178 HAUPT— TRANSPORTATION IN THE UNITED STATES. [April 19. 



well as to the length of haul, if the present Atlantic ports are to 

 hold the trade. But the ratio of the growth in the mileage is 

 rapidly decreasing for in the several decades ending with the years, 

 as stated, the percentages of increase in main line mileage was as 

 follows : 



1845,323%; 1855,295%; 1865,291%; 1875111%; 1885,73%; 

 1895, 41 % ; 1905, 21 % ; 



showing that the construction of track is relatively losing very 

 rapidly, as compared with the ratio of growth in population, and 

 especially in tonnage; for within the next generation the popula- 

 tion of this country, which is increasing more rapidly than any 

 other civilized nation, will have doubled. 



The total tons of freight carried on all lines in 1905 was 

 1,435,321,748 carried at an average charge of 0.784 cents making 

 the total tax paid for rail transportation per ton for the average 

 distance of 130.4 miles amount to $1,469,518,157. The cost of 

 handling this freight before and after reaching the railroads is no 

 doubt as much more, and in addition there are many other charges to 

 be met between the producer and consumer, so that the total tax on 

 overland commerce is probably not far from $3,000,000,000 annually. 



Very great economies might be effected if any considerable 

 amount of this trafiic were carried by water and the average rail 

 haul were reduced. Unfortunately the internal channels are not 

 available, although the government has been struggling with this 

 problem for over forty years and in some instances for nearly a 

 century and a brief analysis of progress seems to be necessary as a 

 guide to future possibilities. For this purpose the best authorities 

 are the official reports of the departments and the records of Congress 

 as to expenditures and results. Numerous organizations have sprung 

 up all over the country demanding far greater liberality from the 

 national government for waterway improvements and the president 

 of the National Waterways Congress who is himself an agressive 

 member of the House Committee on Rivers and Harbors, in a recent 

 speech, said in substance : 



" Some of our most worthy projects have been under way for 

 a great many years and are still far from completion. He then 

 cites the Harlem River, under the shadow of Wall Street under 



