, 1874-01-13
TIE CnEAp-T TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM.
What tho GrunHcrS Ask OF COnErNssa
Hashfngton 1faH. Correspondence u the Ntn York
Tribtttit,

What tho GrunHcrS Ask OF Congress-
Washington Gan. y Correspondence " the NeD York
Trib,t,.t.
An Iowa Congressman, when asked recently
What practical steps the supporters Of the choapa
transportation movement asked Congreae&
tako to accomplish the ends sought by t]iol,, ro-
piiod that in the present condition Of the Na-
o.i toaa treasury no Large we're ef-
Or subsidizo railways; but that there woro throo
important things tint Congress- could do to ro-
liovo the farmers OF the West. Tho first thing
was, ho saia,, to FREQ from all distractions tho
tho Continent to tho sea, nnmoly: tho
MissiRBppi River. Tho mouth Of tho
Mississippi, Is 80. obatractoa by tho bars
as to nuke 1t impossible for vesaes Of
deop draught to ontor, except at favorable tides.
II the best way WIS to remove these ba1s, il
ought to bo done at once. ho thought. evon il
The undertaking should bo o very costly one.
Ihc fact i, tbat tho removal cannott. from tho
nature ct Of &things, be- permanent. L tho pro-
at once.
Free accoss to the ocoan having boon thus
secured to the entire Mississippi Valley, tho
second thing for Congress- to do was to enable
tho shippers Of produce to roach tue river With
their freight at a. cost that would make tt possl-
blo 70 ahip It By that route, and this could only
DO donoby Legislation to prohibit tho railways
'front.' from mixing kin deoriminating CHARGES. At
discriminate In their freight tariffs against
all tho towns upon tue Mississippi. in
order to compel the transportation Of pprrotduce
over their lines to the East. Tho charge por
lpgton, Dubuque, or h1uacalno is in grossly
unjust proportion to tho through rates to CHI
cago md Now York, go that tho shipper ia not
benefited BY tho cheap rates upon tho river,
and cannot avsil himself Of them Tho rail-
roads must also be restrained from disorimi-
nating against tho north and aouth lines that
intersect them, because tho Upper Mississippi
is frozen in winter, and an i1npoItant feature in
the oheaI',t5nnsportation programnlois tho trans:
west trunk lines to the lines running southwark
to points on tho river from wheuce there is open
| navigation southwark all tho wintor.
), Tho third thing asked of Congress il leEisln-
ton to secure reasonable rates on 1.-Two stock
Mlssisslppi Valley can sock tho markets. Of tha
world by way Of tho river aud the 0conn il all OBJ
stacles to its shipment by this route arc remove
Cd but the cattle and hogs must go to Now
mand that Congress shall provide for such super.
vision and control by national authority OF the
rates Of freight charged upon livo stock aB will
make them reasonably profitable to the railway
companies, and ut tho same timo ennble thu
stock-ia aiser Of tho Wese to live by his indus.
It will bo seen that The foregoing plan, which
Ia put forth by gentleman thoroughly couver.
SAINT With the Grange movement, involves no e1
| opening OF the mouth of tho hlisslssippit
| aud for this purpose it is argued, sufficient
means can ba obtained by cutting oil the usual
annual appropriations, for dozons Of potty har-
bors. which benefit only unimportant localities.
Tho power to regulate rates on railways traYers-
Ing moro than ono State. although mover asserted
by Congress, haA always been claimcd by many
Of tho ableBt constitutional lawyers. Thore ID
| little doubt that at loast beginning will ba
inn f0Spn In On