Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-06-05

a. elesred7 al given points is here given, showing
the difference in fasor OF low rates.
| These fgures show the following decrease ia the
I shipmeuis-hour 6S per cent pork 81 wheat
1 IT bacon 81 corn increases , l-2 per cent. II
Wonld naturally be supposed thai such 81 alarming
al ling on in the business Of the canal WOnld at
tract the attention Of the Board Of Public Works /;
but in 8 careful examination Of their reports for
the tao LAST years, we eaa ind no suggestions nom
them 90 the prnabie cluse, excepting one Temirks
W...ch We shall hereafter quote. The Board have
apparently come 70 the CONCLUSION that the rail
roads are an overmatch for the canals in cheapness
] Of transportation, and with Oriental indifference
I 70 fate, seeIs indispOsed 10 use any energetic
measures 70 restore life AID gor 10 canal eonl-
merce.
The Board in ther Dep0r cor the year ls57, af-
7 ter reuarlzing that abe receipts OF the puUiic
worksfor the last year were SO .ss7,27 less Than
I 1856. say This reduction ~ The revenue vas
unexpected and Is owing to q variety Of causes. -
The decrease on the Ohio Canal Is, IN great
me3sFye, consequent upon the greatly diminished
trades the Pennsylvania and Ohio Cansi. The
majority Of the stock Of the Pennsylvania and Ohio
Canal Company has within lew years been pur-
cL ased By the Cleveland 4 MahOning Railroad
Ce.mpauF. o. by thOse who control the direction
Of that road and the same persOus. in several in
staLtces are directors IN both corporations. hat
inaL ence this mas have had ia the management OF
the anal We are prepared 20 say, bat the rates
of t0i on the canal have been much increased; and
either these advanced rates OftOl, or the opening
Of the AlahOning Railroad 10 Youngstown, OF both
cOmbiIsaC, have caused very large diminufiOn OF
business g. and from that canal. The loss Ofreve
nue. whieA the Ohio Canal has sustained from this
cause alone iE probably not less than $4,000,
whilst the tsEnA &c passing to and from the Penn
syivanis aud obiG Canal has been reduced 10 about
forty Ter cent Of what It was for the year
1856"
We think these remarks Of the Board are entitled
80 al Of
State They show the influence Of high tolls 10
driving business on the canal, aud with the move
ment OF the officers of the Pennsylvania and Ohio
Canal Company, are fOreshadOwing OF the late
Of al our Stale canals should the spectators now
urging the sale of them succee5 in their efforts in
procuring a sale The course purSued ior few
years past by the Board OF Public v orks has so
reduced the revsnue from the canals as 10 lead
many who have not investigated the subject shat
they are pOWerless IS rivals TO the railroads. am
this course Of thought, il not checked, viii soon
lead 70 public willingness for their disposal. We
believe it IS not too late 10 spIead correct opinions
among the taxpayers Of the State and thar public
opinion may, by TIMELY effort, be 50 Concentrated
upon the necessity and advisabty OF diminished
tolls, that the Board Of Public Works win feel
themselves constrained to give a low grade Of tolls
4 fair trial. The great success which has this sea-
son followed the reduction Of tolls on the Erie
Canal in the State Of New York, leads us 70 be-
lleve that similar reaction would follow the same
measures IN Our Si4tes auG tnat We should once
more see the active. busy canal commerce which
occupied our wharves afew years since The agri-
cultural interest would shaIdwilh the prosperity
attendant upon the return Of the business Of the
canal. as the reduction Of the tolls would add 10
the value OF every tTanspOrtable farm product
seeking market. Il will scarcely be believed that
with such sharp competition against them BY the
railroads running east and vest as well as nearly
parallel 10 the canal the Board tax boat load Of
hour from below Newark Sol, i,SJ-a boat load OF
wheat from Roscoe and below sra boat load Of |
corn from and below Dover Sol, Ca boat load Of
pork from and below Massiilon SO so; each ex-
elusive OF the toll on the boat l. il matter Of
sarprise that canal commerce laneuishes under
such burdens, and that the once active business
villages 6ottRs the canal. and alive with hamun
industry, are now comparatively idle and tenant
less