New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-10

vegetable food there bss been deere ,.a in tu1nsga
The past year compared with 1885, OF 4l9 ia tuns
and decrease ip tolls OF ss35. 1893. Ia co a,d ,D
there hiss increase during the same period ri
go 23l 'uDs ard ircrease in tolls Of s3j4 Dol.
Upder The bead Of products Of the forest there ~as
6ecrease in tunnage UPON shingles, boards anf
scsrt)ing compared With 1883 Of l52 s56 tdns and
an Increase In furnags upon timber, slaves
ard wood, If lo2 533 tuns. and q de,res.e 10
pot end pesh ashes Of 22i5 tun. Under the
head Of "oiber sr'icles,' there was an ioc ease
Of tuppsge Of mineral coal Tor sane period OF
So 1856 uns and Of sundries Sc 1913 tuns which last
Increase is prize lpay composed Of iron ore trans
ported Oh The Cham pi sin ard Cespanxo Canals.
Such decrease in tte revenues and tunnsye OF the
canals II matter OF much moment, ant deserves the
ee,iy attic ution Of the Legislature While there
Soubt that portion Of the diminuton Of tunnsg
upcp wheat and -four IL attributable 10 short crops
ard the tinnishtd amount transported through The
state; sfi much bss been lost to the canals uooo
an cunt transported By the competition and divsr.on
by the railroads. The accompanying table, marked
No A. exhibits the comparative bu.iness Of The Ne
York State canals. ano the Northern. Central and
New.York and Erie Railroads for the years 1853 and
1854 Such table e1h )s the fact that while the total
smoDnt &C freight, or tuns carried mils the
canals bss during the as year. decreased 81 $50 500
fups The said railroads il has increased 55736 40
tups aud that during the last year. the gross amount
Of tDrnsge on the New. York State car a's aud the
three trur rail- osds combined exceeds the amount Of
tuppsge Of 1883 by 234 <6l tuns, while the tunnags
upop The canals ka. dec,eosed, during that per, II
81 g9l with decrease revenue OF t4Jl lS2;
sHd the tonnage Of such raro scs 452
iups with an increase ~ earnng from freight alone Of
g. 5206e8 j. aso shows that, wbile there has, during
the let yesr, been decrease # tnnnsge uoon the
Csrels Of the products OF the forest Of so 7sO tun',
there a. been OF such tuunsge upon ths
New.York end Erie and Eo-sbsrn Roads alone OF
80 1862 funs, ard es'imaiiIg the NerYork Central at
the per cent Of ncresse az there IL u bon the
total tnnpsee Of that rosd ard l. gives the total
er,ose Of sub tunnsee upon the three trunk railroads
Of 50 ia TONS. While there has been a d@cre1" Of
turDsge upon the canals q vegetable food o. l67 SOS
tups there has been Ar increase upon the New York
Erie and Northern Railroads of q l57 tuns. and
adding thee the ncyese OF the tunDsge upon the
New.Yo Central at the same per cent "a its Ia.
Of total tuDnsge and il makes the increase of
such tupDsge upon such roads 1873 43S tuns. Aud,
while there has been dfcrease Of the tunnage Of
merct andi.e upon the canals of SO 3O5 there has
been an ,ncreose Of such t1nnsge upon the three
rosds. including the increase upon the Sew.York
Central nj the same per cent as its total Increase OF
tuTpsge Of n 1875 tuns
Such fsc's prove too plainly TO be oontaicted that
the diversion Of tuppage by the railroads from the
Capal is Of great and serious character. Thstit is
not confined to what he considered the legtlm ate
business of rsrosds but is principally felt in cheap
ard heavy articles ~ freight products Of the forest
and agriculture belonging without dispute TO the
lepitim0fe business Of The CaDals.
Such diminished receipts and tunusge upon the
Canals during the pact eeason are not and cannot be
attributed TO the diversion Of tuDnage from the west
ern porii n Of the Canal by the way Of Lske Onta
rio because there has been in fact actual increase
in the tunpsge shipped 90 the Canal at Buffalo, while
there has been a decrease in tunnage Of property
shipped At Oswego.
