The true northerner., 1875-03-05
NARROW-GAUGE.
Views of the House Railroad Committee on
the Narrow-Gauge System.

Views of the House Railroad Committee on
the Narrow-Gauge System.
Hon. George w. McCrary, of Iowa, of
the House Committee ON Railways, in
his report on the bill chartering the For
ty-first Parallel railroad, sets forth the
views of the committee on narrow gauge
railroads. The following is brief synop-
sis of the report
1.-The committee does not now deem it expe-
dent to recommend any government aid to this
railroad. The committee has no doubt that the
power of Congress over commerce among the
States IL ample, and that, in its exercise, Con-
gress may regulate commerce upon existing
lines Of interstate communication may
charter new lines may aid in their construc-
ton, or may construct them wholly at govern
ment expense
The need of cheaper transportation is
strongly urged, and the usual reasons as
signed for high rates. The committee
admit that from present information it is
almost impossible to determine theactual
cost of transporting bushel of wheat
from the Mississippi river to the sea-
board and say that the actual cost must
be ascertained before fair price can be
determined. The argument is advanced
that one cheap line of transportation viii
render all competing lines equally cheap.
In the comparison between standard and
narrow-gpuge roads, the committee say
the. cost of the former, fully equipped
for an average business OF even $500
tons, is $42, 900 mile for iron rails, and
$50, 900 for steel rails. The cost of mar
row gauge is not more than 60 per
cent. of these sums. The cost of
operating standard-gauge roads, being
from go to 100 per cent. of the gross
earnings, renders it impossible to secure
cheap transportation by existing lines.
The committee claim that the cost of OPP
Grating the New York Central in 1871
was sevenmills ton per mile ; of oper-
ating the Pennsylvania Central, eight
mills per ton per mile yet the cost of
operating a narTow-g gauge road is estima-
ted at four and quarter mills per ton
per mile. While the average cost of
maintaining and operating standard
gauge roads has been 64 per cent. of
the gross earnings, the Denver and Rio
Grande naTrow-gauge railroad was oper-
ated in 1874 for 80 per cent. of its gross
earnings, on very limited business.
The committee maintain that the amOunl
Of freight that may be transported by
narrow-gauge roads is very little less than
which may be carried by the standard
gauge. From this and other facts the
committee conclude that the success of
the narrow gauge system thus far seems
to demonstrate that the naTrow-gauge
railroad, while vastly cheaper in con-
struction and operation than the old sys-
tenn, has sufficient capacity, power and
speed to answer general requirements,
and what is of more importance, the COM
mittee adds
It may now be regarded as certain that the
narrow-gauge railroad can be made to carry
freight and passengers with profit at rates not
higher than the present low water rates.
Several pages of the report are devoted
to answering the objection that the con
struction of the narrow-gauge will render
a transferof freight necessary whenever
it shall connect with broad d-gauge.