The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-07-30
The I otal Cost of Transportation


tho Seine from Paris to the sea. Tho
only inland waterway in Germany with
channel comparable TO that of tha
improved Ohio IS the ITO miles of the
Rhine between Cologne and the Dutch
frontier.
Nor are we compelled to look to tho
future for examples OF low cost and
efficiency in transportation on AnertS
can rivers. The greatest cargoes NOV.
ed at one time arc not handled on the
Great Lakes, or even on the ocean, but
In tho fleets of barges carrying coal
down tho Ohio and mississippi Rivers
the record cargo being $500 tons,
handled by the tow boat Sprague. The
board of Engineers that recommended
the improvement OF the Ohio report
that great quantities of coal have been
transported on that river at a charge
of less than A of mill per ton per
milc-a rate as low as is given on the
Great Lakes for coal from Buffalo to
Duluth. which coal is taken as return
cargo-and say that they never heard
Of lower rate except in deep draft,
ocean vessels traversipg great dis.
tances.
Sugar was carried 1000 miles up
o. ~ Jill ANtW OTltaHS TO RlttSDurE
In 1905 and 1906, at an average charge
of LA mills per mile, while the
average charge on sugar for the ocean
haul OF 5000 miles. from Rio Janeiro
to New York. was 127 mills. While the
exact expense per ton-milc. due to
cost of maintenance and interest In
, cost of construction, would vary with
the amount of traffic developed, IL the
entire amount were loaded on to tho
traffic already developed on the Ohio.
the total cost" of TRANSPORTATION
would not be one-fourth as much as
the average rate by rail.
In considering the total cost" OF
transportation we must not forget tn
figure how much that total cost might
pc Increased II the railways were on.
tirely relieved OF the effect of the com.
| petition of inland WATERWAYS. Befor.
the locks at the cascades on the COL
nmbia River were built freight re- tes,
on nails and that class of goods from
portland to the Dalles were $3.50 per
ton. AS soon as the locks ware OPEN
ed. the railroad rate dropped to So per
.on. Ihat the difference was due to the
river Improvement IS shown By thu
fact that rates were not reduced be-
You'd the point to which the steam
boats could run. For instance the
rate on salt in carlond lots was $50
per ton-mile to the Dalles and s1O.ou
FER ton to Umatilla- $3.50 per ton for
the eighty-eight miles with water
competition and $50 per ton for the
next 100 miles without water competii
ton.
If 1t Is proper for the people of the
United States to consider the total
cost OF transportation before enter
ing upon an extensive scheme of waterl
way development. 1t Ia even more inn
portant that they consider the total
cost which results when the transL
portation system OF the country iS
overloaded and breaks down. as 1t did
In l9ob-oI. There are many people who's
have bitter memories of the losses in
Cured through the inability of the
railways to handle promptly the traffic,
offered them in those years Thew
recognize tho fact that the public In
terest demands the Improvement otS
our waterways and the turning over toA
them to as great an extent as possible.
of the raw materials which are chiefly
responsible for the clogging OF tracks
and terminals. leaving the RAILWAYS Of
the country free to use their eauipmenr,
In the transporta ton OF traffic of AZ
higher grade. y
1t Is to the interest of the peoples
that transportation be as prompt aa
eEncient and as cheap as possible I'm.
less the railways of the United States
can prove that their average rates can
and Will be reduced to something near
the average figures which have becr
Indicated for the Rhine. In Germany.
and the Ohio and Mississippi, In the
United States there Is no question THAI
the public interest demands the ima
nrovement of inland waterways. IL
the railways could conduct transporta,
ton at profit al prices somewhat near
the present total cost of transporta1
tion on the Rhine. there is no escara
from the conclusion that their pres&
ent rates are outrageously high