The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-03-11
Our Albany Correspondence.

ALBANY, March 0, 1862
The Wharfage Fees in N1o Trk-Another Effort to Seize
Funds for the State, de-, dc.
The owners Of wharves and piers in New York and
BROOKLYN have succeeded in inducing the Committee ON
Commerce in the Senate to report favor of bill greatly
increasing the rates Of wharfage The shpowners arc
strongly demonstrating against the passage of the law
majority OF this committee comprises Mr. Senator Amcs OF
Oswego, and Mr.. Senator LaHin of Herkmcr
Senator Sloan made report against the wharfage bill
which is now before the Senate. Mr. Sloan says as to
the bill ITSELF reported by the majority of the CON-
mktee, will be observed that while it more than doubles
the rates Of wharfage all vessels does not mpose on
the wharf owners any duty whatever of repairing or i'm
proving the condition Of the wharves SO that while
Increased rates demanded for this ne proec
ton whatever given those objects and that tb
bill is in this respect defective If it is tho con ion Of
the wharves that makes legislative interference necessary
certainly it would be only half doing our duty IN
raise the rates those who receive them should be re-
qured by law to do their SHARE and appropriate the in
crease to the purpose for which IL ID put forth az the
ground OF their application The wharves and piers in tho
cites OF New York and Brooklyn mostly built out
upon made land In the city OF New York the water line
OF the East river, for example, formerly at Front
street, and in some places at Water street. and has been
gradually encroached upon by the of the
city until reached its present limit Many r not most
OF the piers now occupied by the largest have been
built out by the owners Of the land on the water line
under grants from the Corporation which enabic
them upon building the piers to secure in addition
10 the property owned by them fronting the
water line the privilege Of collecting wharfage from sucb
PIERS The expense OF erecting and maintaining the psrs
and oalkhsads the only expense to which these
proprietors nave been pu-an expense which tho land
gained by filing in amply compensated and in some cass
vastly overbalanced This wharf property thus hed py
private owners, s Of great value, seldom changes
nanus-s rarely for sale, like other estate or lease
mold property The rates Of wharfage were fixed in 1901
anu ne attempt made TO create tn, impression thas
tney are the same In amount they were then.
because the mode OF computation is not altered The
truth is, they are greatly increased in amount
ana TINS increase, when scrutinized, shows there
no such ground for any change In 1901 when the Ian
now IN force was enacted the largest saps were only M
tons burthen Such ship 1875 feet In len ath she
es ~ :. te ss per Day But now ship 400
engfh or about forty per cent room than the other
one pays under the same law st. about 6e per cent
more than doubledin cases trebcd-the WHARFAGE
while the area occupied by the has not beeu sub
santay increased and the expense Of maintaining them
Dy no means IN proportion to the rise in 1t lie
not pretended the rates 1901 but the com
parison shows they are much higher than then.
a Dill was introduced two three weeks since In thu
Senate in relation TO moneys and funds In the hands M
public administrators including Surrogates &c by which
y Is provided in certain contingencies, and after certain
deposited, shall by some systematic process be trans
ered TO the State treasury The bill being under con-
sheraton 10 day, an amendment adopted Including
nc several savings banks Of the State among the ca
ogue OF private Individuals and Incorporated
noso unclaimed deposits after certain length of time
shall also be condscated 10 the state Now this arnond
nent mus hastily engrafted in the BILL will undoubtedIv
,Iea,e mucn alarm II not conformation anonrst
and tens Of thousands of savings bang d.
,osors II In measure which calls for caIr srd d,
ae consideration much more than was devoted I, II nv
ne gentlemen J. the Senate this morning. Whether tho
egsaturc have the constitutional right of grasonc erch
unds from repositories Of the poor peoples conaaerca
ma transferring to the State Treasury ia one OF The
os, IMPORTANT questions ever broachcd by any memberoT
ne new YORK legislature From several votes TAI an IN
nolnng u looked as # there some political influence
monS 1ns mcvsurc-the republicans invariably sustain
- I'm, .ne OH and the democrats opposing IL.
tnis is SO, and II Is 10 be nasaed :.
republican scheme TO rcplensh the State Treasury tho
aoets OF me party will discover in less than tvvclvc
oI, % =, S become law that 1t had been carrying
ohucs 10 dn and unsaleable market Nine.tcnths ~
,u sasnss oenk ocpostors are poor, aborng people,
servant girls, bod carriers and aborers
,oi1-for surely H. will 90 a debt e w '''"'o '""
ie house have ordered the printing OF large number
V'Vs' OF Tue report Of the committee Of The Ia