The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-08
TIE NEW YORK CAAAIa
The Canal Question in the Pending canvass-The
Republican Party Warned Of Neg
Loot ct Saratoga.

An Issue is taken with the republican party In tho
State on the canal question, one OF the most impor
tant the internal commercial interests that enters
into the canvass The Canal Funding bill. which
passed the New York Legislature at Its last session.
by provision Of that act IL to be submitted to the
people at the November election for their approval
or disapprova. Senator Conkling, as Chairman Of
the Committee on Resolutions ut the State Republic
can Convention recently held at Saratoga prepared
the series which he presented to the Convention
and which that body unanimously adopted The
whole subject OF canals is ignored, except to
charge the democratic party with ''mismanagement
OF the canals" The republican party proposes TO
do nothing The Democratic Convention was en-
phatic In It's endorsement Of the Funding bill. Mr..
Joseph Carley, q prominent republican OF Bufralo,
addresses . letter to Senator ConklIng repudiating
the action OF the Saratoga Convention and notides
the Senator that the canal interest Of the state was
practically ignored by the convention; that the re-
publican ticket Is f0redoomed BY that fact; that he
shall not vote for IT, and that the vote OF the party
viii be lessened In this canvass forty-f or fifty
thousand votes in consequence Of the course taken
by the Committee on Resolutions. He says that men
engaged In commercial pursuits on the lakes and
canals have been neglected by the republican
party long enough, ana viii now support the party
that will benefit their interests. This Il plain talk
and means business. fNaaas1 "
The canal debt Is now about ten millions OF dol.
lars and annual payments for the revenues are
required TO the amount OF more than four millions
The bill distributes the payments over term Of
eighteen years, and permits Q reduction OF the
annual revenue levied ON the canal to about
eighteen hundred thousand dollars Mean
! time the Legislature has concurred IN the
timely resolution recommended by the Comptroller,
4 reducing the tolls about fifty per cent and thus
making liberal advances towards free canal policy,
| In pursuance Of which the State OF New York VIII
| levy only such tolls on freight passed through the
| canal as will suffce TO repay the cost OF construc-
! ton, and when that debt has been discharged will
grant passage through IT free from all charges what
| ever, except such as may be necessary TO pay the
I current expenses.
/ some decisive action has become imperativelS
| necessary. Although the production AMI eXpor ..
n0n Oh the grain ol the fertile West have continued
70 increase there has tor many years been dimliu.
u0n IN The tonnage OF the staple aud necessary dr
cles OF food passed over the Erie canal The a.inna
| products sent to New York by this route decreased
from $4,000 tons IA 1862 amt $4,000 III 1858 70 only
/ 5000 tons In 1869.
! In the last eight years the tonnage OF grain and
f0ur sent by Way OF the canal has decreased from
z i32, 231 tons TO 302,sl3 Fart or THIS di.linuton
Is owing TO tile return Of peace and the reQpening
| OF the Southern routes from the West, but the loss
has continued since the war was ended and tue ton
mage was less la 1869 than 10 amy other o. the eight
| years.
This discredable change has been caascd partly
by the suicidal system OF negligence ana contracts
as TO the condition OF The Cahd and lartly by the
nigh tols through which the State hos only incurred
the hf Me w6o sTa
to It. This point Is yet more clearly
established by the fact thar during the last i've
years, in which the canal trade has decreased, the
receipts Of grain and lis equivalent In -four at the
lake ports OF Chicago milwaukee, Cleveland Toledo
bushels. The measures in Which the State per-
sisted during this period practically equivalent
to set OF partially prohbitory laws against the IN
terests OF TINS city ana state and directly IN favor OF
Philadelphia, Boston, BatlAore aud Montreal.
His computed that there at least 100, 900 pco
pie In this STATE who are dependent upon the calals
cred alone would lead ~ very insuIicle nG csCi-
mnednenrs Rom tn. Lusiness al tae Canal rne
Chamber Of Conmerce had the subject under con-
slserasion not long since anu aeyslopea yery Inn
o. Congress from this city. read most valuable
/! paper upon our whole internal commerce.. lie
showed ta even under all the disadvantages OF hi gn
tolls ana neglect Of the Canal the tonnage carried over
Il ia 1868 was not less tnan U,44z225, more by
entered and csearedin New YORK to and from foreign
countries and III 1868 the actual weight OF the coni-
In0ditie scafried on the Erie canal exceed by more
than million OF toas the capacity OF all the vessels
OF every nationality entered IN the same year at New
York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore New Orleans
and san Francisco.
Where people send their property for sale they
are likely to make their purchases. By directing
the productions OF the West to other cities njur
Gus effect must be produced on the merchants who
depend upon the inland trade for their sales ana
with the merchants the importers and slippers as
well as the producers or articles made IN our own
c0unLry, must also suuer.
By cheapenng the Cost OF transportation from the
interior practically bring nearer together pro-
duCers and consumers or all classes in the East and
West. We give the exporters OF domestic articles
better means or competing with foreigners In neu-
tral markets Flour beef, &C., and the necessaries
OF life win be easily purchased by all classes Of
our population. Trade generally from this city to
the West Will be Stimulated The reduction OF tolls
/ mi no TIM n tha
between the ocean and che great inland seas III
encourage every branch OF industry, and Is no less
due 20 tue western states Than profitable 10 our
selves. The party In this State thai nores the great
canal interest VIII suner thereby. The Republican
Convention at Saratoga made mistake Ia ire eating
the subject with SO much Indifference. e