Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-06-03

| know it is asserted over and over again,
that railroads cannot carry coal or other heavy
tonnage as cheap as il eau be transported upom
canals. If this he true, how are Ne to account
for the steady decrease in tonnage npon the
Canals and the rapid increase Of freightS npnn
the railroads The canals in Onr own State
have no competition except railroads, and u
larger quantity of coal is going to market
every year, aud the coal tonnage upon your
canals steadily aud surely growing less, aud
increasing VI on railroads. The conclusion is
irresistible, atd can be proved 10y mathematic
al demons ra ion that railroads with favora-
BILE curves and easy grades can carry coal or
other freights as cheap, if not cheaper, than
any canal that cannot carry more than seven
ty ton boat.
1t would have been unwiSe on the part Of
our legislature 10 shut their eyes to the naked
fact, that the business upon our canals, not
from transtOry, but permanent conses is di-
minishing. New routes are continually being
opened, ard some of them shorter than the ca
nails new and improved machinery and strict
economy in management all aiding to chea-
pen coal TO the consumer, must and will con-
tinue to operate against the old and in favor
of ncw modes Of transportation. have shown
that the average yearly nett revenues of the
canals sold, from their opening up to the pres
ent time by tie one sided reports Of officials,
does not equal the amount 10y over S75, 600,
the interest at ) per cent. on So, 800, 600 the
price named in the law for The sale nor do
believe that if an honest aud faithful exhibit
could be had yearly, anything like this amount
would be found to be the true figures. In the
report Of the Committee of Ways and Means
| fad the following amount put down as the
nett revenues for 1851 " Put out of view ell
tirelv, the interest on the cost Of these works,
and the apparent nett income Of the year was
$G7, 76l 20 only at which rate their real
value TO the State would be 81 335, 226.' As
they do not give a detailed statement for this
year, of course | cannot tell how they arrive
at this conclusion. From other detailed state
mentS, however which ! have had occasion
to examine. and which | found in the main
correct, am inclined to the opinion it is too
high.
The following exhibit was made by gen
tIeman Of high character, and great intelli-
gcncc, whose experience in the management Of
these works entities his statements to the full
lest co Ifd.ncc, approNmating nearer the truth
than anything | have yet seen, 50 far as |
have been enabled to reach the proper dOcu-
ments to investigate them. l therefore iutro-
duce it here
The total receipts for 1857 from all the canals od to
the Sunbury and Erie Rail Road company put down
by the Auditor General S5l2,04a29
Expenditures the Upper
the sIme year is sl94,9795s
Susuut hanna and West b.
pfvi,ims. 1872, ,50I 90
Dclewarc Division, l04, 484g
~, N. oil, ,bs livi
st)Es, and iu@identals Of
their Office, damages pay 3lS2U,lg
OF Canal Board, State
gnecr, etc.
Total expenditures, Sl63s40 10
Total receipts over expenditures for 1871 4ssos ~
There is no way Of ascertaing the amount
that should be deducted for the through freight
cleared ut the upper Offices for the 46 miles
Of the Main Line sold last year +; but it will
be low estimate to call il $I5 600 Taking
this amount from the balance as exhibited
above, (S4S, ,2O8 19) and it leaves as the nett
earnings OF your canals for 1857, $33, POS 10
1t may be said that il is unjust to charge in
this account, the amount expended upon the
North Branch division of $l34 ,SS6 SO. But
if you add this amount to the nett income, and
thereby run up the receipts TO $3.50 rs,
you still have an amOunt less than the interest
upon s., 500 coo at 5 per cent which is $40
600, with the advantage Of certain instead
o. al uncertain revenue.
Again it may alleged that when the North
Branch Division comes into successful operation
lis revenues will be large This is to a great eX-
tent matter Of speculation in which nothing
but experience will determine and while
can appreciate the advantages of this improve
Of fh,
the advantages of an easy communication with
the coal fields in the Wyoming valley, extend
ing to our farmers and placing within their
reach the markets of that region, AID opening
a line of communication for the cat let of our
coal noythward. | am not among that class
of citizens, who have iudGlgcd in such eXtray-
agant anticipations in regard 10 the amount of
revenue that would accrue to the Common
wealth from this Division Of Cnr public works
1t is not nor 90 believe it will he in success.
fal operation for months to come ii it Is during
the season, without frequent Interruptions, re-
Uniring heavy expenditures for repairs. 1t has
not vet been tested 1t is now. and the expeu-
Ses must be heavy each year for some time to
come breaks viii occur, aS is always the ease
with new Canals Then what security had the
Commonwealth, that uader her corrupt and
yeua system OF management the revenues would
much exceed the expenditures There is an
other item ofeXpenditnre from which the State
is released 10y the sale The damages along
the lines of the Canal, which are estimated to
amount to tom Sl50,000 to 100000. are all
to he paid by the purchasing Company.
In addition, however, to what has been al
ready shown, it can he shown by the official
reports Of The Canal board, that while the
working eXpenscs have largely Increased for
the last few years the revenues hage very
largely decreased. The revenues for 1855
were $79t, ,903, 90 IL 1856 they were $751;