Year: 1873

Channels of COmmerc with the
West-An Important Question for
| New York.


The astonishing and rapidly increasing pro-
duction Of the Western States, and the neces-
sity of reaching markets for it, together with
the rivalry that is springing up in the Do
minion of Canada and different parts of the
United States for the commerce of the West,
make all questions relative to opening new
channels of commerce between the West and
the seaboard of supreme Importance. There
is no place SO deeply interested as New York.
Through the enterprise of our merchants and
capitalists and the encouragement of the
State government, our railroads, canals, and
great natural water courses have maintained
the commercial supremacy of New York. They
have made it the greatest entrepot Of COM
merce with the West. But that enviable posi-
ton cannot be held unless further improve
ments be made to meet the increasing produc-
ton and wants of the country. With all the
advantages of established trade and enormous
concentrated capital this city may lose por-
ton of its commerce, or, at least, other places
may take a greater proportion than heretofore,
if more facilities for transportation be not
opened.


The Erie Canal, which taps the vast COM
merce Of the lake region at Buffalo and
is the conduit Of much trade to the nav
igable waters of the Hudson and to New
York, has contributed largely to the prosperity
and commercial greatness Of the city,
as well as to the prosperity of the State
and the country west of it. The canal was
the beginning of that great system of internal
improvements which has done SO much to
make New York what it is. Later the rail-
roads have done q great deal to pro-
mote the commerce and prosperity of the
city as well as of the interior of the State
and of the Western States. But the capacity
both of the canal and the railroads is
limited so that much produce must either
find other outlets or remain in the
West for want of market. In fact, a
great deal of produce rots on the ground,
and Western granares and warehouses are
choked with farm productions, because facili-
ties for transportation and reasonable charges
for freight are not found. It is not surpris-
ing, then, that the farmers should complain,
that oranges should spring up by hundreds in
all the Northwestern States, and that this
question of transportation should overshadow
all others in that section. Seeing this
state of things, and inspired by self-in-
terest, the Canadians, Boston, Portland,
in Maine, Philadelphia, Baltimore, even
Virginia and the railroad magnates of great
competing trunk lines are agitating the matter
of opening trade facilities with the West and
of drawing trade away from New York.


Dsmissing all other schemes, it must be
admitted that even with the Erie Canal
enlarged the problem would be but partly
solved. The four tracks of the Central Rail
road, in connection with the double tracks
of the Hudson River and Harlem railroads.
which are being carried out will contribute to
projected change Of gauge of the Erie So will
the New York and Oswego Midland Railroad
when it is in full and satisfactory operation.
Still all these improvements cannot meet the
wants of the West or give this commercial met
ropolis that control of Western commerce which





track railroad for freight exclusively, on as
short line as possible, from New York to
Chicago and st. Louis, with feeders from other
important points. The time is not distant, if
we may Judge from the growth Of the West
when one such line will not be sufficient. A
railroad of this character could carry an
immense amount and at much less cost
than by the existing fractional and over
stocked railroads. The farmers would have
cheaper freight and New York would have
the best opportunity of maintaining its
commercial supremacy. There was a move
ment spoken OF among our merchants to this
end What has become OF it? The interests
of the city require that it be carried out.
There is abundant capital here for the pur-
pose--at least, it could be obtained. An
other thing that would go far to afford
relief to the farming interest of the Western
States is for the government to pass general
law regulating railroad charges within the
limit of earning reasonable return on the
bona .,ide capital invested. The charges for
freight and passage now in the aggregate are
made to pay interest on large amount of
capital never invested. Fully one-third Of
the nominal capital probably, has been
created by watered stock and inflated bonds
The railroads are the highways of the country,
which run through and connect the States,
in which every man, woman and child is in
terested, and the government, which has the
constitutional right to regulate commerce
among the several States, con impose rcstric-
tons This should be done, however, with
due regard to the rights of capital and in
manner not to check enterprise. Whatever