Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-04-25
Cheap transportation.

The Select Committee on Trans portstion, Mr.
WINDOW chairman, yesterday submitted theil
report to the Senate. The report discusses a
great length the production and price of grail
In various sections, and amounts of shipments
fright charges, and means of trans portation
submitting many statistics. The committ,
could not make any estimate of the am Junt o
interstate commerce, but think 1T safe to sa-
that II is ten times greater than our trade witt
all foreign nations, and that the amount annu
ally paid for transportation Is IN ore than doubI,
the revenues of the government. Hence, tn,
important problem: Chow shall cheaper ant
better
FACILITIES FOR TRANSPORTATION
be provided?n In answer to this the committed
discuss the following general propositions: 1st
Competition between railways and its promo
ton by additional lines without regul alton; ID
Direct Congressional regulation of railway
transportation, under the power TO regulate
rect regulation and promotion OF competition
through the agency Of one or more lines of rail
way, to be owned or controlled By the govern
nent; 4th. The improvement of natural water.
ways, and the construction Of artificial chan.
nels Of water communication.
EECOMMEN DATIONs.
The committee recommend, l. Publication of
rates oy railroad companies; 2. Railway compa-
MES should be compelled to recei pit for uantity
and to account for the same at its point of des-
tination; 3. Railway companies, freight lines
and DINER common carriers engaged in inter
state commerce, should be prohibited from dis
eliminating between persons and places, and
especially those engaged in carry freights from
one state into another, whose lines touch at any
river or lake port, should be prohibited from
discriminating against such port.
SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM.
Inc committee In summing up declare that
competition among railways, when governed
by private interests, Is wholly unreliable and
utterly inefficient; that direct Congressional
regulation of rates and fares may cure certain
evils and abuses, but will never provide such
commercial facilities az the necessities and best
interests Of the country demand. They are to
be obtained only through competition under
governmental control, and operating through
cheaper means o: transport than are now pro-
vided; and such cheaper means of transport
can only be provided by the construction of
doubie-track freight railways, or by the i'm
provement and creation of water routes.
The committee discuss at considerable length
the merits and advantages of a double track
freight railway between the Mississippi river
and New York city, and came to the conclusion
that such a.railway, honestly constructed and
operated, and performing an amount of bust
ness reasonably to be anticipated, could paw all
the expenses, together with a fair return on its
cost, at rates for transportation of fourth class
freights, not exceeding X mills per ton per
mile. At this rate, ton of wheat could be
carried from the Mississippi river to New York
for about Ss.25, or at the rate of % cents per
bushel. Tie averagelcost during the last d We
years by rail has been about SO 50 per ton, or
at the rate of about so cents per bushel.
Inc committee discuss the value of water
routes, and came to the unanimous conclusion
that the following are the most feasible and
advantageous channels of commerce 70 be cre-
ated or improved by the national government,
Vz:-Flrst, The Mississippi river. Second, A
continuous water line of adequate capacity from
the Mississippi river to the city of New York,
via the northern lakes Third, A route ade-
quate TO the wants of commerce., through the
central tier of states from the Mississippi river
via the Ohio and Kanawha rivers, to a point in
West Virginia, and thence by canal and slack
water, or by freight railway, to tidewater
Fourth, A route from the Mississippi river, via
the Ohio and Tennessee rivers, TO a point in
Alabama or Tennessee, and thence by canal
and slackwater, or by freight railway, to the
ocean The cost OF the first is estimated at
sl6 1000 coo; of the second, 49, OOO, 900; of the
third, S25 900 GOO, and of the fourth, $35 900 600
The committee recommend that appropriations
be made at the present session of Congress for
completing the surveys OF the entire system of
improvements proposed.
VALUE OF THE WATER ROUTES.
The committee say that " in view OF the ben
ents ana advantages to be derived from each of
he four proposed routes, and ON their com
Oined effects when in constant competition with
each other, and with the railroad system OF the
'ountry, IL is entirely safe to cay that the COM
pleton Of the system OF improvements suggested
VIII effect permanent reduction OF fifty Der
;ent. in the cost Of TRANSPORTING fourth class
ffeights from the valley OF the Mississippi to
he seaboard, ard that the cost or carrying a
pushel OF wheat or corn to the markets of the
asst, and of the world, will be reduced at least
% to rs cents per bushel below the present rail-
way charges, and that a similar reduction will
oe effected on return freights."
The report concludes as follows: "France has
"xpended on her water communications
1240 coo COO. England, with debt much larger
than ours, with q smaller population, with q far
iess increase IN population, wealth and annual
products, with a standing army nearly ten times
he s1Ze OF ours, and with a current expendi-
'ure so per cent. larger than ours, in order to
build up her manufacturing interest at home
guaranteed interest on an expenditure of
$40 900 900 for the construction Of railroads In
india. Shall we hesitate toexpend one third of
that sum in order to revive the dropping inter
est OF agriculture, to give cheaper feOd tn our
manufacturing and labOriDg classes, to rescue
he people from the power of monopoiies, to re-
gain our position in the markets or the world
and to restore our credit at home and abroad?''
THE CONSULAR APP RoPRIATIoN BILL appro-
'riates 80 ,3i7 ,3Oi The appropriation for last
year were 81 ,3ll $3.50. The sum is larger this
year than last mainly because of the provision
made for the pay ment Of the claims OF British
subjects against the United States.
RELIEF FOR THE SUFFERERS PROM FLOODS
oP THE MISSISSIPPI RIvKR.-Ex-G Governor P.
D. Hebert and Prof. G. G. Forshey, of Louisi-
ana on behalf OF the sufferers from inund ations,
would call upon the citizens of Washington and
AL who have pity for the drowning and starving
thousands, white and black, in the delta of the
Mississippi river, for their immediate and lib
eral contributions. Riggs & Co. have, besides q
large contribution in money, consented to re.
ceIve contributions and remit to the mayor of
New Orleans for distribution.
DIsGRACRPUL SCENE IN THE BRITISH PAR
LIAMENT.-ID the English parliament yester-
day, Mr.. Smollett, a conservative member,
moved a vote of censure upon the dissolution
styling him a trckster and bis action ''str alta
gem which was ungenerOus to his friends, inso-