New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-09
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE STATE CANALS.

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CHAMBER or CON.
MERCE-TMPORTANT PROCEEDINGS
The Chamber Of Commerce held special
meeting yesterday afternoon VIM L. Dodge presiding
to consider the subject OF legislative action with refer
ence to the state canals John Taylor Johnston Chairman
Of the Committee Railroads. Canals, and Internal I'm.
provements. presented the following resolution:
soiref That the State canals being available avenues %,
the transportation II that portion Of The products Of ne Wet wh
sss src unable to carr e I'd, war enc the net ,'o1 ..
should be administered solely The
be5oad the amount, qa red Keep canals Efficient
pair under honest and capable management. 70 pN The interest IN
the sinking Fund mot es,ihg one per cent
million and should he made without ndae dea commercial
ncIs for the common use Of an TIE people United states
Resoired Thai the yang eonnon' ana enseh OF Ie 9s
reside n TIE executive admntaou canals. toui being oed
porsy soJ eroi a. oet, IN e ar.t r,,outon
es0lref referred Committee No . report % amend
the Constitution accordance with the spirit Of the above reo
lton.
Samuel B. Ruggics said that he wished to give tho
plain facts the history and progress Of the canals
without opening up any old controversies. Che Erie
Canal has been called obsolete work. work that has
discharged its mission and has ceased 10 be Of any
teal value. 1t is claimed that the railroads have taken
its place, and that the odfashoned fossil work should
be sold. regard the Erie Canal Of the greatest
achievements Of the human race aud am here TO pro
test against the sale Of great public work belonging 10
the state The canals were made for commerce and not
for In completing large work We were not
able to 20 without revenue, but the amount Ot
taxation was slight compared with the importance or
the object Now that the work is completed the time has
arrived when reduce the revenue. The great
OF the Erie Canal has been 10 cheaper imnspOrta
ton. This is "A common phrase and yet the great ei
fort OF the aye and Of nations Is directed toward
cheap transportation In 1875 with the completion OF tho
canal, a new Of cheape1 ed transportation hegan.
What was the effect this state Property increased
from S2630O00OO in 1885, TO s52O000O IN 1851 In the it
Ter year the canals enlarged, end Transportation
made half again as cheap before. what the effect
of the enlargement In 1868 property had increased IN
value to 81 C2 600 O0 and since that time there mas Dcen
a further increase TO VI 690O0GO0 What has seen the
result in the ctyi The calculation Of property W 1871
was SlOl 600; in 1863 IL S59VOWO; ANA az inc
present time il Is $965OCO During the last "a years
the canal has carried 1900 600 tuns and In transpogn
ton there is a saving OF scents on "A tun nom What
would have been the cost by common roads The canal
has saved 1877 10000 the state. and the railroads ~
much i00OOOOO These works were all made fot COM
mercc, and for nothing else.
The resolutions were adopted. -
Israel f. Hatch OF Buffalo invited 10 address tho
Chamber. The canal question, he said, y one mat MGR
est- the richest proprietor and poorest aD0rrr ahe,
What was the vote Of the people ON the Canal uinB
bill nj the last elections At least $4,000 did not vote AT
all because tickets sent into the interior OF tho
state The free canal project wasented To 10000 Ia
iOry | state this TO show that, in starting ont aifesn
ON the subject OF free canals. have majority OF Sno
peope with rs The first canal OF any Importance tas
Vas bult i'm Europe was that Of LanguedOc, III the Ign
of Louis XIV and under the administration OF lOD"rt
The tolls were given the engineers for repairs TINS ~
n principle of inland navigation on when our caItls
were built by Clinton and Norris