Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-04
Cheaper TRANSPORTATION,

| This seems to be the universal cry.
| whether the complaint comes across the
water from distant climes. from the far off
| territories of the home government, or
| from the back settlements of the imme-
| diate vicinity. The producers everywhere
| seem to have imbibed the idea that the
| freight tax is the burden which keeps
them poor, and the genius who shall sue
| coed in devising cheaper facilities and
| revOlutiOniZe the cost of transportation
/ may have a monument erected to his
memory, characteristic of this money
making utilitarian age.
Agricultural producers as a rule re-
main poor, while cities, towns, corpora
1 tons and innumerable nOn-prOducing in
| dividuals grow rich handling and specu-
| lating upon the articles produced, and all
| kinds of tricks and devices are resOrted to
in order to depress the goods in their hands
and increase the profits of the spectators.
All these intervening classes are neces-
sary, except the spectators, to afford
! facilities and carry on the business of a
progressive people, but the profits of the
labor are unevenly divided, and hence the
general dissatisfaction. The producer
occasionally experiences a little relief-a
railroad or water line lowers its rates;
the spectators make a bad move and the
pool bursts; the Legislature tries its hand
at intervention, or, as in the case of the
Mississippi appropriation, a new CON-
peting channel is opened up.
By the way, the latter measure, born of
the necessities of the people, though said
to have passed Congress through the
darkness of iniquity, seems to be working
wonders already in the North and West,
having forced New York pell-mell to the
polls to set free her system of canals,
and prepared the way for gen.
eral tumble of rates among
the railroads competing for the
Western trade. The danger appre-
hended of turning the great bulk of West
ern freights down the Mississippi as soon
as il is cleared out, is an imminent dan
ger. to which the Northeastern cities can
not close their eyes. The river viii be
restored to navigation, and not only will
its palatial steamers reappear, but the
bosom Of the mighty stream will swarm
with fleets of barges. reducing the cost of
transportation so low that it is doubtful
whether the railroads will be able to sue
cessfully compete for grain shipments at
all to the East, This may sound strange
and many will be incredulous, neverthe-
less il is true.
This is a great country, and it has a sin
gle river whose valley contains over twen-
ty millions Of people. Twenty millions Of
people have power, and when necessary
for their purpose they will use
it, especially if they be American
people. But stranger still, that twenty
millions will be forty millions in about
twenty years, and they will have twice as
many railroads, still unable to handle the
mighty grain crops of the Northwest,
which must, as nature designed, float
down the majestic father of waters.
Our railroads are grand institutions that
take hold upon our hearts, excite our ad-
miratiOn. our enthusiasm, and enlist our
warmest advocacy and support; but, like
all other institutions, they have their
sphere, and, operated within that sphere,
become a priceless boon as one of the
greatest promoters of civilization that
has been given TO modern generations.
They carry population, wealth. ana pros
peritv into the wilderness, bring cOmmu-
mites together for association and knowl-
edge. and distribute the necessaries Of
life with rapidly and certainty that bid
defiance to starvation from floods and
droughts, while other regions possess
the means of relief We can
never dispense with them until
mans ingenuity inyents something better.
An inventive Englishman thinks he has
solved this problem by means of ''plate |
railroad" between Liverpool and Man |
chester: but this ''piate railroad" is linn
tied to short distances, and however effec- |
tive for sliding heavy freights rapidly
around depots, wharves and manufac-
tories. cannot be applied TO long lines and
general commerce. They are, therefore,
in no gseat danger from that source, but
should not be pushed by imprudent hands
beyond their legitimate sphere, turned
into oppressive mOnopolies aud make
a mistake by claiming that the country
was created for them, instead Of content
ng themselves with the reverse Of that
:.
Tba rafactive. sober Judgment Of