New-York tribune., 1907-10-13

were built he could cut in half the cost of de-
livering Canadian Western wheat at Atlantic
ttdewater- Either the Trent Valley or the Geor-
gian Bay canal schemes. If carried out would
give TO Chicago an alternative deep water route
for heavy freights to that already indicated by
way OF the Mississippi River and New Orleans.
Toward the same end" says the writer the
advocates OF a deep water canal in place OF the
Erie Canal are struggling Perhaps the expendi-
ture Of the 100.O0O.00O now authorized will
place New York again upon footing with her
Western rivals in the matter Of slow freight
transportation to tidewater. If it does not. New
York must continue to fall further and further
behind. The tremendous expense of hghterage
In this harbOr must be eliminated IN one way or
another. No mere sentiment win stand in the
way of a commercial necessity. The cost OF get
ting the products of the West TO the must
be cut down to bed rock. even though the COM
mercial supremacy of New York be lost In the
course OF the struggle"
Such development would not do away with
the necessity for transcontinental railroads. IN
Mr.. Durand's opinion. The passenger and fast
freight business, well as the transportation OF
traffic demanded by the population Of the East
ern States, Will make such transcontinentals a
necessity. even II the United States is divided
by a deep waterway TO the sea. 1t viii, how
| ever. he thinks, strengthen the tendency toward
the building Of direct lines from all parts OF the
. West toward the Mississippi River. He fOresees
a struggle for supremacy along this waterway
Of the near future. just as FOR generation there
has been a struggle for supremacy along the At
lantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico. and the Pacific
Ocean. Wherever the great docks are located
there. he believes, the centre Of the struggle
will be found
American railroads, the writer says. have
| reached turning point il their development.
| For the last fifteen years the tendency has been
well defined In the direction OF consolidation OF
great systems, toward the upbuilding OF main
| lines to meet heavier traffic demands between
great cities and toward the increase In the car
| rying capacity Of cars and the hauling power oe
locomotives. At the present moment these tan
dencies checked The public mind Is aroused
| against the further consolidation OF competfns
/ railroads. Popular delight over the Northern
Securities decision and the claInor against tho
| purchase OF the Illinois Central by Mr., Harr-
| man. he says. unmistakable signs. The man.
ner In which the recent statement made by
James ]. Hill. that 100000 miles Of railroad
were needed reused popular approval Indicates
according TO Mr.. Durand. that the building oe
main lines must give way to the construction se
more branch lines. Within twenty-five years. hs
does not believe that there will be a single fer
tile valley IN the whole West neglected No rails
| road will long be able to maintain the pFesens
attitude Of the Union Pacific in negIecting tho
construction Of branch lines. Just as the PENN
sylvania, the Baltimore & Ohio and the New
York Central companies have found IL necessary
| in the last quarter OF century TO buy OF build
| branch lines into every town that could b
/ reached. so also the Western railroads viii b9
| forced 10 expand and reach out into the nows
| neglected corners where traffic grows. In tha
| wheat and corn belts field will be twenty-fiva
| miles from the railroad a quarter OF a century
| hence. Mr.. HiIPs famous epigrau. "Au trails
| lead to the Great Northern" win be made to
read. The Great Northern meets all trails hala
way"
| The railroad corporation OF twenty-five years
/ from now will occupy relationship tow
| ard the people Of the United States in Mr..
| Durands opinion The open defiance OF tbs
peoples will which Is now rampant will dis
| appear The will OF the intelligent public
! Will become the basis OF railroad law and man
| agement- Consolidation OF competing railroads
| will cease; will their common ownership No
| law can be enacted which will take away from
| the individual his right TO own stocks OF COM
| peting railroads. therefore the law must remove
/ the motive for such ownership. In the Hep
/ burn law of 1906 imperfect it is in its meth
| DDS and IN its machinery, the writer sees the
] foundation upon which the people will build q
\ code OF laws which will forever make ii unnec-
| essary to consolidate railroads IN order to mako
| sure Of eQuable rates The laws Of the : ure,