Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1850-12-03

~, -, senment Of anngonlsm and hoa,lii'3 ssu''
~ sy;, towards the canal among the enas 81 wnd
nyen'ents Thorough information upon .s - e works
enort of the canal as improvement oesleu W iu
;h never failing commerce and prosperity 10 'ne. a ,
II the experience of similar works IN ohef oa'es a
he f,una IN rconire an abandonment OF the canal sou
be abandoned without hesitation; put II - 81; a,;pn.
from full and thorough Information as 10 aen y nm
w. yhsn nnrsued with hesitation lanslor ana dlsl"st III
,d Of abandoning should push forward the work ana
that with the spirit ana eneisy WHEEL ohnr "nai Undertaking
Now Vo,t onoys most of all other States the
Of this species Of improvement, ana ieaps i' icv
nnv o1hcr The benefit of early wise ana enersec po
rn:,ecna ,h.m The tolls upon the Ere canal III i91',
the 6rst wear during which il was opened, announce
s4e2 664 In 1919 they reached Z'so<l1- w.a,;o
n, ,h ,wenty-fve years of this canals operation,
pu,'As M has encouraged by the results OF this lead
na crnsmen, constructed the Champaign the osweeo ne
Cayuca and Seneca the Chemng sne pn' To;npah
,h Old, River Improvement, and the Cavngh hic oie
~. ,S Constructing 2i5 additional miles Of canals, ana en-.
,rrno the main Eic trunk nj cost CONSIDERABLY
~ ,oinal construction The income from these ID
,n,a, wots sweed the total receipts OF me Sas TON me-
canals in lsl9 10 the immense aggregate OF ~,
ua;,cs uDon these works during the year. ACCORDING ~
,h -, nj The Canal Commissioners were Socoooo
which cf, re prof, Of s2157 l02 from the years opera
,ions The Comptroller reports that on ihc sum q"
Ic "a Tho entire the New OK canals inciuuii,S
- 81 62I 14S expended in charging the man wolk
mad been sS3 ia 1885, That this enhancement being nc'
- ~ A. vet effected augmentation oil Tie ahnua, re-
w. ,hat nevertheless the nett average annual ln
n - ,he State from these canals during me hve precea
@ ~ h,d been equal capital of S39oo,2i9, al sly
7 cen, interest and that the nett income Tor me year lo19
,,ten ssnnr,tely represented capital OF Slo 9ol ~
The nn OF The comptroller for ls4s shows The upward
ferh, EDWARDS the lukes upon these canals 10 nave ooen
! al rex IONS valued at 1872 6i ana inc downwatu
feol, howard. The Hudson to have been l,5f99lo IONS
Vailed NJ s5237552l making an aggregate ircisht VI
sg4 132 tons worth Sl447322eo, which was an ihcieas
~ 9s s3 ions and Of 2S upon the operations OF Tue
vc,r The same report shews the value Of COM
merce unon the New York canals 10 have been twei'c mn
lions of dollars than the total value ol 'e "
.hn nit.d States of their growth produce ana anu
c,nre during that year, the latter having hctn
similar comparison exhibits. like result Tor several p!sce
ding yeur< In ls4G the value OF produce 10 INC
son was S3I los G in 1859 So23I55Z making an IN
crease after three years Of s2l 2702G5. The produce
brought New Orleans down the Mississippi ye IN isd0
was worth ST. 1893 AGA. In lS49 il was worth Sol so9o9
making an increase after three years, OF only 9oz be-
ing less than one-ouh Of the increase upon the New ORR
canals. When consider the immense extent OF country
tributary TO the Mississippi and its furrcachng branches
compared with that which art has rendered subject 70 inc
New York canals, require no more overwhelming
proof of the value Of this of transportation than th:
fact affords 1t be remembered too, that these were
tho operations Of canals which closed by Ice Tor an aver
age period of 43 days per annum-a period exceeding any
possible s,oppagc OF navigation upon our own canal wher
completed even supposing its summit level 10 DO DRIED NJ
for three months in the year.
