Cheap Transportation

In Seribner's Monthly f or September, Mr. S. D. Dillnye diecusses the transportation qiiestion in detail in advocacy of a narrow-gauge "pure freight " line, to be built and controlled by the Government. The following paragraphs will show the drift of bis argument: The question, "How shall we cheapen transportation ?" is oae of paramount impórtanos. I propose to answer it. The profits on agricultura and on manufactured articles constitute, to a great extent, national wealth; these proüts depend largely upon the oost of transportation. Lord Bacon says that a f ei tile soil, busy workshops, and cheap transportation constitute the immediate means of the wealth of a people. Transportation is now dear; it should be cheap. It is obstructed by monopolies; it should be open to all. It is subject to conditions which doublé its cost, frorn which it should be relieved. Eailroad transportation is cumbersome, inefficiënt, and needleesly expensive. It demanda power it cannot utilize, doubling its cost. It makes the carrying of passengers its primarv, and fieight its secondary object, at the expense of the products of the land. It is inefficiënt, because ita roadways, its engines and cars are so constructed, owing tothe width of gauge, asto require four tons of dead weight to carry one ton of freight, and needless expense in structure, sacrificed by the force it is compelled to support; a system is practical which can be made to carry two and eight-tenths tons of freight to one ton of dead weight,. and in the same ratio diminishing wear and tear. It is needlessly expensive, for the present sygtem costs 40 per cent. more for roadway, and a third more for operating expenses, while it can do little more than a third the work the less expen&ive system can perform. These assertions eed proofg. I proceed to offer them. The railroads between the Mississippi vnlley and the Atlantic, except the New York Oeütral and portions of the Pennsylvania, have been built, equipped, and are worked upon a theory which has been demonstrated to be unfit for freight transportation. The gauges all run from four feet eight inches to five feet six inches, and six feet. The war of the gauges has resulted in the victory of the narrow gauges. In the mountains of Wales slate mines invited capital. Easy and cheap transportation were essential to proüt. Tbirteen miles separated Pestiniog, the place of the mines, from Port Modoc, tho seaport for shipping. The route was mountainous and difficult. Festiniog is 700 feet above Port Modoc. Tho route had to be scooped out of mountain-sides, while ravines continually intercepted the way and had to be crossed by wall works and stone embankments. So crooked was the route that its line was almost a eontinual repetition of the letter S. lts curves were so sharp that a moderatelylong train would be on three curves at the same time. These obstucles were in the way of cheap transportation. In 1839 a horse tramway was constructed with a two-feet gauge, and a sixteenpounü rail, which in a few years was replaced by a tliirty-pound rail, and the track was adapted to steam-engines. After eighteen years' use, the thirtypound rails were replaced by forfcy-eight pound rails, The original capital stock of the road was L36,000. The earnings expended in construction increased the capital to L86,000, making the cost $30,000 per mile. It pays 29 per cent. on its original, and 12 on its present, capital. It is worked with the Fairlie engine, and is the most successfnl railway in Englan-1. TMs. statement raises the question, Why is it tbat this narrow-gauge road has always paid large dividends, ■ when nearly every widegauge in Great Britain has t'ailed to pay? In ans wering this I shall demónstrate that narrow-gauge roads are essential to cheap transportation. I shall proceed to proofs by showing first, saving in construction; second, in equipment; third, in doad weight; fourth, in increased relativo power to carry freight; fifth, decrease iu wear and tear; sixth, decrease in running expenses. Eetablishing these positions, I ehail proceed to inquire, seventh, can a puro freight road be made to pay ? Eighth, how should such a road be operatsd ? Finally, I shall show the demand for cheap transportation, and compare the relative ability of our water mcans of transport with that of narrow-gauge roads.