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

nj a
beep rendered by Ne Superintendent With vcachere-
| al payments beng sphjec. to TIE approVsi OF lne
C,,.l Conm.ssiorer. All 10 examination abd settle
neDt by the Auditor.
Tn. e.n.ndure. for tie past year not only fall short
Of those Of the preceding year, but compare iA'''eo!
18th those Of apy wear since 1876 The successive IT,
.,r,,o,. and susD. p.on.. during the SIX years from
1875 TO 1854 of the work on the Enlargement si' Tue
condi.ion which enhanced the cost Of repairs
"A circumstance Nbich accounts IN par, though hoi
entirely for the excess Of charges for repairs IN those
wears over the pr.sent The expenditures OF the as
f.csl erembrsce sjl7 go %, dsbursed by suPein
,.nd,nt, ipclud their own salaries (sf ,lS u OF II
frrernirirg breaksin lay and June So, 1 80 TO re-
n.ircontractors on their contracts, TO which hoS-
ver sbould be added for the IL per cent held BACK
and the value of materials furnished by the STATE,
AZ 7s A. and $50 S23 "a expenditures by the Com
ri..ione1,-making the whole cost for repairs s'2o,-
636 o. The average pc mile for the Enc and ia
ueoo Canals has not been so low since lei2 opar.
of the Osvego and only sections one and eight OF the
Erie Canal have been repaired by contract.
The 9, stem for the collection Of tolls, matured from
lorg experence 20 far the responsibility ofthe coec
tori il cofctrned s very perfect More than sixty NIL
Gons Of dollars have been collected under WIthoutthe
loss 20 far as known Of single dollar by the default
or infdely Of the collecting agents; nor has been
necessary 10 exercise in cir gle instance the power to
remove at pleasure any OF the collectors vested form
erly in the Controller and now in the Auditor.
The coet of collection in 1850 was $54,9S6 %. II
has gradually increased every year Since The AUDI
TOR sees no reason why the cost of collection should
ircr.ase as the revenue dimnishes. Several Of the
collectors Offices might be dispensed with, the charges
for clerkshp reduced and the duties Of canalboa In
spectors imposed upon other officers.
II IL alleged that liability to frauds on the revenue
ares from the fact that the ocktenders on the sec.
tons under contract for repairs do not hold by appoint
m.n, from and are not under the control of the canal
officers but Of the contractor for repairs. change 10
recommended in this respect; and also additional
precautions, including the requirement of manifest OF
the cargo TO prevent masters II boats from evadng the
tolls. The Auditor thinks that great Losses are sus
tanned IN this way, especially at NewYork and Brook
p where s35 600 coo are annually delivered by boats
coming through tie canals without breaking bulk,
without the exercise Of sufficient caution in this re
sptct-not new complaint, he observes, as it has
been made by former Auditors.
In 1851 the tupnage Of all the canals was j82 033
tun. and the amount Of tolls, s37 800 "a. This
before the repeal Of the law imposing canal tolls on
freight carried by the parallel railroads, ard the subse
auent reduction Of the canal tolls to enable the
mails TO compete with the railroads. The tunnsge Of
the canals in 1855 was 1922 6l7; but the tolls under
the reduced tariff, only e., t329 O6 llor loss from
the old taf of 81 ,536 OOOthe natural result of i'd
hitting the competition Of the railroads before the
nal was prepared for it by enlargement
A revision of the rates Of toll is recommended, the
tariff to be fixed not with view to the promotion of
trade but insure the ful6llment Of constitutional
pledges. The Auditor suggests number of changes
having this object in view though the subject is he
confesses surrounded with difficulties return 10 the
old rates he does not deem advisable He even thinks
that a reduction on the rates OF flour from Buffalo
might bring back part Of that ios transportation, and
so might enhance the revenue. Merchandise, he
thinks, would bear sight increase; and other anti
cles which he does not name, considerable one.
At present freight classed as merchandise pays the
highest rates of toll and the great bulk Of Western
products seeking an Eastern market the next highest
| 1t is upon these classes Of freight tina. the com
petition of the Central and Erie Railroads
| has been chiefly felt. The experience of the
last three years shows this competition to be
very formidable. Between 1853 and 1855 the
decrease in the produce Of New-York, delivered
by canal at tide water was 300 9O7 tuns; in produce
of Western States and Canada, l20,Sl4 tuns in Nd
|
falo, Al ,2s6 tuDs.
The Auditor observes that these roads do their prn
cipa freight busness in the very months in which the
canals are Open and that for the reduced rates Of Sum
mer, which are shared by the Western States TO the
damage of the canals, the New-York public is made
to pay by increased Winter tariffs, which take efec
the moment the canals close. He cites fac.s from ta'
Railroad Reports to show that the allegation Is un
founded that the roads make profit their freight
and from comparison of the power of railWad anc
canal to transport freight concludes that the ads antag
is with the railroads. This whole subject, however,
one of so much interest that prefer to allow thu
Auditor to speak for himself
The following statement shows the tunnage OF all tn
Canals Of the State from 1850 TO 1885, inclusive, th
total movement in the years stated and the total yalu
Of all the property carried the Canals In eacn year
| TUHHAGE on CANALS.
| To,sl value o