New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-09-05


qure 10 be carried 10 market at railroad rates OF
In one Of the most elaborate Of these assaults, the Ca
nal fippsrtly Denounced as unit for an age %
ta a. ours iorgenag ths .nne lemons an. n mast
be " slow. Very possibly it may be vital, az GER
taiIy is char scterstc, for live Americao TO hurry ms
person at race-horse speed the continent; pu.
certainly not vital in any respect necessary OF
elpedien thu. to hury bis fuel his timber, his build
ing material, his food, nor Sny very large
his merchandise manufactures. We, therefore,
meet the difficulty al the threshold, by asserting tnat
considerable amount Of these commodities requires
arythirg approaching 10 railroad speed or any rate OF
move ne exceeding hist now attained on the Canals
The superficial observers who have undertaken 10
pronounce this subject evidently have been missed
by the sourd and glitter AMI external display OF strength
and speed on the railway and have wholly overlooked
or forgotten the ceaseless and silent bat enormous
cteveuents of the Csnsls, noseessy but unfaihogy
working at their side. Enslaved by their single iea'
they seem TO suppose that because railway 10 vau-
able for certain purposes canal IL valuable Tor none
that the modes of transport cannot co-ex'st but
that must necessarily destroy or swallow up the
other. The slightest acquaintance with the tscts
would teach them that each Of these organs OF con
has its appropriate sphere; ths, both are equal
" q. eded by commercial community-the one tor
speed the other for economy that they may be, and
should be, harmopiousy ard prohtably worked
together-even IS the wise and thrifty farmer woks
alike his horse ard his OK, each OF them kindly, but
each in Its proper lire OF labor
this and other States to how advsntageousy they
may work together. In New-Jersey the Rsrltan
Canal, notwithstanding the level rairosd at its side
transports rot only heavy commodities, bat by It's
steam vessels shares largely in carrying Light merchan-
disc In Pennsy lvanis, the Schuykil Canal 10 spite
of disastrous floods TO which its river bed Is subject
has been steadily ganrg for the ast three years on the
Reading Railway at its side The tonnage on the cana
gradually increased from lO5,c go tuns IN 1879 70
32i, coo tuns in 1859 while the other hand, the
tupnsge of the railway during that period steadily de-
clned from 22l3O0O tuns in 1853 TO ,o42 o0 tans 10
1858.
The Delaware and Hudson Canal row carries annu.
slly 81 coo tune Its intelligent officers declare thN,
rotwha sI ding their canal is navgsble only seven
onths in the year nothing would induce them 10 ex-
change i, for 8 railroad.
The old canal of the Duke of Bridgews'er the
father of the inland pavig OF EDgland at this
oment successfully and tramphantly competing with
the modern railways in s vicinity, for the trsnspora
ton not only of coal end bulky products but OF the
light fabrics Of the workshops # Manchester.
Under the present Imperial Government a splendid
systsm of railways Overspress the surface OF France
but nevertheless the transportation on ne canals aud
canaized rivers is steadily increasng.
But why resort TO examples beyond our borders,
while our own great and ubqualed Canals are under
our very eyes, telling their own story The most
hasty glance az their official tables viii suffice to ex.
p.se the rashness the folly, the superative aosurdy
not the wlckedness vi the assertion that our Canals
urf fit for the age and have outllved their useful
ness and the singular presumption OF the claim that
rival railroads have taken or are able TO take their
place. To those who remember the Widespread re-
nown which they won for the State throughout the
civilized world, 1t is equally melancholy and alarming
to find respe ctable journals from whose well disposed
and patriotic conductors better things expected
wiling TO depreciate them destined hereafter TO
occupy but a subordinate place in our State legsa-
ton
For lock, if only for a moment, at the facts. Eight
wears have now elapsed since the Cenrs Railroad was
- To- fpaip in
the Canal. Possessing ample pecuniary means, and d
rected by permanent officers Of eminent energy and
experience, they have spared no expense in putting
their road ard its machinery in perfect order Inc "a
nal on the contrary, has been struggling through all
thu period with the difficulties and delays OF an IN.
finished work 20 that never yet has enjoyed the full
measure OF its capacity or efficiency and nevertheess
with all these issdvantages the incomplete Canal car
RED of total tunnsge OF 900 tuns in 1898, no
less than 665, 600 TONS, being more than fire srhs
OF the whole, while the completed railroad, enjoying
all its advantages and powers, was able to carry but
165, coo tuns or less than ones,rh.
1t is deeply 10 be regretted that the Railroad Com
parry in its efforts to nval and crppet the Canal should
have reduced their charges TO point, rendering nee
essary for the State prematurey, aud urduy to re.
duce tie rate Of tolls. The reduction has greatly ag-
grsvaed the loss the 765 900 uns diverted 10 the
railroad by adding TO it much larger loss on the
1865 600 iuns retained on the Canal. The loss Of toll
on the 10000 tuns probably did not much exceed
$500 CO., bat the lose the 1865 900 tuus has fallen
to the rapsd TO csny freight, the Canal tolls might
easily have been made TO yield from three 10 four mil
lons without prejudice TO the commerce OF the Stse
at the rates charged in 1888, the amount on the
present tunnsge would have exceeded five millions IL
was layge and liberal act OF the Legislature Of 1851
to foster commerce, by placing nva by the side OF
the Canal but has been poorly requted 10 the policy
which has thus compelled the State TO reduce the
revenues of the Canal to the present s,anty sum of
$2ll0,OOO.
The Analysis Of the tunpage above exhibited ind-
Gates and de- fines with sufficient precision the portion
which in search Of high speed will seek the railroad
showing that proportion not TO exceed sixth Of tho
whole Ia fact it would hardly be possible for much
larger proportion TO bear the increased expense Of that
mode of conveyance. The published returns OF the
Railroad Company show the movement OF their
56j 600 tuns 10 be equivalent 70 li2,OOOOoO tuns
moved single mile. For that movement tue owners
of the property moved paid 10 the Railroad Company
s37C0000 being q. the rate Of % 100 cents per tun
per mile. 80 ooo
On the other hand, the movement Of the 3,66j,O0
tuns on the Canals is .howo oy the Auditor report to
be equivalent 10 j6i 600 600 iuns moved single mile;
for whie movement the Of the property moved
paid to the State in toll. =, 10000, being less than
mills per tun per mIle and ~ the carriers OWING tue
boats not more than six mills in addition, making the
total cOst not exceeding cent per tun per NILE for the
So, 600 coo tuns, or e, 90 OCO.
Now what would have been the resul. 70 the vpers
of the property carried if this whole Canal movement
Of 1900 go tuns for the mile had been diverted TO
the railway Would or could the company nave
charged any ess rate than tba, which they were them
selyes ompelled TO impose t1eir 5000 TINS 10
earn their dividend Bot they had retained those
rates being at . 6Gl0O cents per mile, il would have
cost the owners Of the property carried slf 100 OJ,
Instead of the e. GO 900 which they actually paid
Leaving clear saving Of e $50 600 10 single year BY
using the obsolete Canal that had lot is usefulness
and was " unfit for the sge.
We make no personal complaint of the individuals
that drec, the affairs Of the railway own it, stock.
II il natural and perhaps comuendsble for toem 10
strive % aggrandiZe and enrich 10 the utmost the i'm
mense estate commit ed 70 their care, but can II DO
upohmabe 10 imsgne them willing 10 get possession