National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-01-17

4 I'VE In glAS8 houses, we C2SnuOS oiAOAu u
throw stones at our neighbors because We
are in danger of damaging our friends.
=. -. -. .H
CHEAP TRANSFORMATION: s
The proceedings of the "Cheap Trans
portation Convention =" indicate deep in.
terest in tho general subject on the part Of
the participants from every section repre-.
sentcd. But with all this there appears to
be lack of those broad and comprehensive
views which must necessarily he given ia
the matter by Congress. The facts arc.
that in great bread producing country.
astounding also in fuel and manufactures Of
almost every kind. we have on the sea-
coast large population complaining Of the
high prices of bread, while in the far West,
the grain producing region. scarcity Of
wood and coal and the low price Of corn
induces the burning Of the latter produc.
ton for fuel How shall these be ex-
changed? There seems to be no lack Of
railways. The question to be solved Is
how can the Goals Of the East be exchanged
for the corn of the West in . cheaper and
more economical manneri It has been
found that II cannot be economically effected
by railways because OF the great expense Of
their original construction and Of the steam
and machinery By which jheN are operated
| and the wear and tear 81 the same. which
increases in the same ratio with the dis
taace travelled. As logs arc rated to mill
and lumber to market Instead Of being
transported by land carriage on account OF
greater economy. 80 must the great bulk OF
the heavy freights Of the country which
have long distances to trave1ebe moved by
water. The history of the world demon
strates this to be the cheapest method. Rail-
| ways are indispensable to the business Of
the country. in this adyaGcsd aags' Of ci1iE.
izstion. for the transit Of light commodities
and passengers and live stock end perish
able property geneiaii2. They are also Of
great Convenience and importance n lateral
feeders to water routes. Tho best practical
illustration of the comparative cost Of NOV
ing heavy freights Ivy rail and canal Is af-
forded by the history of the New York
lines. In 1856 the Ceniral line Of railway
charged q fraction less than three cents per
ton per mile the Erie railway two and O
half cents, and the Erie canal one and one
tenth cents for moving freights. In 1872th
Central charged 1.69 cents, the Erie '1.52
CENTS and the canals Lea cents pef ton per
milo. In1S5S the canals moved 4, 247, 0JS tons,
the Central 3s0. 900 tons, and the Erie631, 039
t.5ns, being total movement Of Sass, 6o2.
IN 1874, twenty years later, the canals
moved G,G7s. $40 tons. the Central4 ,SeGso5.
and tho Eric 5.J64274 tons, being q total
movement Of 1881. 809 tons, an increase
of about go per ccnfam. IN twenty years.
This immense increase Of the carrying ca
padty Of: the railways has been achieved
by the multiplication Of tracks and extern
sion Of lines Westward for the control d
Though freighis. The canals have no in;
terested Western agents to. contract fos
frcights to go specially BY that route. The
taveragc cost per; buslzelo Of carrying wheat
BY lake and canal from Chicagoto New
York was in 1879 twenty four and two
tenth cent?, while BY mil i was twenty
4 = = - = g. "a y
seven cents in summer when die canals and
lakes were open, and thirty-six to thirty.
mime cents per bushel in tho fall and winter:
when the water routes were closed BY ice.
It Is now demonstrated that the cost by the
New York canal may he cheapened .ffty
per cent. In two years at comparatively
small expense. From these statements Il
will be seen that what 3 needed 70 regulate
mates Of railway frcights and reduce them
to, uniformity the year through Is : cheap
water route south Of the ffost line, 70 t5mt
the railway monopolies cannot exact this
twenty five to thirty per cent. advance
during the fall and winter months that the
bulk of the crop is seeking 8 market. The
members. of the convention, therefore,
should divest themselves Of prejudices In
favor OF pet schemes and theories and en-.
deavor to harmonMe upon such great ma
tional routes as win secure this object
Provisions and butter, 1--WE STOCK. &C., will
continue TO follow the shortest railway
routes; but the great grain crops eastward,
and. iron,d machinery and othef heavy
ffeighh westward demand IN open water
route during the whole year. 81 isssgl's q
1t is alleged to be dcmonStSable that BY
the proposed Southern Nsess routes whAi
maybe carried from * s1ooie and s.. Paul
/ % Nex. Yokk 6or tha1ttea - 7axteen' esnel
per bulhcl, q economy Ct tasstJ u fhiEty
aiah Per -busksf oser lcwssl
mn " the New Y0Fk 49, y Is h fvsfy