The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-25
GREAT SYSTEM
OF RAIL WAYS
Connecting Link Between North
and South America Can Be
Built for S200,oO0,o0o Says
Ex-senator Davis
NOTHING IMPRACTICABLE
ABOUT THE SCHEME

W.T.. JAWS hepOFl 10 lIle dill"
American Railway Commission
of the International American
Conference viii Be Submitted
Wednesday
Mexico City, Nov 24.-The report Of
ex-senator Henry G. Davis to the Pan
, American Railway Commission of the
J International American Conference
, will be submitted to the session of the
conference next Wednesday. Mr.. Da-
Wis suggested that a. subcommittee be
appointed to study his report, but MS
colleagues would not hear of anything
of the sort. and adopted his report
unanimously.
Mr.. Davis says in his report that
there is nothing impracticable nor Wis
Iionary in the construction of the m
ternational railroad, nor in the nota-
ton of the necessary stock. He re-
marks that such systems as the Penn
| sylVania, New York Central, AtchiSon,
Northern Pacific, the Union Pacific,
Southern Railway and others have
greater mileage than is necessary To
secure the realization of the inter-
colonial railroad, while the bonds and
shares outstanding of each OF these
systems are in excess of the sum esti-
mated necessary for the construction
of the railroad in question.
The Russian government has just
completed, says the senator, railrosJ
through Siberia at a cost considerably
in excess of the American estimate as
necessary for the completion OF an
American Intercontinental Railroad,
and in so doing has overcome greater
natural difficulties than are to be
looked for in the construction of the
latter Mr. Davis also refers in COM
plimentary terms to the great trunk
lines built in recent years by Mexico.
In dwelling on the expediency of con-
} structing an international railroad, Mr..
Davis mentioned the fact that some of
. the South American delegates in order
to reach Mexico for the present Pan
American conference had to make the
! journey via Europe or New York. A
letter mailed in the United States for
some of the South American republics
goes first to Europe and thence to its
destination. Mr.. Davis estimates the
} mileage of the intercontinental rail-
B road to be constructed at 5000 miles in
4 order to link existing system and cal
lculates the cost at 5000 900, 900 or at the
terminates with the following recon-
mendations
l. That a railroad connecting all or
the greater part of the nations repre-
2 scented in the conference will contrib
q ute powerfully to the development OF
the natural interests of the said ma
lions.
g. That the said railroad ought, as
far as common interests permit, to con
meet the principal cities scattered alonl
q its route.
8. That if the direction of the roaC
can not be changed for the objec
. STATED in the foregoing article without
great inconvenience. branches shoulc
be built to connect the chief cities with
the main line.
a. That in order to lesson the cost OF
l. work, existing railroads be utilized as
h far as possible and as far as compati-
It BILE with the location and purpose of
n the intercontinental railroad.
: s. That all the material necessary
for the construction and operation of
the railroad be declared free from port
duties while taking suitable measures
to prevent abuses.
6. That property, real and movable,
of the railroad, employed in construc-
! ton and operation of the road, be ex-
empted from all national, provincial
: state and municipal taxation.
: Z. That the realization of work of
: such magnitude deserves to be en-
t couraged by means of subventions,
2 land grants or guarantees of minimum
: rate of interest
g. That the railroad be declared for
ever neutral in order to assure free
dom Of traffic.
s. That the delegates to the confer
ence recommend with all possible
earnestness to their several govern
ments the granting of liberal conces-
sions to the enterprise, in such form as
! may appear most suitable to each