Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-01-19

above estimates. 2l The proportion which would
have fallen to the kanawha Turnpike under the a.
bovc estimates would have been rs, work
has been actually completed at aggregate cost OF
oalya fraction over $50 000 3D. The estimates for
the principal part of the JAS River Canal, were at
rates varying at from 10 to 20 per cubic yard
for excavation, (sec Moore's Report, Jan. 1920 )
the other parts of that work, at oportonate rates.
So far as that work has progressed however, large
share of the excavation has been actually done at
IL cents or less per cubic yard Much oil the exca-
walton on the grand canal from Lake Erie to Alba
ny, was actually done at cents, and some SO low
four cents per cubic yard, lvde the Commission
ers' Report, and newspapers 1923, and why can
not the same be done James river Ii the
work done on the James River Canal, has exceeded
the above estimates, it has been owing possibly to
additional work having been done, or probably to
other causes not now under consideration.
But how is this sum oi : z go, 900 10 be raised!
j. it TO he drawn from the people oy ta1a,ion?-
We answer emphaiicaly No: but that 1t is
susceptible OF being drawn nom the intrinsic
resocrces OF James River and kana.' la alone: and
that too, after reducing the expense OF transporla-
tion materially below what II now is---"To prove
this, let facts be submitted TO candid world"
II mistake not, the average quantity OF flour
which has entered the single pore OF Richmond, per
annum for the last years, has been about
.372O0 barrels of tobacco, 5i ,2f7 hogsheads-
and eli coal between 7G0 900 AMI 500, 900 bushels,
exclusive os all other articles The present rates
of toll, about 10 cents per barrel on ilour-42
cents per boat load OH coal; and (excepting this
YEAR, about So cents per hossiiead tobacco:-
and The average amount OF tolls, thus collected,
Exclusive of the additional toll on tobacco this
year, has ave raged about S32, ITO per annurn at
ter paying charges of collection, &c. From to-
lerably correct estimate there appears tohave do
seconded kanawhi river, In that Time, GOO ,OOu bu-
shells of salt per annuIn, which at cent per bu-
.hot, >,tal1 he trad IN a
other articles might yield 1900 more. The tolls
arising from road, ia all probability, ample
20 pay charges and keep all the works III repair The
appor,ionment heretofore allotted TO this work IRON
,he s.disposable revenues 'o the Fund for Internal
Improvement, is only SIS 900 per annum: & even
this pitance is not giuen to us-it Is only loaned
TO u.s. free Of interest, until the canal progresses
60 L;nchburg, Sc,' and then by the Acts of Feb.
1920, and Feb. 1921, the James River Company
required TO pay interest it, until ,hey finally re-
fund it, in the manner OF other loans This annual
sum, if 1t were even gioen 10 the James River
Company, would, by the way, be very far
shor. of the amount that the James and kanawha
rivers would be entitled to, we.e they to receive
their proportion Of .two-iifths' of their cost from
that fund as other public works in the state do:
buI such it is, let receive it thankfully Our
account then stands thus avoiding fractions, per
Or James River, $4,000
From Kanawha River mot now required,) 10000
Total, 10000
IT the present toll on tobacco be continued, it
would exceed this, by much but without that,
this $50, 900 ould be than the interest OF the
whole sum necessary TO complete the canal from
Henrico to Tye river, at its present rates oil
cost exceeding the former estimates: this would
embrace the entire coal trade and large district
OF the river above it.
II has been 100 well tried to admit OF a doubt,
that transportatio canal OF this kind, can be
effected with every facility at the rate of one cent
per ton per mile, and admit of jus'ifying profit
TO the carier-this is demonstrated by the daily
perence on the canals of New York, Pennsy lvania,
and elsew here; and could be verified here. The
rate Of transportation, however, the section Of
James river, above referred to, as is known by
every man acquainted with the subject, in the pre-
sent state OF the river, has exceeded within the
last twelve years, 10 cents per ton per mile; II has
never been lower than 4, and frequently exceeds 6
cents Suppose, then, that this part of the canal
was completed, with capital raised in the present
toll as above,) could the carrier complain OF one
additional cent, per ton, per mile, as extra toll.
Certainly not; for this would only raise it to two
cents; whereas he now pays4 or 6, and runs risk Of
wrecks and losses Of property and life. This adj
dnonal toll would amount to very large sum on
the three single articles of export abov etnenoned
and it requires calculation to shew, that such
additional toll, together with the present and con
seqien. accession from the increase oil trade on that
section, Gas many articles would then bear carriage
at cent which would not bear il now at 4, or g.
or l0,) would be ample to pay the interest on the
capital which would be necessary 10 execute the
work 10 Lynchburs. And on the same principle
che accession thence arising with the Kanagha tolls
If necessary, would enable Us 10 command fund
sufficient 10 execute it to the Blue Ridge
Suppose the canal thus completed TO the Blue Ridge
would not the consequent dimnulion oil the price
of carriage admit OF the toll being raised to sum
equal to the interest the capital necessary
cute the remainder Of the work; still preserving
the toll and carriage much less than what they
ares aud still wing j, you please the 'pedge
of the act of February 1920; (Which by the way
seems to have been quite msconstrued by some oil
the members of tie last Legislature.) To illus
uate this let state a The carriage OF a ton
OF flour, for mple from the North branch at the
Blue Ridge, 10 Richmond, has thin the last ten
years) exceeded SIG ; it has never been less than
$6 and frequently exceed $l2 generally about
$40; as every OF James River knows: the
toll in every case being 81. Now suppose the
canal completed thus far, above, the carriage Of
a ton between the same two points would be only
81 75-Ohe distance being about IT'S miles y
and the oils as above, 81, viz. So rs this would
admit of 4 or IS additional toll, and still leave
the toll and carriage less than Z, H. or l6 dol
lars, to which they have heretofore amounted.
Yes the tolls doubled would still preserve the above
pledge az construed last year; and increased FIVE
fold would still preserve il under lis true construc-
ton The tolls thus doubled or tripled, and still
within the " pledge" would amount to a more
.han adequate to pay the interest on two millions
of dollars sum largely more than adequate "a
complete the whole works from the Blue Ridge to
the Ohio. Compare such tolls with the amount oil
trade ON this part of the river, and you will find il