Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-05-07
The Question Of Cheap Transportation.
WASHINGTON. April "a.

WASHINGTON, April "a.
| In the Senate to-day Mr.. Window pre-
| sented a report from the Committee on
! Transportation, and stated that the COM
mittee have come to the conclusion
that no substantial reduction in the cost
of transportation is to be anticipated from
unregulated competition between exist
| ing railways, nor is competition to be in
! duced by authorizing the construction of
additional lines, if they are to be under
private management and control. AS to
the power of Congress under the Consti-
| tuition to regulate Interstate commerce,
the committee find:
/. That Congress- in its discretion and under It's
responsibility to the people, may first prescribe
rules by which instruments, vehicles and agents
| engaged in transporting commodities from one
| State into and through another shall be gov
erned, whether such transportation is by land or
water.
:. That it may appropriate money for the con-
| structiOn of railways or canals where the same
shall be necessary for the regulation of COM
merce.
3. That it may incorporate companies with au-
| thority to construct them.
4. That it may exercise the right of eminent
domain within a State in order to provide for the
construction of said railways canals, etc.
s. 1t may, in its exercise of the right of eminent
domain take for public use paying just compen-
sation therefor, any existing railway or canal
owned by private persons or corporations.
These propositions are discussed at con-
siderable length in the report of the COM
mittee, and the decisions of the courts
from which they are deduced are there
cited. After a most careful consideration
of the merits Of the various proposed i'm
provements, taking into account the cost,
practicability and probable advantages of
each, the committee have come to the
unanimous conclusion that the following
are the most feasible and advantageous
channels of commerce to be created or i'm
proved by the National Government, if
Congress shall act upon this subject,
namely:
/. The Mississippi River;
2 A continuous water-line Of adequate capac-
tty from the Mississippi River to the City of New
York, 0jG the Northern lakes;
B. A route adequate to the wants of commerce,
through the central tier of States from the Mssis-
sippi River, UiG the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers, to
point in West Virginia, thence by canal and
f,sack-water or by freight railway to tide-water.
d. A route from the Mississippi River, Ojd the
Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, to a point in Ala
bama or Tennessee, and thence by canal and
slack-water by freight railway to the ocean.
The Committee estimate the cost OF the
improvement of the Mississippi River at
$4,000, COO; of the northern route, in
Guiding the Fox s. Wisconsin River
Canal and Hennepin Canal, and enlarge
ment of the New York canals, the cost is
estimated at $19,00O00O; of the central
route, including the radical improvement
of the Ohio River to give six or seven feet
OF navigation at low water, and OF the
Kanawha River to give six feet of water,
$25 100000, and the connection by canal
or freight railway to Underwater in
Virginia, a canal to cost $4,000, 900,
or q railroad $25, 100000. OF the south
ern route the Improvement Of the Ten
nessee River to give three feet of naviga-
ton, and the construction of a canal or
freight railway to the Atlantic Ocean at
cost respectively of $35, 100000 or $780,
100000. If canals be constructed the
total cost will be about $155,000,000. If
the railways be chosen, the total cost will
be about $120000,000. An actual expen-
Culture of from $20,000,000 to $25,000,OOO
per annum will be required for six years,
when the whole work can be completed.
The resulting benefits will for all time
annually repay more than the entire cost.
But / am asked how the money is to be
raised for these improvements. | reply:
1. By a system Of rigid economy in all
expenditures not absolutely necessary, by
which nearly enough can be saved for
this purpose. 2. By the issue of public
Improvement bonds; or, 3. BY taxation. If
the latter policy be adopted I suggest
that a restoration of the tax on tea and
coffee will produce about $2O,0O0,0OO per
annum, which will be sufficient to com
plete the entire work in six years. The
repeal of that tax has caused but little, if
any, reduction IN the cost of these arti-
Giles, and its restoration would not
materially increase it. At the end
of six years the tax could be repealed,
and these great public works would
stand forever as monuments to the wisdom
of the present Congress. l do not be-
lieve, however, that it would be neces-
sary either to issue bonds or to levy addi-
tional taxes.
The inauguration of the system of in
ternal Improvements indicated would so
stimulate the business energies of the
country that we would find it easier to
raise the additional revenue required than
it now is to meet existing Obligations