THE COMMERCIAL INTERESTS OF NEW YORK, AS RELATED TO OUR SYSTEM OF TRANSPORTATION. Ex JGtbria SEYMOUR DURST CHEAP TRANSPORTATION. At a meeting ot the American Cheap Transpor- tation Association, held at the Aptor House, in this city, May 6th »nd 7th, nine States were re- presented. Letters were received from Governor John A. Dix, Governor James H. Smith, of Georgia ; Governor C. C. Carpenter, of Iowa ; Hon. William Windom, United States Senator from Minnesota , Hon. D. M. Duboise, Georgia ; J. B. Hawley, Illinois; A. H. Buckner, Missouri ; B. W. Frobel, Georgia ; John A. Kassori, Iowa ; Charles Francis Adams, Hon. John DavU, President Farmers' Co- operative Union, Kansas ; Geo. M. Stevens, Sec- retary of the Farmers' Association, Illinois; Hon. S. B. Moore, Illinois ; Geo. W. Peek, Wisconsin ; A. M. MeKeel, Fairfax Gwnge Patrons' Hus- bandry, lov- a ; N. F. Graves, Kansas, and others. Numerous telegrams were received frcm commer- cial, industrial and manulacturing associations !rom all parts of the couutry approving of the call tor the Convention aud biduiug it godspeed. The following officers were el cted for theensu- ing year : President — Hon. Josiah Qnincy, Boston, Mass. Secbetaby- K. H. Ferguson, Troy, New York Tbeasubeb — F. B. Thurber, New York City. Vice-Presidents— Lewis A. Thomas, Iowa ; Henry Branson, Kansas ; Gen. Wist, Wisconsin ; W. M. Burwell, Louisiana; Gov. Smith, Georgia; J. A. Thomson, West Virginia ; Adelbert Ames, Mississippi; George J. Post, New \ork ; J. B. Phiuney, Illinois; W. S. Wood, Ohio; E 0. Stan nard, Missouri; J. H. Gray, District of Columbia 3 J. E. Stetson. New Jersey ; F. C. Johnson, Indi- ana; A. Morrison, Minnesota; A. G. Dodge, Ver- mont; E. Wakely, Nebraska; ex-Gov. Paddleford, Rhode Hand ; Gen. T. C. Hersey. Maine ; J. B. Sargent, Connecticnt ; M. D. Wilbur, Michigan ; J. M. McArthnr, Kentucky ; Daniel Pratt, Ala- bama ; Heury G. Hull, North Carolina ; Colonel Palmer, Sonth Carolina. A constitution and by-laws were reported and adopted. The constitution provides that the or- ganization shall' be known as "The American Cheap Transportation Association," whose object shall be the cheapening and equalization ot rail- road transportation rates throughout the United States. It provides for a subordinate association in each State, andregnlates minor matters tor the guidance and government of the National and State Associations. The committee on resolutions reported the fol- lowing, which were adopted : Whereas, The productive industries of the United States -plantation and farm, mine and factory, commer cial and mercantile— are-noi only the sources of all our national and individual wealth, but ai-o the elements on which our very national aud individual existence de- pends; and Whereas, All raaterul products are the fruits of labor and capital, and as neither labor nor capital will continue actively employed without an equivalent measurably just: and Whereas, Great na'ional industries are only sustained and prospered by the interchange of the products of one section of country for tho.-e of another: and Whereas, 1 tie existing rates of transportation for the varied products 01 the Union, from one part of the coun- try to another, and to foreign eonntrk 8, as well as the transit cusi of the commodities required in exchange, are, in many instances injurious, ana to certain interests absolutely destructive, arising, in part, at least, irom an insufficiency of avennes; and Whereas, The great material want of the nation to-day ie relief from the present rates of transit on American products; therefore. 4 Resolved, That the duty of the hour and the mission of Ihis association is to obtain from Congress and the several State Legislatures Ruch legislation as maybe necessary to control and limit by law, within proper constitutional and legitimate limits, the rates and charges ot existing lines of transportation; to increase, where practicable, the capacity of our present water ways, and to add such new avenues, both water and rail, as our immensely in- creased internal commerce demands; so that the pro- ducer may be fairly rewarded for his honest toll, the con- sumer have cheap products, and our almost limitless supplies llnd foreign markets at rates to compete with the world. Resolved, Thai the cheap transportation, both of per- sons and property, being most conducive to the free movement of the people, and the widest interchange and consumption of the products of the different parts of the Union, is essential to the welfare and prospeiity of the country. Resolved, That the constant and frequent association of the inhabitants of remote parts of the United States Is not only desirable but necessary for the maintenance of a homogeneous and harmonious population within ihe vast area