The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-23
a Proposed Freight Road from New
York to the Missouri River.
BENEFITS TO THE COUNTRY.
100000 Asked from Congress
to Execute the Project.
The United States a. the Commercial
Centre Of the World.

WARRINGTON, April zZs 1874
Representative Hurlbut, from the Committee on
Railways ana Canals to whom was referred House
bin No. I.le4 to charter double track freight
railway company from tide water on the Atlantic
20 Council Blurs on the Missouri River, and TO
limit the rates OF fare, made the following report
yesterday
The questions naturally arising from the consider
alton OF this bill and others OF ike character now
pending before the committee are large In their
possibilities, vast results, and 50 deeply al
feet the growth and profitable development OF
quire deliberate and candid consideration not only
BY the representatives or the people but by
ssee propose to ud address em
selves to the discussion at sOmewhAt unusual
Se Of Inc o. and asa %
tural production westward carries with 1t corre-
sponalng necessity for cheap and rapid transit
and Intercourse. This movement OF population
and agricultural production has been aided very
largely by the facilities OF intercourse and CONNER
In transportation, and especially by the railroad
system. In the opinion Of your committee 1t mas
which can be given to 1t by the existing system
OF railways under their present form Of manage
Ia Which our EXISTING roads are now anr
considerable further extension would be money
thrown away, SO Tar as the interests OF the remote
producer sought TO be reached are concerned mas
much as the cost OF transportation taken out Of
the articles produced Will leave no SUFFICIENT
Enumeration Tor the labor expended. That this
can be
CONTROLLED AND REGULATED BY LAW
In favOr OF more iair and equal rates your commit
tee believe, and majority OF this House has so
decided by enactment made at this present ses-
and must reduce In some particulars the extreme
and oppressive charges now IN force, and to that
extent Will give some measure oil relief.
FREIGHT LINES NECESSITY.
But the vice, the inherent defect OF the system
remains, beyond the reach OF any FAIR and equit-
able law, in the fact, proven by experience and
confessed by all engineers and experts in rail-
roads, that freight cannot possibly be carried at
xsah ontnr hoy RsrplrS
any line Of road which il not exclusively
freight road, designed, constructed and operated
and freight on the same tracks can by possibility
90 Justice to ITS freight business Freight.
steadily and uniformly; it must TN no. ''O be
e the mercy. OF passenger or ias:
70 ge e track @ BY o o ea
make up lost time by being forced upon an I'M
proatable rate OF speed. DANGEROUS and desrruc-
tive TO the rolling stock and track. The existing
TRUNK reads leading rom the Atlantic to the West
were not constructed for economy In operation,
but as freight roads with reference 10 local inter-
ests and not at all, as their managers would now
locate and build them, to secure and supply ade-
quate means for freight traffic.
THE REMEDY,
1t appears to your committee for existing evils,
most easy and expeditious in its results OF any
and reaching with Its direct benefits to
the whole region between the Ohio River
and the lakes, as well as the entire West
and Northwest, now subsidiary to st. Louis
and Chicago, Is the building OF double track
freight railway, rs proposed in the bill UNDER
terminus on the waters OF New YORK HarDor, It's
~Sstern on the Missouri River, with two branches,
one to Chicago and the other to st. Louis. IL may
possibly be asked why this particular line should
be selected Of the several which have been pro.
jected. Such q question demands candid
answer. 1t is because the only line &C present
con tempated which contains In itself reasonable
certainty OF success IN being sure OF commanding
sufficient amount OF freight TO be able to contract
Tor rates permanently and sufficiently low 10 war
rant It's adoption; and 1t 10 the purpose OF your
committee to make this clear beyond doubt. IL
may safely enough be stated that the price of our
productions Is determined By the price which our
surplus bears in the market.
For example, the price OF wheat in the United
States ldIsregardlng for this purpose the variation
in amount OF crops In this country measured BY
the price In the CITY OF New YORK; aud the price in
New York Is governed by the price In Eng&ind less
freight and expenses. but the price IN england
only applies to such surplus We are able to send
thither, and thus the commercial price or wheat
all over the United states Is marked down or up
with the fluctuations OF the European market. But
England receives the largest portion OF Its supply
In wheat from Russia and Austria by the Baltic
railway channels across Germany; and thus. in the
end. the prices OF farmers in Illinois, Minnesota
and throughout the grain reg9ns 81 the
the cost OF production and transportation
IN Russia, Poland and Hungary. the Imports OF
grain and breadstuffs In England are increasing
year by year, and at the present time that nation
Imports nearly nalr It's total consumption. Yet
the amount imported from the United States is
decreasing, although the production OF our coun-
try has largely increased.
The QUESTION OF COMPETITION.
In this view IL is Important TO ascertain the
average cost OF Dushel OF wheat raised in Russia
or Hungary ana laid down IN the London market.
The average cost OF q bushel OF grain in those
countries Ia 81 80, and the average crop twelve
bushels TO the acre. This cost is made up fo-
lows
Rental Of land per bushei per acre .......... so 81
Labor per bushel per observation-disclosures. ~
Total 81 80
Transportation to the sea.............. ....... rs
Sea freight Observation-Disclosures. 20
Total. ..-.:...... 81 81
In the United states the average value of wheat
Vailey per acre ss',eu - 40 90
Interest on which at ten per CO MT ls......... 90
average product per acre IN bushels ~
This gives cost OF production
Eenai per acre per bushei .....-...........-.s g