The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-06-16
CORRESPONDENCE.
WATER RRANsPORTATIO THE
CHEAPEST.

KANSAS CHIEF 1T is sometimes asked, Has no,
the building of railroads been of great benefit the
improvement Of the central portion of this nation
We do not deny but what great advantages have
been derived fron the construction of railroads
also that the large amounts of land donated, cash
advanced and credit loaned by the General Govern
ment, has assisted very materially the settlement
Of the great West and Northwest; but we claim that
the strong Of the Nation should be literally used
for the improvement of the great natural water
teries Of the section of this continent Those
improvements should be commensurate with the AL
vantages to he derived. and the commercial demands
| of the country.
Ii is not necessary for to go into Details and
show that water transportation is much the cheap
est mode Of movn. the tonnage connected with the
| commercial transactions of the county. That ia
conceded by ALL IL is necessary to give the sta
| tistics showing the volume of productions which
give employment to the various transportation lines
to tide-vater; neither il it necessary to show to
what market the surplus is to be carried. The main
point is to obtain the cheapest moLe Of carriage
whatever market opens up a demand for the com
modtics produced.
The natural means for the movement of the sur
plus products provided. and at one time were
| commensurate with the demands, and improvements
should have been continued. and kept pace with the
demand The cost Of the Improvement of the Mis-
sssiupi River and i,s tribu,arie with the r.rt.i,
benefits to be derived and enjoyed is very insgnif-
cant. and the amount expended river improve
ments is very insignificant. in comparison with the
large amounts given in aid of railroad construction
In TO 1853. the Government had oxpended about
sIs JOaOOO ON the river system. During the same
period the Government aided in the construction of
raiIvays (eouutiug the land Mt 81 25 per acre, In
the amount Of sss2 OOO 900. The navigation of the
Yissssip, River and its conn.ctiops penetrat. sey
cpteep States of the Tu.u. while the land drained
by tfIem X the home of the GREATER mart of the in
La,apts of the limited Stat.s: and the nroJu,tiops
of that nnrtiou of tL. United States far exceed in
volume all the other States
There is an a.lase. either in the Bible or Shak-
spearc N e,nno, inst recall which that We sbouId
never kick against the priek-" No matter who the
author WAS. IL will serve TO illustrate the pont-
much the same as ..Thompsons colt did People
thought once let the railway bower kick against
water characterization they could never supersee IL
But now we find all is changed. Wafer transporta-
tion has to kick asainst the RAILWAYS. They have
adjusted the lock, and hold the kew As long ms III.
railroad magnates and capitalists can fully control
the Legislators, they have the whole command of
the kew, as the producer must shin his sur,us pro
uetion- no matter what the rate of carriage il. and
there is no Use Of his kicking against the prieks
Brother producers and consumers. the only way
by which we can hone to effect an inproyement of
the Missouri River is for the whole river system of
Improvement to be combined, and all the represent
atiyes I,otl in the State and National Iegslaturesl
must act in unison and harmony and for the bene-
fit of the masses Our Representatives are only the
trustees of the Constitution. and sbould. when as