. The American transportation problem; a study of American transportation conditions, with a view to ascertaining what policy Americans should adopt in order to effectively meet existing conditions and be prepared to continue to lead the nations in the march of progress and civilization . ere-fore, actually did derive some benefit from the improvements thathave been made, we have the following showing: 280 About 759,790 tons of mixed freight was carried on the water anaverage distance of about miles, giving a ton-mileage of 9,510, was done at rates .33 per cent below railroad rate
. The American transportation problem; a study of American transportation conditions, with a view to ascertaining what policy Americans should adopt in order to effectively meet existing conditions and be prepared to continue to lead the nations in the march of progress and civilization . ere-fore, actually did derive some benefit from the improvements thathave been made, we have the following showing: 280 About 759,790 tons of mixed freight was carried on the water anaverage distance of about miles, giving a ton-mileage of 9,510, was done at rates .33 per cent below railroad rates, or at a savingof cents, per ton, per mile. The apparent saving was, therefore,$24,, and the cost to the people of the Nation was $785, we ignore interest charges, we still have an actual annual outlayof $103, in maintaining the works which result in an apparentsaving of less than one-fourth of the cost of such maintenance. Weuse the expression apparent saving advisedly, since, were it pos-sible to ascertain the increased cost of hauling goods by wagon ordray, to and from the boats, up and down the muddy, slippery riverbanks; the damages and losses resulting from the constant uncer-tainty as to the time of arrival and departure of boats, people waiting. THE LONELY UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT QUINCY, 4, is said to be at this time, one of the best navigable rivers in theworld, but the superiority of railroad facilities has talten practically allcommerce from its waters. hours on the river banks, exposed to the weather, and the many otherdangers and inconveniences of the water transportation, it is prob-able that the apparent saving would be found to be as mythical andillusory as are all the statements and claims of the waterways ad-vocates. The $17,060,552 that have been wasted on this river improvementmight have built a railroad from St. Louis to St. Paul (604 miles byrail) costing $28,000 per mile, with $148, to spare; and th
Size: 2756px × 907px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidcu31, booksubjectrailroads
