The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-03-11

figures are:
u,..,.,,on, river. ............. s,c59 sSs
Great lakes. .............'...' o'VgS'SSoo
Erie canal.. G'7Ao'1@'
o,.., canals. New York. f f;45s:4ss
Total waterways $3.50. .lo,l72.17e
Pennsylvania railroad. ...:...:........ 9,922,slI
New York Central ratroad...... ........ 6,S03,6S0
Erie raj road OsSII,S11
Baltimore and Ohio railroad........... 100000
Total four trunk lines and connec-
t. lions. Observation-Disclosures
"The railways have rendered the trans
portation by water absolutely insignificant"
one railway line and the connections SUBJ
iect to its control (the Pennsylvania rail-
road) carrying last year more tonnage than
was carried on the great lakes, the Missis-
Fsippi river, and the Erie canal combined.
This change has been large effected in the
past ten years, and to show how it has
worked, the proposition is now made in
New York to tax the lands in that State to
pay the expenses Of keeping the canals in
repair, to enable them to compete 1rith the
.rail,cdus, to the tune Of S1,250,000 per an
mum, that being the SUM necessary to keep
them in repair and to run them free Of tolls.
In commenting on this state Of things q
New York daily says:
GA paltry million of dollars, more or
less, is all that it costs to maintain the ca
nails. Even this sum the people would
shudder to see added TO their taxes ut the
present time; and what reason is given
That the riyalries OF railroads have changed
the relation of canals to the course Of trade.
How happens it that canal, which it Is
claimed has built up the city and State,
cannot continue to be at least self-sustain-
ing? The argument strikes us somewhat
as would an appeal for aims in behalf Of a
giant CrGsus on account OF his enormous
strength and wealth."
The cost OF building canals has not
materially decreased even such q shall.
low and imperfect one as the James
River and Kanawba costing from $780,
900 to 100000 mile, while the
cost Of railways has decreased until they can
be constructed almost as cheaply as good
MacAdam road; and taking the whole
United States, the average Advance in the
taxable value OF lands along the line OF rail-
ways has been 100000 to the mile.
Virginia started rich, and with every
natural advantage that the Almighty could
give her. Not only soil. climate, but every
mineral, the best-watered and beSt-timbered
country in the world, and with the best
grades for transportation to connect her
with the West, the North, and the South
and especially with the West-the north
west territory that she gave away, and that
is largely settled by her children. She
should haze controlled the deStinieS of this
continent forever. She spent money enough
to do 1t. From 1885 up to the war, money
for transportation lines flowed like water.
What is the result? A divided State
and each section OF what is left warning
with the other about the most trivial appro:
priation, or about the most trivial matter.
No intercourse with each other. A bundle
OF sticks without the band to bind them to-
gether; and instead OF controlling the des-
TIMES OF a continent, no fragment OF that
continent feels SO poor that it is not strong
enough to slEr at and kick her whenever
opportunity offers. With centre OF bust
ness in the James-River Valley, accumulat-
ing the wealth OF the State for her oaon ta1o-
tion, we would not witness the humliating
spectacle daily presented OF her Legislature
attempting to prove to the world that the
State Is too poor to keep her plighted faith,
and that her sovereignty gave her the ability
to hold fast to what she had obtained by
this plighted faith without being punished
1OI IL. II SOfeiclSu ItuuCcu w u FCiy
low ebb indeed! believe that the
occupation Of the James-Riyer valley by the
canal has contributed to our poverty and to
this state OF things more than, as Is often
charged-viz., the inertia OF slavery, the
sale of our labor in the past, and the effects
of the war, all combined.
I am as we'll pursuaded that our case is
hopeless il we continue to cling to this ca
nal corpse, and although it is late, and the
opportunity. has passed from us, still that
much good to the State will come by aban-
doning our past policy and by giving Lille
and hope to The James River valley by a rail-
way connection through its entire length.
AS for expecting that the United States
will build the canal to the Ohio river, ] feel
SO confident that this will never be done
that I refuse to even consider it, and I
feel sure that II 1t was done, and 100000
600 should he spent on it and on improving
the navigation OF the Ohio river, it would
be ,as thoroughly thrown away as the sum
that Virginia bas already spent In the
canal. .,' . @ ~. s.
/ Holding these views, Of course am
grati6ed that our City Council refused to
put any more money In this wretched fall
IRE