THE Auotor here discusses at considerable length,
and advocates the policy Of levying tolls upon rail-
rt ada a. sne ested in bis repo TO the Canal Com
rnissioDers published lsst month in The TRIBUNE
The Auditor before closing this report feels it in
cumbeut upon himsef again 70 call the attention of
the Legislature TO the question Of tbei ability OF The
cansls 10 meet the constitutions chsrgss upon them
forth ont nd ba m Hsca N
form report he stated In effect tha II conf
IDENTIFY expec ed that there would be an increase Of
revenue in the ~ ring and thu there would be no de-
fcieDcy for the present fiscal year Upon further re-
feotoD end examination however, the Auditor has
become satisfied that there will, without doubt be
large deficiency in the current sci year, and imne
oiate action the part Of the Legislature il neces.
sary unless il IL intended 10 suffer Of the
stifutiopsl appropriations to 20 uncared for. The
tolls " bich have been collected and paid into the
Tressury upon the can ala during the months Of Sep
tember October November and December last, and
which form a part Of the revenues of the current
HE smouot Of revenue peeded Tor the current 6~,l
spp,opyisiions for Collection .aperinieudsuc. snd
Ordinary repairs and the other appropriations re.
CURED by the constitution 10 In sl........''' S4Si'l
which leaves the sum M 80
the amount necessary TO be realized during the
months of May, June July and August. in order to
NEE, all the fquiremen's Of the Constitution. That
skes an average Of $500 600 per month Of tolls ne
essry TO be collected during those months. Sach
average IL Unprecedented 10 the history OF the Ca
male. when their revenues were at the highest
ponts In ls5l-the tolls Of which year largely ex-
coed those OF any other except lsi7 the year the
or. at fsmiDe in Telsnd-tbe whole amount OF tolls
collected after the Opeung of navigation and prior to
the Let Of September, was only sl,gJOt2o. lust
also upon the high rates Of toll before the great
snd 10 many respects unwise, re fucton OF 1882
Even IL the olls Of next seasou, to be included Ia the
present fscsl yesr he equal to that amount would
then leave a efciency of over $500 900. Even in
the year Of the grest fsmiee the tolls Tor those
months fell largely short of the required amount
The great dminuton of the revenues for the present
fiscal year are claimed by mauy to be owing, III
great measure to short crops in the West. II that
is So its effect will tl be felt until after the close OF
the present fsca year. The shipment OF the
crops Of the coming season will not COM
mence until after the lst of September next,
al consequently cannot affect the revenues OF tbs
present yesr. The records Of the Cansl Department
show that the fall months are the months which in-
variaby yield the largest, and the months OF July
ard August the smallest amount Of revenue. Uoon
review therefore there can be no wel-grounded
hope that the revenues Of the current scsl year VIII
be sufficient, upsided, to meet the constitutional
charges upon them. Forthe next fscs year the con.
siitutiopa chsrges upon the revenues are increased
more than $3.50 900 those Of the present Inefe
IT, therefore, still lees probability of their being met.
Assertions may be, and no doubt are msde, that
there is no danger but the figures plainly contradict
the assertion. And the Auditor feels bound, con-
necied az be is, with the foeDces OF the Canal De-
parmeDt TO urge the attention of the Legislature 10
the question: and impress upon their minds thst az
ton on their part at the pre.ent session necessary
unless it is deemed advisable to suffer many OF the
constitutional appropriations 20 go uncared for Ar
ter giving the waning he has he can feel that his
duty has been discharged. and if nothing shall be
done by the Legisla'ure by reason OF entertaining
different opinions relying more upon the Judgment
ard speeulators Of Others. the responsibility rests
elsewhere and is removed from those having charge
Of the finances OF this Department
There can he no doubt but that the Canal Board
will discharge their DUTY in raising toll upon such ar