The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-03-04
SALE OF THE OHIO CANALS.

ptrporting to be composed OF merchants,
miners, manufacturers and farmers, the
object of which was to demonstrate against
the sale of the Canals of the State. We
have not seen their Memorial to the Leg
islature, but have found copious extracts
from it in the papers published in the
counties through which the Canals pass.
As this Memorial is relied on by those
papers as 60 foreible and clear argument
against the sale of the Public Works" !"
we propose to review it.
The Memorial sets forth that the depre-
citation in the price of the lands in the
counties through which the Canals pass
would be $4,000, oOe; that there is l6,-
coo, GOO bushels of corn and wheat annu-
ally. raised in these counties, and if FIVE
cents per bushcl were added to the present
cost of transportation, It would involve a
yearly loss of 100000.
We are unable to see how the value of
the lands would depreciate one farthing
BY the sale of the Canals, and so far as
we hare seen, the Memorialists have failed
to show any causes which would produce
such depreciation. If it was proposed
to gil up the Canals and thus cut of trans
portation by them altogether, the truth of
their statement would be obvious; but such
is not the case. The lowest estimated
price at which they would sell is $1,000
600, and it is simply absurd to suppose
that any man or company of men would
invest this amount Of money in them and
then abandon them. Every reason that
can be urged of pecuniarJ nature, (and
these are the kind relied on by the Memo
riafists, j in favor of their being kept up
by the State would operate with even
greater force upon individuals; and in ad-
dition. they can be kept in repair at a
much less cost by individuals, as is con-
clusiyely shown by the recent lettings Of
contracts for this purpose by the Board
Of Public Works. The prices at which
individuals have contracted to keep them
in repair is nearly 100000 per annum
less than the average cost of repairing
by the State for the lastsix years. Now
IT. as is claimed by the Memorialists, they
can be made profitable to-the State, they
can be made vastly more so to individuals,
and.this. picture of evils resulting from
their abandonment is mere scare-crow.
N regard to the five cents per bushel
additional cost of transportation for corn
and, wheat,n we want no better refutation
than. the Memoriaiists have furnished us.
They set forth, that this species Of freight
Is being rapidly absorbed byra railroads, and
that the State in order to retain it must
reduce the tolls. As an additional reason
for recommending the reduction of tolls
they say "we do so with confident belief
that it. win increase the direct revenue to
the Siate.n If a. reduction would in
crease the direct revenue of the State +"
would it not operate the same way with
individuals 2 And are individuals less at
tentiye to their own interests than officers
are to the interests Of the State r If the
argument of the Memorialists is correct.
the best possible method of bringing about
a reduction Of the tolls is. to have the
Canals sold. individuals can keep them
in repair at q much less cost, and can thus
afford to carry cheaper, and they can more
readily adopt the proper means Of Gin
ereasing their direct revenue"
But If our positions,are correct, it may
be asked, why are the people along the
line Of the. Canals net in, favor Of their
sale ? The reasons are very. obvious.
While in possession of the State swarm
of officers are kept up in the towns and
villages along the routes, whose "eccupa
ton " would be gone in case of sale.
But the chief reason is that while the
State owns the Canals, by the aid of those
directly interested, and by the influence
of such representations as are contained
il this Memorial, the tolls eau be kept
dswn to standard ruinous to the owners,
but highly advantageous to those having
freights carried In the hands Of indi-
viduaIs the tolls would be fixed at that
Price which would produce the greatest
profit; in the hands of mere agents Of the