Excerpt from First Annual Report of the Interstate Commerce Commission: December 1, 1887 With the application of steam as a motive power for propelling ves sels the conditions were immediately, to a considerable extent, changed. A11 impetus was given to the internal commerce of the country which promised immense results, and which made immediate and imperative demand for other and very different highways to those which aecom modated the pack horses and heavy wagons of the early traders and settlers. But even then the circumstances were favorable to a prolonga tion of State control. The first improved highways were turnpikes the next in grade were canals; but the highways by water as well as the highways by land were provided for by the States. The General Gov ernment made some appropriations for canals where they were needed as improvements in existin g navigation, but the great artificial channels of water transportation were State creations. Such was the case with the Erie Canal, which during the period when emigration to the wilder ness was greatest, and when improvement in the new Territories was most rapid, constituted the most important of all the highways con meeting the interior with the sea board. Such also were the canals which were constructed to connect the Delaware with the Hudson, the Chesa peake with the Ohio, the waters of Lake Erie with the Ohio at Ports mouth, at Cincinnati, and at Evansville, the waters of Lake Michigan with the Mississippi, and many others now almost forgotten, but which were of great temporary importance and value. As the States constructed these great interstate highways, it was not unnatural that they should be left ln charge of the regulation of trade upon them, especially as no complaint was made that their regulations were unjust, or that they discriminated unfairly as against the citizens or the business of other States. When, in 1830, steam-power began to be ap plied to the propulsion of vehicles upon land, the same reasons as regards control continued to prevail. The roads constructed for such vehicles were authorized by and built under the authority of the States the cor porate charters under which they were operated, 'and which prescribed the rights, privileges, and powers of the associated owners were State laws; the States determined for them the measure of their taxation, and limited if it 'seemed politic their charges and their profits. The States thus touched them so near] y in all their interests and all their functions that Federal intervention seemed not only unnecessary but intrusive unless State power should be abused; and the abuse not often appear ing, intervention was scarcely thought of by any one. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.