New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-15

.....................sli,sse $50 an
The e.tin sed value OF merchandise per tan OF 200
poupds was very nearly the same IN both year, lne
average being $500 within small trae lop; -,,ss
Freight classe merchandise pays me highest aes
of Toll 1D the csns and the great bulk o the prollcs
~ the Western States which seek an Eastern marhe'
nays the next hisbest Other compar alive statements
boung the same resuls and pointing To the causes Oh
a. cent denressed trade Oh the canals might be ex-
hjbied But enough has been given to show tnat tcs
depression must be looked for IN come osner drecAon
than their want of capacity, even a. TINS ume 70 sus
tain traffic twO-fod larger than 1t has oeen ioF SOUS
The competition TO which allusion has been made,
viewing it merely 10 The light of commercial benefits 10
the eople this State without regard 10 the interest
of tie State in the canss is not quite so beneheen IN
iIs effects as some people are inclined to believe LIE
toa movement Of freight on the railroads Tor the year
1873 nav be set down Of two fiflhs OF that OF the
canals This covert the whole year while ine cahais
are nsvgabe OILY about seven months and TINS time
the large and heavy business 10 and from the western
States and lake region st the North IL closed up tor
the year. and 19i % tuns OF freight transported over
the canals coming from and destined 10 other States,
which is largely Benefited by the low carriage forced
upon the for Tardng interests by TIL. competition,
while four 'hs Of the railroad unnage Is OF domestic
origin or way feight and for the small boon OF hav-
ing about half of this csrred, at rather reduced rates
in the Summer, the public more than make good the
loss TO the carrier by paying an Increased price on the
Winter freight Thee Winter tariffs are prepared,
promulgated ard take effect the moment canal navga-
ten closes.
The cperatous Of these railroads for the year closing
the Both of September 1856 deserve special notice.
The NewYOk Central during this year carried ~ o0i
TINS of -four or 800 llS barrels. All but 52OS tuns,
or 40 GO barrels was carried during canal Navigation
June ard Sc ptember lat were the Heaviest business
months in ibis article. OF the 176 l2 tuns of freight
Of all glasses transported on the road the whole year.
sos 2 tuns carried when the canals were naVl-
gable THIS disposes of the argument sometimes put
Toward tha. the hesvies. freghting business is done
by n railroads while The canals are closed.
The freight earnings Of the rosd for the year are set
down at 81 500 OIL &c. and the transportation expenses
allotted 10 freight amounted to s2,OJ6,Ui 49, wnlcn
s AZ Go per cent of the gross earnings on this branch OF
traffic.
The transportation expenses charged to passenger
traffic are fraction over oi2o per cent OF the gross
earnings for the year on that service
reply to the often repeated assertion, thit railroad
companies do not make any profit on their freight trai-
The ftport Of the New-York Central Company for
the wear ending September 80, 1856, shows that the
trsntl alton expenses for the year are o. per cent
on passenger and freight business That the net earn
ing after paving interest debt contribution to debt
cericats sinking fund and transportation expenses, ls
equal TO 10 697 per cent on the capital STOCK drawing
dividend.
81 per cent on the freight traihc 329l per cent
average on both, 4'.29 per cent
The eyersge raie OF fare charged per mile on all
classes Of passengers was l93 GEMS and 1t cost l2i
cents yer mile for carriage 81 each leaving iOr net
earnings will pay shout i've per cent Oh the dividend
capital the net freight earnings will pay nearly ten per
cent. .
ana practical results Of existing legislation as regards
tie canals and priI cpal competing lines OF asay
from The Hudson River and New lOrk to the lakes and
Canada The railroad passenger business Il 20 much
restricted in price that the net earnings from that trat
c do not give fair dividend on the capital, while the
free trbde 10 the freight business not only makes up the
less bit enables the railroad directors to make their or.
binary dividends from The freight earnings alone and
lay by email surplus.
In he present and prospective condition Of the Canal
finances OF the State while taxes annually levied In
aid of them large portion Of the people, who seldom
see ard ride the railroads, are taxed TO give
low passenger-fare to those who do, whether citizens
of tie ate or not, aud to give dividends to railway
shareholders.
| Wien the railroads from Albany TO Buffalo were
chartered it supposed the State would ose all the
tos ca packet boats and passengers, as soon a. the
lines we're completed and opened for traffic. In 1886
these tolls amounted TO nearly sl0O 600; in 1910, to
$50 SIS; in 1850, TO sl2s; and in 1886 they touched
| zero II was not until 1850, hosever, tina, the rail-
roads succeeded in taking all nearly all the emgrant
| passeng6rs from the canas.
Although in exsuinDg the question as to the impos
ton Of tolls on raroads the operations OF the two large
linte Only have been pesenied the Auditor intends
thee Iemarks shall the whole ground and apply
TO all Comlane whose freight traffic operates iuur
ousy 10 the Canal revenues and which were released
by TIE act of 1851 rom paying tolls imposed by the act
OF l47.
The gro.s earnings of the New-York and Erie Rail-
road tie lat year have been from passenges 81 CO.
67l fion freight 81 545,7Sl; total, $6,39O5O And
the transportation expenses for the year are stated In
the report Of this Company at 1906 per cent OF the
| gross earLinps.
Tie aggregate Of the net earnings Of these two
ros Ids oil Height alone during the year may be set
down At 81 40 sllearnipgs that go to compensate
capital icr It's u-o, shile the net income from canal
| tolls during tie came period was 81 ,969,5 80.
During the sCasOn of nayig alton 10 1888, there
carried on all he canals OF the State l6 ass uns Of
hour-l 500 sc barrels and from careful estimate
founded upon facts IN Possession OF the department the
shipments of four by the canals lest will not
exceed l. Ito eco barrels.
Ii has for years been urged and with much apparent
pla1 ibty 10 the minds OF those VITO were hot fully
acquainted with the facts that railroads could lot
cessfuly cqmI etc with osnas III the transportation
of freight spd II no doubt owing 10 the prevalence
of this belief thst the legislature III 1851 consented TO
relipquish the tolls Oh freight carried by railroads.
IL is sscertained that al engine VIII haul train
ceptsIg $50 or go tsns Of freight exclusive Of the
DEAD ell ht or The weight of the train. canal boat
with 10 tuns OF freight will no, ordinarily perform the
Trip from Buffalo 70 Albany Snort OF eight days. In
this tin QUE engine with loaded train OF 10 tuns
would run fvur uints each way over the road from
Buffalo 10 Albany and back, and deliver roo ,uns a,
! each point.
Bal 10 sts,e the case N ether words one locomotive
and eght train xil perform four "a nee the service in
delivering freight one way that canal boat of like
capacity ard eight times much when loaded both
wsys
Eight canal boats of $50 tups capacity, starting at
the came time rom Buffalo, will deliver 200 tuns ut
tide in eight DAYS while eight freight trains can
deliver $40 in the same tine, taken from and
left al the same points.
Upon the basis Of these facts and calculations the
Auditor proceeds to present hs view. Of the right as
well as the duty Of the State to the remission
of tolls mprovdenty made TO the railroads Indeed,
he contends that the whole legislation that subject
is rot merely voidable but absolutely void. But here,
again, We prefer to allow him to speak for himself:
Tbe Constitution OF 1916 imposed the duty upon the
n -.