of our territory. Resolved, That the bes't interests of the different parHol the country also demand' the freest possible Interchange of the industrial products of the varied climates and In- dustries of ihe United States, so that breadstuff's, textile fabrics, coal, lumber, iron, sugar and various products, local in iheir production, but general in their consump- tion, may all reach the consumer at the least practicable cost of transportation; and that an arbitrary and unne- cessary tax, levied by the transporter, over and above a fair remuneration lor the investment, is a burden upon the producer and consumer that it is the part of wise statesmanship to remove. Resolved, That certain leading railway corporations of the country, although chartered to subserve the public welfare, and endowed with the right of eminent do • aln, solely lor tbat reason, have proved themselves practically monopolies, and become the tools of avaricous and un- scrupulous capitalists, to be used ib plunder ihe public, enrich themselves, and impoverish the country through which they mn. Resolved, That many of the railway corporations of the United states have nor only disregarded the public con- venience and property, but have oppressed the citizens, bribed our legislators, and defied our executives and judges; and stand to-day the most menacing danger to American liberty and to republican government. Resolved. That the present system of railway mauage- mtnt, having billed to meet the just expectations and demands of a long-suffering people, must be radically re- formed and controlled by the strong hand ol law, both State and national, and railway corporations compelled to perform their proper functions as the servants and not the masters of the people. 5 Resolved, That to thla end we invoke the aid of all fair-minded men In all States of the Union in expelling and exclU' tug from the halls of legislation, from our ex. ecutive offices, and from the Bench such railway officials railway attorneys, or other hirelings as prostitBte pnbhc office 10 ih<- ba>e uses of private gain. Resolved. That leaving different section and >nterests that desire cheap transportation to work out the prob- lem in snch a manner as they may deem best, we earn- estly .nvoke their careful consideration, t heir energetic action, and their resolute win in i emulating and con- trolling the rates of transportation and giving remuner- ative wages :o the producer and cheap products to the consumer untaxed by unearned charges for their car- riage. Risolved, That we invite the people of the varions States to organize subsidiary associations — State, county and town— to co-operate with the national association; that the power to accomplish the purposes desired rests absolutely with the suflering milions; that relief is in their reach and costrol by united action, and the near future will give, as certain as its need !<>r ail time and the good of all, the true solution of the problem of cheap transportation. In pursuance of the spirit of the last resolution it is proposed to organize in this city an auxiliary a»iociation from among the substantial mer- chants, who represent so large a portion of the commerce ol the nation. When we reflect upon the immense snrus paid by our merchants for trans- portation, and how inseparably our business in- terests are linked with this question, it is a matter of wonder that business men have not before formed an association to protect their interests against the compactly organized combinations which tne railways have made, in order that they might dictate terms to shippers and receivers of freight. It seems, however, that it was not to be until the abuses and extortions of our railway sys- tem reused the farmers and merchants of the West to organize for self defense , and make us the suggestion by holding a convention in New York, for the purpose of forming a Nation .1 Asso- ciation, combining the aroused sentiment of the 8 different States at the West, with the awakecing interest in this question, which is beginning to be evident in the East. That the production of the United States has grown much faster than our facilities for trans- porting that produce ; and that increased facili- ties must be provided by our National Govern- ment is evident to every thinking mind. Nearly one-half of our present Members of Congress are attending a convention at St. Louis, to examine the claims which that city advances for au in- crease of the facilities for that immediate section. On the 20th ot May, a Convention of Governors met at Atlanta, Ga., to examine a system of canals which are advocated by Governor, Smith. Many prominent Western men are looking for j the construction of a canal through Virginia, connecting the waters ot the Ohio and