The Columbus journal., 1881-03-23
Transportation.

NhC tOoOioN2Oh
by him being:
"Resolced, That the Committee on
Commerce be directed to amend the
river aud harbor bill so as to increase e
the amount to be appropriated for
the Improvement of the navigation
of the Missouri river between its
m mouth and Yankton, Dakota, to the
sum of $l,13S,000, that being the
sum recommended by the Chief
Engineer of the War Dept as neces-
sary to be expended for the i'm
provement of the navigation of that
part of said river, during the next
fiscal year, ending June 30, 1882"
The general line of the senator's
argument is that the improvement
of the river is necessary to safe nav
igation, and he proceeds to show
wherein il would be beneficial to
the business and commerce of the
country; he instances the appropri-
ations made by government in aid
of railroads, being, in brief, for
l3,7221a miles, sl39, ,203 3,5S5.32, or
Sl0,144.22 per mile ; that, when COM
pleted. they belonged to corpora-
tions which charged freight for
everything transported on them.
Comparing this with the rivers, the
Senator shows that the total number
of miles of the navigable waters Of
the Mississippi and tributaries, is
1864; that these waters extend into
and can furnish transportation for
the products of the states of Louisi-
ana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi,
Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, H.
linois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia,
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minneso-
ia, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and
Missouri, eighteen states, and the
Indian Ty., Dakota and Montana, a
territory amounting to 79l, ,S79, ,040
acres of land. Says the senator:
"Here are 1864 miles of naviga-
BILE river. If we give to these the
same amount which the government
has given to railroads, what will be
the difference? These rivers will
be open TO the navigation of every
body free. The government upon
its vessels, can transport free, and
every individual can do the same.
They will become national high
ways, inland seas.'
Abiding to the barge lines which
can be put upon these rivers in case
of Improvement in the navigation,
the senator says:
"Parlies who are well acquainted
with that line of business say one
tug-boat will be sufficient power to
transport five of the ordinary sized
barges, which would contain twenty
thousand bushels each, or one hun
dred thousand in the aggregate and
if the larger size barges be used, say
those of ten hundred or twelve
hundred tons burden, then one tug
would manage three of these having
a capacity of at least as much as the
five smaller ones. So that il is safe
to say that one steam-tug could east
~ convey to the mouth of the Mis-
sissippi one hundred thousand
bushels of wheat or corn. Other
lines of barges could be started for
the purpose of shipping to the sea-
board the cattle destined for foreign
markets. Ii would, I think, be
apparent to any one that cattle
shipped in this way would be in
much better condition when con-
veyed by these comparatively easy
lines than when shaken and bruised
and fevered by the rough treatment
inseparable at present from railroad
transit. The fact is there is no
transportation known to the busy
world that will compare for cheap
ness with downstream water .navi-
CATION. The Almighty made these
great thoroughfares for the use of
the people. No monopclies can take
possession of them and occupy them
to the exclusion of others who may
want TO use them. They may there
fore be truly called the peoples
highway"
In speaking to the resolution, the
senator touches upon the question
of railroad rates, subject of great
and growing interest, and Nebrss-
ksns will feel gratified for the sena-
tors remarks, and will be glad to
hear more from him on the same
subject. We reproduce some of the
sentiments from this part of his
speech:
"The railroad rates from the Mis-
souri, river to the seaboard are such
as to leave too little for the pro.
ducer, and hence the necessity of
devising means for transporting at
least the grain and breadstuffs to
market at less rates than are now
paid, and in no other way can this
be done, in my opinion, than by
keeping open, as long as possible
each year, the great river thorough.
fares"
at is highly probable that if the
Missouri aud Mississippi rivers were
properly improved, railroad mana
gers would be compelled to lower
their rates."
"The question of regulating by
law interstate commerce is a diff
cult matter to settle. That such a
thing can constitutionally be done,
and that it should be done, / haye
no doubt"
"That railroads and especially the
trunk lines can carry freight or
passengers or both at less rate than
is done at the present, is proved by
the fact that the officers at the head
of these lines almost invariably be-
come millionsires within few years
after taking charge. A portion of
this money ought to have been
furnpd info the hands af tho pro