REPORT ON THE TRANSPORTATION QUESTION. 333 



4. We may add that the unjust discriminations of railway corpor 

 ations have greatly aggravated and intensified this evil. Discrimi 

 nations are unduly exciting and building up the prosperity of com 

 peting points, and depressing and destroying that of other points ; 

 real estate is depreciated, manufactures and agriculture languish, 

 and the country even becomes depopulated by reason of unjust dis 

 criminations. 



5. In view of these facts, your Committee believe that due en 

 couragement should be given to the opening of new routes, and the 

 improvement of the old ones, so as to furnish transportation at cheap 

 rates between all parts of the Republic. Among these we would 

 call attention to the following, which, from a cursory examination, 

 seem to have more or less merit: The Niagara Ship Canal, the 

 Caughnawaga and Champlain Canal route, from the St. Lawrence to 

 New York ; the Fox River Canal, of Wisconsin ; the James River 

 and Kanawha Through Water Line; the Illinois and Michigan 

 Canal and Illinois River Improvement; the Atlantic and Great 

 Western Canal ; and the Mississippi and Appalachicola Canal along 

 the Gulf Coast, 



6. The Southern Pacific and Northern Pacific Railroads are aided 

 by grants of land, and their construction, it is believed, secured, and 

 we believe will be an important means of relieving the pressure of 

 trans-continental transportation. The scheme of the Eastern and 

 Western Transportation Company also promises a valuable new 

 through route from the Northwest to the Atlantic. 



7. We call attention to, and ask an investigation of, the merits of 

 the narrow gauge railways, as much cheaper in their construction 

 and operation than the existing railways ; of freight tracks or rail 

 ways adapted especially to cheap transportation; and of tram-rail 

 ways laid upon the common highways of the country, which we 

 believe can be done at a cost not exceeding that of Macadamized 

 roads. 



8. We recommend that efforts be made and persevered in, until 

 all railway corporations shall be subject to legislative regulation, so 

 as to insure the absolute and perpetual prohibition and prevention 

 of extortionate charges and unjust discriminations. 



9. We recommend that all men who believe that the rights of the 

 people should be protected from the extortions and discriminations 

 of transportation monopolies, should unite in reforming the execu- 



