The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-06-15
The Revival of steamboatlug Upon the

The Revival of steamboatlng Upon the
Western and Southern Waters.
When the United States government
takes an interest in the great water
ways OF tho south and west, it will con-
tribute $lOO,COo,OOO TO improve their nav
igation, 80 that the steamboats, may
have an opportunity of competing with
railroads. We here assert that the
United States government has
been great factor in the
decline of steamboating upon our great
waterways, from the fact that Tor 80
years past it, has neglected them
most shamefully by not making the
proper appropriations to keep them
from filling up with sediment and all
kinds OF debris, such as snags, wrecks,
etc., 80 that to-day they are not neviga
BILE one. half the year. We again assert
that the United States government has
iostered railroads by donating and Civ
ing them hundreds of millions Of acres
of land ana money, which had the posi-
tive effect of destroying the steamboat
tonnage, and that the government has
not donated to the Improvement of the
waterways a hundred million of cents
Out upon such niggardly policy Lot
the thirty millions OF people OF
the great West arouse in their
might and demand In no unmistakable
voice that the government shsll i'm
prove the great natural waterways
Then will the steamboat interest revive
We say again that the obnoxious anC
onerous laws the government has i'm
posed upon the owners of steam YES
| 90 Ia hn rNn haN 10.
had the direct effect of driving capital
lists from investing in the steamboat
business.
Also that the United States govern
ment, through its inspection service
has fastened upon steamboats, an enor
nous expense, all kinds of worthless
patents, which, instead of being an ad
vantage, have been an oOnoxiou
and onorous tax. When the gov
ernment removes these thing
then will steamboating re
vivo. Another great incubus which 1
assisting in sinking the steamboat in
terest Is that Of the onorous tax Of In
surance. Think of u tax of 10 per cent
; being charged AZ premium upon th
hull risk of "a steamboat. What husi
ness in tho world can long sustain iisel
under such a charge; and again, tn
charged upon the corgoes of water Graf
: is another cause that Is drowning th
steamboat interest, from the fact that
Is driving hundreds of thousands G
tons from the river route TO the rail
roads, from the fact that there ar
no insurance charges upoI
railroads. When the undeI
writer's reduce their premium on steam
boat cargoes 10 n fair rate then will
steamboating revive. When tho wi
famous and ext0rtionate tax OF wharf
age is abolished nc every city aud tow
upon our great waterway, then steam
boating will revive, This Is one of th
/, most outrageous and Rbomlnable Ia
that a steamboat has TO pay, and PAL
ticularly 10 In this city, for steamboat
were the very factors that brough
commerce TO this place and made 1t th
!, great emporium IL was for so year
which Is now so greatly declining troi
the outrageous charges II has place
upon steamboat tonnage. at ha
killed the goose that lai
the golden egg" All the oil
structions 10 the revival of steamboat
ing have mentioned must be abolishe
. before the grand and glorious day
steamboating can be restored to the wa
tors OF the west and south. When tn
slow-going freight and passenger stean
ers OF to-day are changed into lightnin
express steamers that can make 70 mile
an hour against the current of the Nil
sisslppi River, then will the steam boz
interest revive; then they can conten
successfully with the railroads whic
are now eating them up.-tNew 0rlear
City Item.