The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-06-17
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON, d. c., June II, 1881.
The Bureau of Statistics will furnish
in its Forthcoming report some import
ant facts that need to be considered
by the managers of trunk lines of rail
roads terminating at tide water. There
has recently been large diversion of
grain from st. Louis by the Mississippi
River route to New Orleans for export.
This competition appears effective in
the actual diversion of traffic with re-
spect to grain shipped in bulk from st.
Louis to New Orleans and thence ship
ped in bulk to Europe. 1t is found
this competition, or regulating influ-
ence of the Mississippi River Is exert
ed almost exclusively through CONNER
cial forces of st. Louis. The forthcom-
ing report will embrace an elaborate
statement in regard to commercial, in
dustrial and transportation interests
of the city of Cincinnati as illustrative
of the conditions governing the inter-
nal commerce of the country. It's al
legged by those interested in the carry
ing routes to the seaboard that ship
ments cannot be profitably made via
New Orleans, and that corn shipped
in vessels in that hot climate is inev-
itably damaged by heating. Be that
as it may, one thing is certain, trans
portati0n and cost of handling must be
brought to q minimum figure if the
cities of the East continue to maintain
their commercial supremacy. New
Orleans, Guymas, San Francisco and
Portland, in the near future, by their
railroad connections, are to be strong
competitors for the foreign trade, and
the question of cost is to determine at
what point and how shipments are to
be made.
The people of the country should not
think that the star route" scandal is
confined to the few routes that have
been made public or that General Brady
by expediting routes has done any diff
ferent from his predecessors for the
last forty years. The truth is, the
people are responsible primarily, and
they alone, for every dollar appropriate
ed to make up the deficiency in the
revenues of the Post Office Department.
But for the action of the people the
postal system would bring an actual
revenue to the Government. Let me
illustrate. The towns of Podunk and
Hill have semi-weekly mail,
bringing $50 letters each week, the
people being entirely satisfied. The
contractor, Mr.. Wide Awake, having
rendered essential service in securing
the nomination, and hurrahed at the
election of the Hon. Obed Goodenough,
conceives the idea of an expedited"
service between the aforesaid import
ant towns. A petition is started by
Mr.. Wide Awake asking for a daily
mail, the towns are growing, the people
think it is big thing and of course
Uncle Sam will pay the expense, and
the petition is signed by everybody
and is sent to the Hon. Member who
remembers the distinguished services
rendered by his constituent, Mr.. Wide
Awake, and forthwith he endorses
thereon his recommendation that the
route be at once expedited" and
thenceforward the $50 letters are scat
tered through daily mail and Mr..
Wide Awake draws his pay for carting
empty mail pouches, from our gener-
GUS Uncle Sam. Gentle reader, this
picture is not overdrawn but represents
thousands of mail routes and no state
in the Union is excepted.
"Will it tip over or go through into
China ?" said an old Yankee as he look
ed at the uprising shaft of Washing
ton Monument now 1872 feet high. Ill