The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-12-01
Freights-Ra;lroad Comosnatio'ns..I
The Remedy. -

!
thoroughly discussed in the last few years.
and great deal of light has been thrown
mon it.. We think It is quite plainly enough
eIucidated to enable body Of prscttcal ana
natriotic men to arrive at q conclusion oaseo
upon good judgment and calculated to oene- !
fit society. ,,
The trouble is that the great producing
West Is unable to send its products 10 the
Atlantic cities at rates sufficiently loW-at
rates which, being deducted from the prices |
a, which those products sell, Will leave
enough to remunerste the farmer. The
farmer now finds it cheaper TO burn his corn
than to buy coal for fuel.
Why can't the cost Of transportation oe
sufficiently lessened to justify the expofta-
tion of this corn to feed the poor and hun
sry. instead of leaving it where it Is pro.
duced 10 be burned ss fuel to keep the farmer
warm?
Because railways will not reduce their
rates. The roads form combinations Wnlch
keep the duties too high to justify the SNIP
meut Of the products OF Western labor; and
there is no present way to prevent such COM
binatons.
Associations of men and Congress have
made the subject one of anxious considera-
ton, and it has been pretty well settled that
the West cannot be relieved, and the COM
bisa,ions spoken of cannot be frustrated
wthou. the establishment of additional
water-lines; especially that proposed line
across the breast OF Virginia and West Wiz.
ginia, called the Central line.
The able committee of the United States
Senate after patiently devoting their atten-
ton TO the subject for months. came TO the
conclusion that four water routes should be
improved and built by Congress, which,
"uuder public control, and hence unable to
"combine with each other, or other existing
"lines of transport, will by the power OF
"competi,ion hold in check all the railways
radiating from the interior TO the seaboard,
|:and by affording cheap and ample means
"or communication will solve the problem of
"cheap transportation"
The committee, in this opinion, suggests
the true remedy for the railroad comblna-
tions which have been sIch fruitful cause
OF trouble and discomfort in the West. 1t
is very plain that the beneficial effects OF
competition amongst railroads have been ID
q great degree prevented by the railway
combinations, in which the Senate committee
sees 20 much evil.
TO further the objects Of the committee
the War Department in january last ordered
q number Of the best engineers in the
country to examine the Central water.line.
That has the position which entities it to be
considered the most important of all the
vater.lineS. The conclusion to which this
highly accomplished committee unanimously
arrived was that cit Is entirely practicable
"to connect the waters of the James and
"Ohio rivers By water navigation seven
d" feet in Depth; "that an ample water
, supply can be commanded" and that this
central water-route "presents extraord- |
!" nary claims as measure of relief to the |
:: people Of the western States in furnishing |
Is them, for the bulky productions, cheap
d transportation to a market, and for foster |
.. ing the commerce Of the United States By |
developing immense mineral resources"
A survey Of all the routes spoken Of was
ordered by Congress, and the Engineer De-
par,ment is now preparing the reports upon
them.
But unquestionably the Central water.lne,
from its position and praclicability, as settled
by the opinions Of every engineer who has
examined it for fifty years, is entitled to be
considered above them all. AS the remedy |
for the evils complained of by the West it
holds out the highest promises of them all.
To no proposed Improvements could the adj
vocatcs of free transportation turn with
brig hicr hope for the consummation Of their
wishes.
The Senate committee threw out the sug.
gestion that one or two double-track rail.
roads, built and owned by the Government,
from the Mississippi to the Atlantic, would
help to solve the problem of cheap freights.
In any such Improvement there will be dis
appointment. 1t must be arbitrarily located
in the pc culiar interest of particular places.
It's management is open to all the evils of in
efficiency, faithlesspess, and corruption. A
canal is for the use Of all people, and is en-.
tirely different in It's economy aud regula-
lions. Competition will be fostered by it
8 two-fold competition competition with |
railroads and between the hundreds Of COM
mon carriers who enter upon the business
of transportation along its route.
The railroad built by Government must |
be run by one management. 1t would be,
perhaps, more than any other description of
railway, susceptible of abuse and mismanage-
ment. 1t might be competitor with private |
corporations, but would more probably be- |
come, through faitblessness, an auxiliary Of
"soulless corporations" to the damage of
The public interests.
The canal would be wholly in the public !
interests. 1t would be open to the public, |
while railroads cannot be. Private indiyi- |
duals would run the boats on the canal Oh
thsir own account, while such persons could
not run the cars on the railroad. Their
competition on the canal would be the best
protector Of the public, while upon the rail.
road there could be no such competition.
The canals the highway for the people-rail-
roads those Of monopolists.
There should not be moments doubt as |
to the character of the canal as protector
of the public against monopolies.
The Erie canal is frozen for so long Pc