PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



obstructed by ice, and hence will afford unfailing 

 competition throughout the year. IU greatest ad- 

 vantages, however, will be found not HO much In 

 furnishing u highway of oommoroe to the seaboard, 

 ig up a valuable c>niit-.-tion Ixtwuenthe 

 grain-growing States of the Went and the cotton 

 ions oi th< Si.utli, whereby each section will 

 ' !. tail benefit of those crops for which its aoil 

 mid i-!i:iiat" an- )>eftt adapted. It will connect with 

 . penetrating a very large por- 

 tion <,f tii.- .-.!!. .11 .11 ti'ii-ti of the South. It ibe- 

 li.vc.l tliut eventually iiiliiml navigation trill be ob- 

 1 at small expense along the coast of South Car- 

 oliiiii, Georgia, ana Florida, connecting witli tho riv- 

 tho.so States which flow into tho ocean. IJy 

 at. tlie centre of the cotton-producing di.str'u-u 

 lii-il from the centre of tho corn area, at a 

 tig 15 to 18 i-t/nt-i )M-r bushel; and 

 .<litioii to tho creation of a new competing 

 u\vnue to tin- .--.i, the homo market for food that 

 will be developed, and tlio increased production of 

 cotton that will l>e indm-ed, will vastly more than 

 compensate for tho entire cost. 

 The sunn- ri murk should be made with reference 

 liiu- ;is with regard to tho Central route, name- 

 ly, that flu- t tiniatcd cost of movement is much in 

 excess of what i* expected by its special friends and 

 advocates. It will be observed that the saving to be 

 effected on through-freights to the seaboard U about 

 the same as by the Central water-line. 



BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES ANTICIPATED FROM THE 

 MISSISSIPPI RIVER IMPROVEMENTS. 



The evidence submitted with the report justifies 

 the conclusion that ? upon the completion of the en- 

 tire improvement oi the Mississippi River, wheat and 

 corn con be transported from Minnesota, Iowa, NYis- 

 consin, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and other States 

 above Cairo, to New Orleans, for an average of 12 

 cents per bushel, and that the cost from St. Paul will 

 not exceed 17 cents. The average rate from New 

 Orleans to Liverpool in 1872 was about 2? cents 

 (currency), which can be reduced t as shown by the 

 evidence submitted by the committee, to 18 or 20 

 cents by the improvement at the mouth of the river. 

 Estimating the cost from St. Paul to New Orleans at 

 17 cents, the two transfers at St. Louis and New Or- 

 leans at one cent each, and the charge from New 

 Orleans to Liverpool at 20 cents, the total from St. 

 Paul to Liverpool will be 89 cents per bushel. Tho 

 charge, in 1872, from St. Paul to Liverpool, including 

 transfers and terminals at Chicago, Buffalo, and New 

 York, by the cheapest route, averaged 67.5 cents per 

 bushel. The saving to be effected by the improve- 

 ments of this route may, therefore, be estimated at 

 28 cents per bushel from St. Paul to Liverpool, with 

 the proportionate reduction from all other points on 

 the river. 



COMBINED BENEFITS AND ADVANTAGES OF TIIE PROPOSED 

 SYSTEM OF IMPROVEMENTS. 



In view of the benefits and advantages to be de- 

 rived from each of the four proposed routes, and from 

 tii.-ir combined effects when in constant competition 

 with each other and with the railroad system of the 

 country, it is entirely safe to say that the completion 

 of the system of improvements suggested will effect 

 a permanent reduction of 60 per cent, in the cost of 

 transporting fourth-class freights from the valley of 

 the Mississippi to the seaboard, and that the cost of 

 carrying a bushel of wheat or corn to tho markets of 

 tho East, and of the world, will be reduced at least 

 20 to 25 cents per bushel below the present railway 

 charges, and that a similar reduction will bo effected 

 on return-freights. 



The actual movement of grain to the Eastern and 

 Southern markets in 1872, as shown by the carefully- 

 prepared statistics submitted with this report, 

 amounted to about 213,000,000 bushels. An average 

 saving of 20 cents per bushel on the surplus moved 



that year would have amounted to over $42,000,000. 

 liut for tin; liirt that largo quantities of corn were un- 

 able to find a marki-t, on account of tho high trans- 

 portation charge*, tho amount moved would have 

 Men very much greater, llenoe. In addition 

 saving in transportation above named, a benefit per- 

 haps equally great would have been conferred upon 

 the producer in affording him a market for his surplus 

 product*. 



To this must be added the enhanced value which 

 such reduction would give to the improved lands of 

 the West, amounting, in thu eigjit Northwestern 

 States of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Wiscon- 

 sin, Mi-.v.uri, Kaunas, and Nebraska, in 1870, to 65,- 

 841,000 acres. Estimating the productive capacity of 

 these lands at an average of only 20 bushels per acre 

 (the average of corn, oats, etc.. being, in fact, very 

 much greater), an addition of only 10 cents per bushel 

 (one-half the estimated saving) to the value of the 

 cereals those States are capable of producing, would 

 give a net profit of $2 per acre, which is the equivalent 

 of ten per cent, interest on a capital of $20, and hence 

 equal to on increase in the value of lands to that ex- 

 tent Twenty dollars per acre added to the value of 

 improved lands, in those States, would exceed un 

 aggregate of $11,000,000,000. This calculation as- 

 sumes that one half of the reduction inures to the 

 benefit of the consumer and the other hall' to the pro- 

 ducer. 



Add to all this the increased value of farms in other 

 States, the increased value of unimproved land.-, tho 

 enhanced value of cotton-plantations, the benefits to 

 accrue from reduced cost of movement of the products 

 of the mine, the foundery. tho factory, the workshop, 

 and of the thousands of other commodities demanding 

 cheaper transportation, and some conception may be 

 formed of the vast additions to be made to our na- 

 tional wealth and prosperity by the system of im- 

 provements under consideration. In comparison with 

 the great benefits and advantages reasonably to bo 

 anticipated, their cost is utterly insignificant. 



The probable effect of such reduction in the cost 

 of internal transportation upon our exports and for- 

 eign balances of trade is also worthy of the most care- 

 ful consideration. America and Russia are the great 

 food-producing nations of the world. Great Britain 

 is tho principal market. For many years America 

 and Russia have been active competitors for the sup- 

 ply of that market. Until recently the farmers of the 

 west have had the advantage of the wheat-producers 

 on the Don and the Volga ; but a few years ago Rus- 

 sia inaugurated a system of internal improvements by 

 which the cost of transporting her products from the 

 interior to tho seaboard is greatly reduced. The re- 

 sult is shown by the importations of wheat into the 

 United Kingdom during two periods of five years 

 each. 

 Importt of wlieatfrom Russia and America into th 



United Kingdom from 1860 to 1864, compared with 



the importtfrom 1868 to 1872. 



An increase, during the latter period as compared 

 with the former, of 70.590,213 bushels from Russia, 

 and a decrease of 10.584,746 from the United Stut.s. 



The cheaper mode of handling grain by elevators 

 has not yet been adopted by Russia, but doubtless 

 will be very soon. When this shall be done, and her 

 wise system of internal improvements, which have 

 already turned the wavering balances in favor of our 

 great competitor, shall be completed, she will be able 

 to drive us from the markets of the world, unless 

 wiser counsels shall guide our statesmanship than 

 have hitherto prevailed. In fact, as the increased 



