Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-04-29

to be Of such magnitude as to require prompt
and efficient State action for its prevention,
and to justify any measures that may be
proper and within the range Of national au'
ihorty.
1t is believed by the committee that great
good would result frem the passage OF State
laws prohibiting officers of railway companies
from owning or holding, directly or ihdirect'
! ly, any interest in any "non-cooperatiSe
freight line" or car company operated upon
| the railroad with which they are connected
in such official capacity.
7. For the purpose of procuring and lay
| ing before Congress and the country such
| complete and reliable information concerning
the business of transportation and the wants
| of commerce as will enable Congress to legis-
late intelligently upon the subject, 1t is rec
commended that bureau OF commerce IN one
of the Executive Departments of the Govern
ment be charged with the duty of collecting
| and reporting to Congress information con-
corning our internal trade and commerce, and
be clothed with authority of law, under reg
ulatons to be prescribed by the head OF such
Department, to require each and every rail-
way and other transportation company en-
gagged in inter State transportation to make
report, under oath of the proper officer OF
such company, at least once each year, which
ItpOTt euCulu cuUTdCt, aiming OtHci AoNtet
the following, namely: /. The rates and
fares charged from all points of shipment on
its line in one State to all points of destination
in another State. including classifcations and
distances. and all drawbacks, deductions, and
determinations; 2. A full and detailed state
ment of receipts and expenditures, including
the compensation of officers, agents, and en-
ployees of the company; 3. The amount Of
stock and bonds issued, the price at which
they were sold, and the disposition made Of
the funds received from such sale; 4. The
amount and value of commodities transported
during the year, as nearly as the same can be
ascertained, together with such other facts as
may be required BY the head of such bureau,
under the authority of law.
The committee are Of opinion that the prob
lem of cheap transportation is to be solved
through competition rather than by congress
sionsl enactments. But they have no faith in
competition between lines owned by COM
panies as at present. Such competition ends
in consolidation. If the government however
become, the owner of some of the principal
lines it would compel other lines by its COM
petition to conform to its rates. The com
nittee believe that water routes are cheaper
for heavy freightlng than land routes.
After most careful consideration of the
merits of various proposed improvements,
taking into account the cost, practicability
and probable advantages of each, the COM
mittee have come to the unanimous conclu-
sion that the following are the most feasible
and advantageous channels of commerce to be
created or improved by the national govern
ment, in case Congress snail act upon this
subject, namely First, the Mississippi River;
second, continuous water-line of adequate
capacity from the Mississippi River to the
city OF New York, via the northern lakes;
third, route adequate to the wants of com
nerce, through the central tier of States,
from the Mississippi river, by the way of the
Ohio and Kanawha rivers, to point in West
Virginia, and thence by canal and slack
water, or by freight railway to tide-water;
fourth, route from the Mississippi river, by
the way of the Ohio or Tennessee rivers, to
point in Alabama and Tennessee, and thence
by canal and slackwater, or by a freight
railway to the ocean.