II Supposed by some that the New York canals not
able TO support competition with the lateral competing
railroads that traverse that State But the fact is otherwise
twenty Of the thirty railroads in that State he re
ports of the remainder present no statistics OF fregh she'
one-fh Of the tonnage upon The canas Yet these tr
roads exceed the canals in length than three hundIe
miles, and siG6O4,9l; whereas The canals cost w
the Erie enlargement, but S333l4 49, Eleven OF ihes
unds pay the canal fund the rate OF tolls as charge
upon similar freight going over the canals and nave mac
lS4 the privilege Of carrying freight during the whoi
year This toll charged for the that these road
the property Of private companies and take away re
venue from the canal funds which State property pro
portioned to the quantity OF freight passing over mem,
is imposed upon the principle and measure OF taxation
rather the purpose of preserving the State revenue
and uniform than OF protecting hes canals from rail-
competition. The amount of tons that passed owe
upon which these tolls paid was but oo
in Sig which, compared with the 32 tons that passe
over the canals exhibits but feeble competition But
conclusive proof that New York does not fear 10 admit hes
works into competition with her canals is theta that she I'm
poses charge tolls upon the Erie railroad which 9ayer
kirk distance South OF Buffalo Running parallel "
Erie Canal and interposng itself between that work an
the great mass of Western trade that supports H. 1t eve
there of real competition between railroad ant
canal this work would present it, Yet New York. fear
less Of the result given So 600 600 the compile
ton of this possible rival She has found thut her line
cheap canal transportation has attracted such incessar
floods of from the West 10 impose upon he
the necessity Of multiplying her and modes of con
veying it, Hence she is constructing railway upon IN
banks o the Hudson 10 accommodate that trade during IN
Days the year Of ice in that river and hec
also has she built the great Erie Railroad accommodate III
necessities OF her immense Western trade Tor the five month
during which her canals are closed
The average per mile Of the New York railroads ha
been Sl U0 while that of her canals exclusive of the Ell
enlargement has been but Sa 49, inclusive Of that
pcndurc ss,500. That of our own canal TO Bnchanar
exclusive OF lateral works has been S36,25 per mile TIL
Of all the Massachusetts railroads has been $iSUOO pr
mile and that of The Baltimore and Ohio aroad s5i 2S3
TIE railroads OF Great Britain have s4o 0O Of France
, sl0000 OF Germany s5OOOO of Belgium, SSOOUO and
other European countries from 900 10 $4,000 per mile
In general may be sad that wherever railroads have bee
constructed for the purpose Of competing with canals,
carrying the species of trade with them they have
least per mile those works Tho Of
p.eiing ne therefore, will be less than will be re
CURED 10 construct railroad over the central route capabl
ntt ifx hguyv fnT
sichuscts railroads. at the close OF lSi9, (94 miles
lengthy Sio l25 765 and their nett income for that yea
total cost Of the New York canals 1855 miles ong) til
period had been, before stated, 332lA5s dollars
their nett incone exclusive OF raroad tolls 593 AS
~ per cent upon their cost Excluding the cost Of III
Erie enlargement whcnis yet unproductive) the nett in
come was IA per cent. upon the cost of construction
The total quantity OF Indian that entered the Me-
York canals their termination from other State
in $780, 3,5S3,iO3 bushels. OF this 2S04l3 bushe
from The direction of Canada and 330299O bushc
from the States southwest Of Canada. OF this latter
595S5 bushels from the two canals of Ohio, whic
terminate Toledo and Cleveland reduction Of the ol
upon this article 33h per CENT upon the Eric canal prodl
ced an increase in the quantity entcn. that work, II Bua
10 alune during that season. o 100000 bushels This fat
only proves the cupacity Of that leading staple Of III
West 5ea. canal transportation for long distances bu
considering that this crop natures about the tmn of I'll
closing up OF the Northern canals, demonstrates tile fac
, that line if completed, would monopoliz
this important trade. therefore reicratc the opinion
pressed in last annual message that The completion Of on
canal would give 10 Norfolk the monopoly of that great
increasing staple OF expectation.
During the year l549 the quantity of tobacco which
tered the Eri4 canal Buffalo l,6Ul 36U pounds tha
which entered the Pennsy lyana canals Pittsburg l3
III pounds and That which entered Baltimore upon the Bal
m"re ANA Ohio railroad 1876 hogshcads The great bul
OF this tobacco raised in ATTITUDES south Of The
of the kauawa ad would have taken the route of
provemcnt if completed TO Richmond in preference hos
more distant lIkets inferior These
mcnts Of tobacco exhibit state OF things of vital conse
. qucnce To the trade Of Richmond and Virginia.
Ii is remarkable fact that large quantities OF sugar.
asses rice and West India fruits consumed
Western New York. which have arrived there BY way o h
'ss'ssip aud Ohio rivers and the Ohio canals.
'' Vi s''.lo citizens 10 the New York canal board dc
caes 'ha o' 500 hogeads and 1000 barrels sugar
iice consumer III n city alone during the years 1915
loi! hau bcen sppcd W the way OF The Mss sspp rive
and the Western improvements This fact indicates re
markabo movement in tile trade passing from The Wcst d
and our Southern States Eorhward uccs of f,rion
upon the Western range low that los, ou,cI
f Eastern market may control and attract the Of tos
for than thousand miles beyond the Alcsha
s ny ridge. The completion of line, which, woul
afford uniformly cheap rates and free competition in iregh
the great mass Of the heavy trade Of the West would
y with ii the completion Of the Central road and all ohe
works in any degree connected with il.
In view of such facts and especially of the splendid
suits OF canal commerce in New York, do hesitate
recommend continuation and completion of the line
The operations ofhe James River and Kanawha Canal
far altogether discouragng From the report III
Company herewith submed appears that the of III