Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-02-25
NARROW-GAUGE RAILROADS.
Views of Congressional Commit tee.

Mr.. McCrary, of Iowa, of the
House Committee on Railways, has
prepared report to accompany the
bill chartering the Forty-frst Par
allel Railroad, in which he sets forth
the views of the Committe on Mar.
row-Gauge Railroads. The follow.
ing is brief synopsis:
The Committee does not deem it expedient
to recommend any Government aid TO this
railroad The Committe has no doubt that
| the power of Congress over commerce among
| the States is ample, and that, in its exercise,
Congress may regulate commerce upon exist
ing lines of Inter- State communication; may
charter new lines may aid in their construc-
tion, or may construct them wholly att Gov
eminent expenses.
The need of cheaper transporta-
ton is strongly urged, and the usual
reasons assigned for high rates. The
Committee admit that, from present
information, it is almost impossible
to determine the actual cost of trans
porting a 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 ad-
vanced that one cheap line of trans
portation will render all competing
lines equally cheap. In the compar-
ison between standard and narrow
gauge roads, the Committee say the
cost of the former, fully equipped
for an average business of even
$500 tons, is $4,000 mile for iron
rails, and $4,000 for steel rails.
The cost of narrow-gauge is not
more than 60 per cent. of these sums.
The cost of operating standard
gauge roads, being from 60 to 100
per cent, of the gross earnings, rem
der it impossible to secure cheap
transportation by existing lines.
The committe claim that the cost of
operating the New York Central in
1871, was mills ton per mile; of
operating the Pennsylvania Central,
8 mills per ton per mile yet the
cost Of operating a narrow gauge
road is estimated at Al mills per ton
per milo While the average cost of
maintaing and operating standard
gauge roads has been 81 per cent. off
the gross earnings, the Denver and
Rio Grande narrow~gauge was oper>
ated in 1874 for so per cent. of it's
gross earnings, on a very limited
business. The committee maintain
that the amount of freight that may
be transported by narrow gauge
roads is very little less than that
which may be carried by the stand.
ard gauge. From this and other
facts the committee concludes that
the success of the narrow-gauge
system thus far, seems to demon.
strate that the narrow-gauge railroad,
while vastly cheaper in construction
and operation than the old system,
has sufficient capacity, power and
speed to answer to general requires
ments, and what is Of more impor-
lance, the committee adds:
1t may be regarded as certain that the
narrow-g 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 construction of the narrow
gauge will render transfer of freight
necessary whenever it shall connect
with broad gauge. 1t seems evil
dent that the only thing which pre-
vents the committe from recommend
ing the passage of the bill, is the
almost universal sentiment against
subsidies of every kind.