, said
his State had long been committed to cheap
transportation, and would indorse any and
every proposition having that object in
view. He was anxious the meeting should
pledge itself to support only such measures
Of the Committee on Railways and Canals
as shall represent all the interests of the
country. not only the James River and
Kapawha cana'e bUc al other projects for
cheap transportation
REPRESENTATIVE yIuriburto Of Illinois. a
member of the Committee on Railways and
Canals, said he came here to receive in
formations There were before the commit
tee projects Involving an expenditure OF
$50. .000, ,00A All OF them had their friends
While many of the projects were local or
sectional. some of them were national
Although in the section where he lived
there was no immediate connection with the
MissssiI pi river. yet that river was
important to the agricultural inter
ests of illinois as large. lie looked
Oh the Mississippi civeE as Mp. Cal!
houn did. pamelyo ss an inland sea
which came under the heads of such I'm
| nroyements as those dor which Congress
| might make appropriations. and therefore
| he was in favor of the Fort ST Philip canal
| The report Of the engineers on this suhiec,
! would soon be furnished 20 the committee
| There were otheg projects for facilitating
commerce. probably as important to the
| country az this wass, and which mlghp or
might Eot receive considerations The
J improvement of the great lakes, and the
! means of rendering navigation accessible
! to the sea was second to none OF the othef
schemes proposed for cheap transportation
! which included the deepening OF the St
| Clair Il t4ts and the Niagara canal.
= h..re w:il before
| tee d project for a canal across New York
| so as to divert to the canal the Western
produce which now sought An outlet
| through the st. Lawrence rivers
Another scheme was the opening OF ss,e
Tennessee river through various channels
| to afford some outlet to the Atlantic, 80 as
| to reach Georgia or South Carolina. This
| was also project of inquiry for the com
mittee, who were waiting for the report o1
| the engineers.
There were other schemes OF like nature
| and Importance. The cry in the West was
| for some immediate action on the part OF
| Congrs SIS, and to relieve them from engOrge
ment, from the overflow of productions 0t
! the Mississippi valley. There was growing
| up a weI-tounded complaint against rail
| roads. This had been going on tor ten OF
| eleven years, and had extended to other
| States. A Subcommittee had reported tC
| d
| DO considered by them, providing for a
| board with a view to reduce the exor
bitant rates now charged by railroads
He thought the committee would
| indOrse this bill and report it next week
! He was satisfied Congress- could act upon
| this subject under the power to regulate
| commerce between the States, and gave
| his views in favor of freight railroad
| thirteen hundred miles in length, showing
| the great advantages which would result
both to tho Western producer and thu
| Eastern consumer, while the road itsel
[ would be a source Of great profit
He could, he said, prove that with an en-
| terprise of this character there would bt
| such reduction of transportation rates al
| would enable US to compete in the European
markets with the wheat of the Black ses
and the Mediterranean. An appropriation
| to construct a double track railroad frOn
some point on the Hudson, near New York
| to Council Bluffs, with branches to st
Louis and Chicago had been made, but thu
projectors require the United States Il
| guarantee the payment of interest on a Ger
tain portion af their bonds.
He hoped, in the course of a few week
| time. to prepare q bill embodying in it {
| pledge Of the United States, with sucf
| guards and guarantees as would preven
the occurrence of such impositions by rail
roads as those to which they were nov
subject.
Representative Suttreil, of California
said he was in favor of cheap and speedy
transportation. and the most he could d'
| was to vote for it. Ha desired the appoint
ment of committee of nine to make suci
I suggestions to the Committee on Railroad
| and Canals as would express the views o
| this meeting in behalf of the general nter
ests of agriculture, and that they would al
| vote for such measures az would accOmplis
| the object desired. The farmers of Cal
! fornia, he said. were almost bankrupt b.
the excessive freights, and were the slave
Of monopoly.
Representative Herford, of West Virgins
said that it WAS proposed to vote so 900 90
for the navy, and S26, ,000, 900 or $27 900 0O
for the army in time Of peace, but that yer
little money was appropriated for th
West. Instead of voting to reduce. b
should vote to increase the appropriation
for rivers and harbors.
Representative Mckee, of Mississipp
said that while there was much talk abOr
retrenchment, they al knew that . gos
deal of money would b spent, for man
members Of Congress have bills prepare