Year: 1878

NAMED supine up to this time, and that
when they do wake up to the Importance OF
the subject they scarcely seem competent to
the task of considering it in the broad and
comprehensive manner it demands.


New York is naturally the Atlantic sea-
port of the United States. We have
harbor accessible in all seasons and safe at
all times, unrivalled in its facilities and
capable of accommodating the shipping of
the world. Our river fronts give us docks
which art could scarcely equal for safety,
accommodation or extent. The city owns
these docks, and it's evident policy should
be to make their conveniences better and
their expenses lower than any other docks
in the world. Our connections with the
West, by which ocean and inland commerce
are united, arc better than those Of any
other Atlantic seaport. We have the Erie
Canal, the unrivalled highway for the trans
portation of grain from the West and OF
heavy merchandise to the West during the
season Of navigation. We have railroads
which are longer from given point in the
West than those running therefrom to Bal
timore or Philadelphia, but which, by reason
of their easy grades, can be worked cheaper
than the rival lines. No possible competi-
ton could therefore harm New York if the
people Of the city were as alive to their in
tercsts as are the people of other places.
We bear the same relation to the smaller
seaports that Wholesale business bears to
a retail house. The magnitude of our COM
merce demands that our dock and terminal
facilities should be cheaper and better than
theirs, and it is the fault of our short-sighted
policy if they are not SO.


The railroad companies forming what are
called the spool lines" pretend that they
are justified in making discriminating rates
of freight against New York because the
trunk lines to Baltimore and other cities
from the West are shorter than our own.
This is all q sham, invented to cover the
schemes or policies of railroad managers,
which are always mystery to the outside
world. A man would naturally expect
to pay less for o carriage to carry
him ten miles on level, well
paved highway than to carry him five
miles up the Catskill Mountains. The New
York Central Railroad runs on On almost
level grade it's whole distance. The Erie
does nearly the same, and when her narrow
gauge is completed will be worked at as
little expense as the Central. The Balti-
more and Philadelphia roads are at great
disadvantage in this respect and are worked
at much heavier expense Besides, New
Yorks large trade entities her to better
rates from the railroads than are accorded to
less important customers.


The present movement of the business
men will be productive of good if it can be
properly directed. It is necessary, how
ever, to take broad, comprehensive view Of
our present necessities if we are to secure
any material benefit to the commerce of
New York. We do not share in the fear
that any other city on the continent can
ever become serious rival to this metrop-
oils, but that does not justify us in sitting
idly by and neglecting to improve our
natural advantages, There is no reason
why we should attempt to interfere with
the inevitable laws of trade or strive to
wrest from commerce undue privileges for
any particular interests. Our position is
such that we must perforce grow with the
growth and strengthen with the strength of
the whole nation, and if we only display
proper enterprise and exercise broad in
telligence in treating the questions that are
vital to our commercial interests we shall
have no occasion to look with jealousy on
the prosperity of our neighbors or to borrow
any trouble about our own supremacy.