The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-14

Nsslly twenty years sgo, In 1885, the debt, aoout
$1,000 0C0 created for the building Of the Erie canal
nearly provided for from the surplus tolls snd from
the auction and salt dues which the constitution Of
1921 had olsmuy pledged to the public editors 1t
about this psrod 1885, after the Erie oAnal had been ten
years In operation that considered necessary ~
large M capacity in order to accommodate the increasing
busnes Of the State and OF the great wos which must
sesk the ssaboard through 1t.
In that year the Asse by referred to the Canal ard
application to the l. glslsture for ship canal from
Oswego to the Hudson river The Of tbs Canal
Board, (signed by William C. Bouok SteptAp vAa
Rensselaer, A. Q. Fagy, John A. Dix, Greene G Bronson
William Campbell, and Michael Hoffman which was I'D.
to the application and in favor Of tue enlargement
Of the Erie canal closed with the two following para
graphic
In urging upon the consideration Of the LgsAture tbs
importance authorizing at the present session. such
enlargement Of the Erie canal ~ conceived y be
cess.ry adapt IL to the increasing trade of the
oeuntry the Canal Bard desire 1t to be distinctly under
stood that they do not recommend such an expenditure
OF money upon this work as vii interfere with the
in progress for ACCOMPLISHING cuff
cient to pay tbs and Cbamplan canal oeot and for
Tns net proceeds Of the canal fund for 1885, 1880 and
1887 viii badly DO .uicien to pay he bAan,e tf the
canal sebt and meet the disbursements ON the o'nracs
| for doo bling the locks.
1t clcss Of 1887 the auction and salt duties viii b.
restored to the general fund.- II ths proposed sndment
Of The tuition should the sanction OF the pso
pie After the period alluded to- tho net proceeds of the
canal tolls will be sufficient to inset the dissuements
nesesary for the and charging the with
out having purse to loans for that purpose.
The above table shows that the Canal Bard Of 1885
almost prophets their calculations It shows the
wisdom and foresight Ct the members Of that board Ia the
strongest light shows that had their policy been Al
hersd to- 1 spending only the net proceeds OF the tolls
the public works, the Krie canal snlargemeat alone
might have been completed In 1851 ats cost OF oo
ooo all the unfinished works aud the enlargement OF the
e.
At cost Of ooo In the year 1856 and 50 3o
the whole remainder Of the debt could have been paid
and there would have bsen accrung surplus OF
tolls, OF say, full two mil ions of dollars
This important result would have been realized vita
the notifications and reductions which have been mais
fsor tine to time In the tariff Of tolls; but had there
been reduction had the tolls been aimed At rates
he'd In 1886 the would have been sass
ten millions greater up to this time than It has bsen
There necessity for any reduction from year to
year. AZ ali The canals protested from c,mps.i
ton By State laws and thu at large h,vs not bs,
benefited by the lover rates esabTh Id for What
of the tolls went to the freight tina. the Stats
Treasury has been depleted aud the psopls Ia way
helped bat tia forwarjers hepsd by larger freight bills
Thus the ten millions Of dolIars-the nov o1sd
fer to enlarge the c,nsIs-hsvs been taken from tbs
STATE Treasury ty the nyise policy of rec,nt "a
nal Boards, and now the people arc called upon
to tax ihsmselve1 for the purpote o. distrt u.ls
that smount among sat OF political specusto,s
and snarais ndlers The net revenue OF the c,ass
would, even il much larger, after such aiSi
tonsI expenditures be Of eJ services to tbs treasury
thsn that realized It might larger Ia AMOUNT,
bat It would have to be appropriated to purposes
We, however, doubt II 1t wouli be any greater Within
the last three years there hss been great exv,xaacs
IN the administration Of the s.rs Of the canal sad It
continues at the rate Hsa fad the grnss
amount Of tolls collected Increases the net revenue vii
desrsAe With this ttsts OF tn ngs any burden AIDED
20 the csrs will e.vs ess to 90 t,1.ris thu
liquidation Of indebtedness By aiding ten mil ions OF
collars TO the pre,snt canal debt annual rsveeus
,qss 70 II at 1850 would be required pay even the
interest," lesvirg the principal untouched We c,nno;
close these remarks more appropriately than by giving
the following extrssts from the report OF the Cans.
department upon this subject
TIE policy Of the Canal Board Of 1885, had IL bssn
esrtied cut, ~osd have enabled the state to rspss
for the support OF the goerupent and to reduce the
rates Il tolls wothirds three curths and whiI9 sh5
ccm Iercs OF the canals would tsus early hav ben
ltved Of ,h Oppressive burden and have been un,ssd
in Its competition with rival utes for the Western rads
there would have been no canal ds5t
Bot, unfortunately for The SAFE and for the public
works this POLICY departed from Ia 1885, and dbt
Tor the car ala has been created which nov amounts to
about $1,000 600 Had net the canal lag Of 1851 en-
declared unconstitutional By tae Court Of Appsals ana
had the state sbe upr the Taxed security of the
ftspcsr OF the iols 10 borrow the 50 900 0co authorize
by (whlsh The tfminishHd nd1r OF Two
Yeas shows n have been imp so.s The dest would
have be,n Increased 70 sio, 90 oto
whAt would then BE- tne condition OF ths STATE Ia
conyefisor With the results Of the policy OF s,enliag
orIy he proceeds Of the tof The direct tar for the
turpore d government must he o, tinu.d unt the deb
Is sid perhaps for twenty or thirty ,esrs the prsen.
bude rates OF canal tolls must be kep. for
4. mn tine trd the canal debt increased TO s26 coo Geo
on which ths interest At tx per cen. vouli be 81 900 900
annually
~be IA a. committed 10 sbandourp-n. 81 the
polcy rtcoprepded ~ the carly friends OF :hs eaisrxs
h. "a re- .h Il "A
ample hich n a, not be wi,hoat it, IA f1sros
Every OF property, every tar payer every consum
er ever h. norsss in the s,a,s should no, FL. %
sYpresi his cppoitco In tn. srot gsst way hrousa se
ballot tor) to the Wa fseIIs tspera policy pursusd
ty the COVER ,nsnsof th stat 10 regard o. canals
The rspss very y tkc care ~ thsms,ives aud pr
yise FOR an eusrse-nt speedy enough FOR ~ery pa posa
vi bout I'd iins mbone - iss 70 the present
nous ttbt TIE pr pc a.se ,ov this = >ier w h.if
own h,uds sud ia 10 Their pos T. p'ss-tv4 tie ot
,i Of VI. colst'uteu ana tns treasury II the
tiuI6trsrs.