Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-07-04

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. tle Ctuallan canals. hlt aisl o. eooI deal I'd
the.rprs-snt bu.nc.s will d. iu danger We
echo ttc hope ai che Ga-.fIr shat Che CONE
mlttcc uf Congress will n1t hu o. visit
Montreal and Darlington. and give the flil
and fair consideration O. the taurhnawa-
"a Canal, which 2, at it needs O. satisfy
any man Of its immense advantages over
any other channel, proposed or possible
This question j. growing in interest with
the people of .the Western States. With
them it Is becoming cmphatically the one
subject Of vital Importance. The steadily
increasing area under cultivation and the
consequently greater production has blocked
the existing avenues Of transport. For
many years the project Of a Niagara ship
canal was one Of great prominence, but the
action of the Canadian Government in com
mencing the enlargement of the Welland
has apparently removed the necessity for
the project With the Welland enlarged it
Is believed that the outlet into Lake Onta-
rio will be sufficiently great to meet the re-
quirements for the next fifteen or twenty
years, and attention Is now being directed
to improve facilities for carrying the pro-
ducts to the port Of ocean shipment.
During the last session Of Congress, at
the instance Of the Western representatives,
a committee on transportation was appoint
ed, with the Hon. Mr.. Window, of MINES
ota, as chairman. This committee has been
making inquiries for some time past a to
the best mode Of improving the means Of
transport between the Welland canal and
the port Of New York. Mr.. Window, in
the prosecution ofhis inquiries has been for
the last few days in this city, and has had
communication with a number of our mer-
chants and Others interested in the subject.
The projects appear, 50 far as we can learn,
to be reduced to two ; the first, a ship
canal from Oswego to Albany; and the
second the Caughnawaga canal, 50 long
and ably advocated by Hon. Mr.. Young
To our American friends the OswegO canal
presents this feature Of advantage, that it
Is entirely through American territory, and
when built will be entirely under American
control. 1t is impossible to dispute the in
huence Of 4 sentiment Of this kind. Ii Is
natural for any community to desire to have
all means Of communication within their
own territory and under their own control
but As a commercial question the value of
this consideration may well be doubted.
The Canadian canals have, since their first
construction, been equally open TO Amcri-
can rs % Canadian craft. At this moment
the Nelland canal Is used much more large.
iy by the Americans than by the Canadians,
and although from time 10 time the ques-
tion OF discriminating against our neigh
bOrs in the use Of that great public work
has been discussed, it has never met with
favor either in Parliament or in the cOun-
try. 1t Is impossible 50 say that the Wei
land Canal has been less valuable % the
Americans because it passes through Cana
dian territory than if it had passed through
American territory. In the latter case,
judging by the general policy Of our neigh
bors, 1t Is altogether probable that Cana
dianS would have been made % pay heavily
for the privilege of using it. If indeed they
had not been excluded from it. use altogeth-
er. But 10 the Americans IL has, as a mat
ter Of fact, been of equal advantage as if it
had gone round the Niagara Falls on the
American side. In view Of this policy of
the past and Of the general tendency Of
public opinion in Canada at the present
time, the value Of the argument in favor Of
the OswegO canal as against the Caughna-
waga. that it Is in American territory. may
well be doubted. and except of whatever
value that argument may have, there can
be little doubt that as a commercial matter
the Caughnawaga canal presents superior
advantages.
CheapnesS Of transport Is the great quc>-
tion to be considered There can he no
doubt that, in proportion as the canal mile
age Is reduced between any points, the ag-
gregate cost Of transport Will be lesscned.
Starting with this proposition. we have only
to mention that the caualing by the Oswego
route to New York will be two hundred and
FIVE miles against one hundred and sixteen
by the Caughnawaga 10 show the superior
ity of the latter There Is in addition this
further consideration, that as diStribut-
ing point for produce for the New England
IAuAE~s DUNN ANA lI--l--tl7 -INEAAAA uNAh
taGes. That is a feature in the cOnsidera-
tion Of this question which cannot be over
looked. and which must have some weight
in determining the decision of the commit
tee.
Ii Is to be hoped that before any final de-
cision Is arrived at, the committee will visit
Montreal, and from this point 90 over the
ground Of the proposed Caughnawasa
canal. 1t should he remembered IN decid-
ing upon this question, that there Is an0th
er article of shipment, of great Importance
TO our neighbors in the United States, and
which will be especially advantaged by the
direct route from Caughnawaga, we mean
sawn lumber. During recent meetings Of
the National Board of Trade Of the United
States. the Importance of Canadian lumber
TO the Americans was fully recognized, and
its value formed a prominent feature in the
discussions on the subject Of reciprocal
trade between the two countries. With the
Caugbnawaga canal built, the facilities for
supplying the New England with Canadian
lumber would be largely increased. The
three hundred millions of feet of lumber
which came down the Ottawa last year
would have found direct outlet to the
great American lumber markets had the
canal been built. This shipment of lumber
Is equal in bulk capacity TO fifteen millions
of bushels of grain, and from this 'act ltS
importance may be estimated. Viewed IN
any light the Caughnawaga canal presents
features which are of immense Importance,
and which entitle It to the greatest c0Asid-
Grafton by the Committee of Congress. We
repeat, therefore, our hope that before any
final decision Is arrived at, the members of
the committee may be induced to visit Mon
treal and have a full conference with gen
tlemcn here iwhoSe practical knowledge Of
the whole subject entities them to be heard
upon a question of this Importance.