Kanawha with those of the James river, and thus reaching tide water on Chesapeake Bay. Other and minor schemes to facilitate communication with the Northwest by increasing the means to reach the Great Lakes, and obtain an outlet through Can- ada and by the Erie canal to New York are in progress, and are being pushed with varying prospect of success. Many of the clearest think- ers and most practical business men, however, seem to think that the quickest, surest and most permanent way to obtain relief is to enlarge the Erie canal, operate it with eteam power, and, ii addition, have the Government build a nationa trunk railway from the Mississippi river to New York, to be used exclusively for freight and fre< to any company or person who might choose t< put rolling stock thereon, operate it under s i 7 general law, and pay sufficient toll to keep the roadbed in order. It is clear that a large portion of the produce of the West, such as live stock, 4c, and many of the manufactures of the East, must be transported by rail. Railways are more in accordance with the spirit of the times, and the facility with which they are built and operated is daily improving. One great diffi- culty which New York merchants experience in increasing their business relations with the • West is the delays, uncertainties and ex- pense of the preseut system of transportation. On an average, it takes ten days to transport freight between New York and Chicago. With a natioual road exclusively for freight, it would take butf'tree nays, and this is on a supposi- tion that trains on snch a road would only average twelve mile* per hour. This great discrepancy in time is caused by the practice al present in vogue of running freight over passeuger roads, the freight trains haviug to keep out of the way of passenger trains, making it possible to run only about one-sixth ot the time, and then at a rate of speed which is costly and dangerous. The saving in interest alone on the immense value of produce constantly in transit between the East and the West, upon which a saving in time of two-thirds or more might be expected, would go far in a lew years to pay tne entire cost of con- stiucting such a road, while the immense in- crease in the business of New York resulting from such facilities can be estimated by any merchant doing business with the Great West It is esti- mated by competent railroad men that a saving of oue-half to two-thirds of tue expense of trans- porting freight under the present freight system could also be made; and when the delays and un- certainties now attendant upon ordering goods from New York are swept away, Western mer- chants need not carry as large stocks, and would 8 certainly increase the frequency and amount of their dealings with this market At present the whole country is paying divi- dends not only upon the actual amount of capital invested in building railways, but also upon a tremendous nominal, or fictitious capital created by building roads with the proceeds of mortgage bonds, while the stock is quietly divided by the projectors without paying a cent for it, and in many cases has been doubled ("watered") so that the attention of the public would not be at- tracted to the enormous dividends. Is it any wonder that the people complain of the present charges for freight, and that railway managers accumulate wealth in amount beyond the dreams of avsrice, that our farmers and merchants find it hard work to make money, and that our money markets are manipulated and controlled by these monopolists, to the detriment of all legitimate business ? It is certain that the National Government must grapple with this question, and give au oudet to the West and an inlet to the East. This question must come up at once — probably at the next ses- sion of Congress — and New York merchants should not sit still while all other sections of the country are orgamziug their forces. Impractica- ble and injudicious projects may be undertaken because they are pushed by well-organized fac- tions ; New York has already lost enough busi- ness by the abuses of the present system of trans- portation, and it behooves her merchants to have something to say about its reform and the man- ner in which it shall be accomplished. To do tnis requires organization, and th?re is no time to lose in setting abou; it. It must not be left to the care of committees in existing trade bodies, but there must be an organization formed for that special object; it should combine the greater part of our mercantile wealth, character and abilitv, in an association commensurate with the magni- tude and importance ot the subject with which it is intended to grapple. That Ibis can bo done, and will be done as soon as our merchants glance at the situation seems a certainty.