Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-12-24

with hr,. diEsrence in favor of the Virginia rose OF
% 10 PIG miles New York being the Atlantic port sousn.
re va measure from Cincinnati to the several chief eastern
cities the distances as follow
To New York BY the Erie Canal l'lzo miles
u g by the ~ Y & E~s Railroad, 1850 "
| Philadelphia by way O. Pi'tsourg' 81
| u BY way OF Wheeling and Baltimore, s5S
.,,.,.,...o Il, whse,ioa 757
| " Norfolk via Richmond and Guyancotte, 'oo
| Richmond via Guyandottc, DIV
Showing difference in favor of the Virginia route 10
Norfolk of from 81 70 426 miles all other routes 70
Northern cities If the distance from Gin
through these various cities tine ocean at It's near
es, points, the distances are as follows:
Ia the ocean at New York by the Erie canal 1925 miles.
a railroad, 1880 "
a ocean a, Delaware capes via Philadelphia, l057 "
ocean q, Chesa psake capee via Baltimore 957 "
ocean at Norfolk, iuo
Showing difference in favor Of the Virginia route OF
from 257 to 426 miles, Instead therefore, OF the Virginia
route being longer than that of the New York canal as MI
Fisher asserts shorter by from $50 TO 426 miles, shorter
than the routes other Eastern cities by from 81 10 $40
miles, and shorter the Atlantic senbourd than all oher
routes BY from 257 TO 426 miles Supposing therefore, Mr.
Fishers declaration that the reghs of our canal when de-
posi,ed a, Norfolk would still be three hundred miles fur
Their from Europe than New York is" (Which we do not
cred, upon his auhory there would still be 0o to llo miles
in favor OF our Europe There would Also be THIS
additional advantage that the three hundred miles OF diner
ence which he mentions would be OF ocean navigation upon
our route whereas II is of overland navigation upon the
New York route; fact which virtually shortens route by
at least two hundred and fifty miles more in as much as
ocean navigation expensive as overland BY at least
six TO
Mr. Fishers statements In respect the results OF the
New York canal. are equally alacous and absurd. He
saws he total cos. Of the New York canals to S49 was
S3 pa 1885, but this does include the Interest on the
after II borrowed and expended and before the
works became productive" He estimates tine aggregate
prncpa and interest of the cost of the cenas up 10 TINS
time al o00 and, upon this showing asserts that
the net, income from all the canasi a4s namely
was only five and half per cert OF the toto! Cost but M
Fisher ignoran, obvious of an item which materially
CHANGES this resu, md is Of magnitude which ought not
to have escaped the eye prssd stasan The agge-
gate revenues Of the New York canals from the year 1879
when they were slso635 the year s4a (when they
were were s 634 Deduc,ng Is per cen, Of
,h, for expenses ana repairs the nett income shown OF
$40 1872 226 which, with interest TO the present time Is
equivalent, according Mr.. Fs mode of calculation
10 more than S5000000 This item more than Offsets Mr.
FPS aggregate COST and shows that New York in respect
TO her canal expenditures including the cost oil the Erie en-
larcsment is clear Of debt and has nett disposabe
annual income in hand Of So ISL, lO2 If MIR. r. Will
to receive instruction from an ahe sounder ana
infinitely moro learned sastican than himself let him study
Mr. Keeslucid account OF New York finances, published
In the Merchants Magazine for March lS45 where ne Will
learn tina, New York had embarked in projects but her
canals she would have been entirely free from debt
with revenue such nation before possessed en-
irey unpedced and that her canal solely de-
pended upon and are apart BY constitutional provisions
TO relieve her from all the debts she has incurred for all
the numhcress wild and extravagan projects in which she
| has engaged.
The Southern Pres, urges against the extension OF our
Virginia canal the fact that the short lateral canals wnlcn
make into the great Erie trunk In New York. do pay d.
vdends and many of the not even expenses Supposins
his assertion be fact, the does not aect me ques
ZION of extending our main work the Ohio. We must
look 10 the main Erie canal itself 10 parallel our own main
line Itcost s743769 Its tolls wiped the last cent OF
this cost in the year 1885, after the entire line
was opened Its present nett annual revenue is upwards Of
500 OO0 or 35 per cent OF Its II tho argument Of
the lateral canals Is against u.s. not that Of the main line
for US triumphan,ly and overwhelmingly The main Erie
canal is now undergoing enlargement embracing system
Of double locks throughout al cost OF 4S ormoie
than double the original expenditure Being yet Incomplete
this enlargement is yet wholly unproducve. adding ih:
expenditure the original cost and srpposng that the Ell
larrement will not increase the trade and nett evenne
of the work q, ALL sl this canal will pay 525000o0 net
income upon S2 55, eleven and half per cent
Take the whole system of the New York canals into TIT
computation the unproducvs, unfinished enlargement III
,hress lateral works and all and they paw 81 pc
cent upon their total cos-,ha, is saw. s25l C2 net
income upon s332l4,l5s. of total cost DeducnG the in
complete enlargement, and will be found tina, the works il
onera,on Including the thr.;less lateral canals pay net
revenue Of S2757 l02 upon total OF Sls 4lO,
lax per cent, Mr. Fisher the Southern s,a;iscan make
them Ave and half per cent.
Mr. Fisher considers the fact that New York charge
certain of her railroads the tolls upon freight as sh
would receive If this freight passed over her canals concu
s!ve of the question whether railroads successfully
compete with canals for tina, sort OF trade But does ne no
know that her canal pledged TO her creditors TO
her public debt and that allow them 10 be diminished IL
any degree By any competition, however feeble would be
violate her faith 10 this exten Has she manifested any fea
Of railroad competition in granting S3oO0OOO and NOR
liberal charter than any corporation in the country possesses
to the Erie and New York railroad which her
tire Southern border parallel her canal and thar
II 70 the centre of Western trader Has she betrayed any
this fear and jealousy 10 granting to Boston, In rival State
the right Of way and charter for railroad North OF he
canal across her entire Northern territory 10 ogdensbuc Oh
the ST. Lawrencc7 Has she ovnced this dstrus' OF rail-
roads, in passing general railroad allowing free rail
road interpretations be formed ad biu without the Tor
mees and delays Of special chartersl Her total receipts
Of railroad tolls in ls49 were only sl426s sum TO whict
her public creditors would cling with the peEtnaciiy
Shyloek bat which her prineey canal could easily spare
and but for their grunblng would magnnnimously rein
quish stout competition, indeed, Is this Sli24OS
railroad compared with 49, .O6 800 Of canal tolls!
Mr. Fisher continues his arsumcn, in this remarkael
| strain:
"Bu, the work been DONE and the general impression
10 that immense benefits have resulted incidentally to TIT
State VIVA, ere they7 She has much property
as Virginia where public works have not teen very fashion
able The landed property of vrgniu has increased from
s2ll 1874 226 or 9H per cent in The last fe'
10 say greater than 10 York during the period th
period Of the completion and triumph OF her system of pub
| lie works"
| IfMr Fisher will consult oficial documents instead OF BIZ
aundiced gnaon be will ind that the total value
re. a,,,,. in New York in 1883 was s24 while ha