Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-06-19
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION.

| It is too late in the day to argue
| about the necessity of cheaper and
more abundant facilities for transpor-
| tation of freights. If we desire to
bring the States into closer union and
to fraternize their people there is nc
means srrer to accomplish the end
than cheap transportation. If, upon
general principles, we set out with the
determination to Go the greatest good
to the greatest number how better can
we carry out our pospose than by fur
nishing to consumers articles of neces-
sary consumption at the lowest pos i
bic cost of transportation as we'll as
production?
The force of these remarks will be
the most readily understood when it is
stated that eight States in the North
west produced 800, 600, 600 bushels of
cereals in 1872-eighty bushels for
every man, woman and child of its
population, and enough, properly dis
tributed, to feed the whole 40, 600, 900,
grain enough to last her more than
three months of the year, and the
four Southeastern States OF South Car
olina, Georgia, Alabama and Florida
required so, O0O, 900 bushels more grain
than they grew.
The question of transportation as
O1lr readers know is ottractipo very
general attention in every section of
the country, each section trying to Sc
cure fcr itself the great profits inciden-
tai to the handling of the enormous
freights to and from the West. OF
course each section approaches the
question with selfish intent. The
Middle and South Atlantic States are
endeavoring to accomplish their wish
by means of the water ways that nature
seems to have provided for the purpose
of giving an outlet to the grain grown
upon the lands lying On the waters of
the Mississippi and its tributaries
The Northeast, New York City and its
outlying towns and cities, at first con-
tented with ridicnling the pretensions
of competing lines further south, are
now making strenuous efforts to con-
tinue the monopoly CT the Western
business.
1t is but natural that New York
should make big fight for the prize,
and it j. not to be denied that she has
great odds in her favor. The last project
is ''to bald road, having four or
more tracks, from New York to some
point in Ohio or Indiana,
and from thence one branch is to di-
verge 20 Chicago and another to ST.
Louis. The Company is to have the
privilege of extending the road from
Chicago to any point on the Mississippi
river above st. Lo1lis The road
Is to be commenced within two
years, and finished within twelve
years from the enactment of the
bill. The rates for transportation of
passengers and freight are to be fixed
by commission composed of three
persons. appointed by the President
of the United States, one person by
the Governor of each State through
which the road shall pass, and three
persons by the corporation, but char
ges shall not exceed ten cents per
bushel of grain by car load, bulk
freight, and thirty cents per barrel
of flour from Chicago or ST. Louis to
Jersey City
A bill to incorporate a company for
this purpose is now pending in the
United States Senate. 1t is needless
to say that this is not the cheap trans
portatior the South wants. What we
want is to establish lines of communi-
cation whose eastern termini shall
be upon Tie Southern Atlantic Coast.
We can see no reason why freights
from Chicago for Wilmington should
go all the way around by New York.
Yet so it is, and so it will be, il the
Legislation of the country continues to
be shaped and controlled in the inter
est of New York City.