The Washington herald., 1918-04-25
What Vanderbilt Did.

Some years later Commodore Van-
derbtlt perfected the first great uni
fication of railroads that had been
accomplished in the United States
up to that time. This unificatior
was known as the New York Cen
tral and Hudson River Railroad
The line ran parallel with the Erie
Canal. and it was thought inevita bic
that were 1t not for this canal the
commodore's railroad system would
have secured complete monopoly OF
transportation across New York
state. The canal. 1t was hoped
would serve as an adequate re-
straining force to prevent an estab-
; lishment of n monopoly at that time
There did arise intense competi-
tiOn but not in the form which il
was expected competition would as
sumo. IT was the competition which
was due to the ability of the rail-
roads through economic handling OF
freight. long and unbroken hauls &c
and from the West and through the
great volume OF business thereby
obtained. so to reduce the cost OF
transportation as to make it impos-
sible for the canal boats to be oper-
ated at q like or lower cost. This
was not cut-throat competition. II
was legitimate competition. for boti,
the railroad and the people pros
pcred By reason OF it.
Must Improve Ii.
Therefore the people OF the State OF
New York decided that the Erie canal
should be 80 enlarged as to make II
possible to operate barges driven by
steam. Still the idea Of restraining
the railroads possessed the people and
they therefore authorized great i'm
provements in the canal. These. how
ever. were Of no avail. but It began
to be perceived that an incorrect view
had been taken and those who sue
ceeded Commodore Vanderbilt in the
management OF the New York Central
were among the first to take that
view. They were persuaded that the
canal could be best employed in the
interest of the people, in the interest
OF the canal itself. and also in the
interest Of the railroad II it were TO
be so operated that 1t would estab-
lish cooperation with the railroad and
eliminate competition. That view was
taken In some parts of the west where
canals were built before railroad con-
struction had been perfected upon any
large scale.
That Is the view which Is taken
now by those who advocate the i'm
provements of the Mississippi
River. IL II seen that waterway
navigation properly handled can
supplement and cooperate with the
railroads in the handling of trans
portation. Nevertheless the people
of New York authorized the re-
building a few years ago of the
Erie canal so that it would be cap
able of floating steam driven
barges, with q carrying capacity
each Of from eight hundred to a
thousand tons of merchandise.
stiil the idea prevailed that if a
canal were improved in this way
even though 1t cost over a hundred
millions (Which IL did. 1t would
serve to regulate and restrain the
railroads Of New York state. Some
OF the greater or ADLER men, how
ever. were of the opinion which
they dared to confess only In pri-
vste that o great barge canal OF
this kind could best serve the in
terests Of the people as well as It's
own and that Of the railroad, II
il acted In cooperation with and
in a. great measure as possible as
an auxiliary of the railroads.
Not however. until the Director