New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-08-13
THE NEW- YORK CANALS.

TIE NETWORK CANALS
Tie annual reports of the Auditor of the
Canal Department on the Tolls, Trade ana
Tonnage of the Canals of the State are valu-
able documents, deserving of much moro con-
sideration than they usually receive from the
press, the public, or the Legislature. That for
the calendar year 1872 has just been printed.
It makes an octave volume of 375 pages, and
contains a great variety of statistics OF the
business of the canals, extending back, In
some of the tables forty or fifty years.
The great Lakes, the Erie Canal, and the
Hudson River constitute magnificent system
of inland navigation, of two thousand miles
in extent, adding the length of Lake Superior
to the distance by the water route from New
York to Chicago By the Erie Canal, the
great cities of New-York, Buffalo, Cleveland,
Toledo. Detroit, Milwaukee, and Chicago are
united by line of cheap transportation. The
cbeapness of the water route compels the
competing railway lines to carry freight at
corresponding prices. OF these benefits, we
witness the results in the rapid growth and
unexamped prosperity of New-York and the
Lake cities, and even Great Britain may trace
no small share of her wealth, since the repeal
of her corn laws, to the Erie Canal. The
value of the grain, coal, iron. SALT lumber.
and other merchandise moved on the New
York canals last year exceeded $22O,OO0,OO0,
sum which is nearly equal to the aggregate
annual. value of the exports of domestic
produce, specie excepted, from the port OF
New-York.
One month ago. in THE DAILY TRIBUNE of
the 18th of July we showed that the time
had come to enlarge the Erie Canal. We will
briefly recaptulate some of the arguments we
used then. in 1862 the number of tons of ag
rcuItural products moved by the canals of
New-York was, in round numbers, 2,5O0,00O
in 1872 it was 100000, a falling off of more
than thirty per cent. The reason Of this de-
crease is that the canal Is every year being
more and more encroached upon to meet the
requirements of the business in lumber, coal,
iron ore, stone, railroad bars, and similar
bulky freight which is not wanted by the
railroads. Tho tonnage of these articles On
the canals, so far from falling off, has
doubled since 1861. On the other hand, the
quantity of vegetable food moved by the
three great trunk lines, the New-York Cen
trail, the Erie, and the Pennsylvania railroads,
has increased]from less than one million tons
in tho years from 1861 to 1866 to upwards of
three million tons in the years 1871 and 1872.
Ten years ago the canals moved from two
thirds to three-quarters of the wheat, corn
and -four going from the great lakes to tide
water. Now the proportion is reversed and
the railroads move two-thirds. The canal has
fallen off thirty per cent in its grain business,
in spite of reduction of one-half in the tolls.
The railroads have increased their grain bust
ness three hundred per cent, also with large
decrease in their freight charges. The same
movement is also continued in the current
year. the canal having fallen below last year
in the transportation of vegetable food, and
the railroads having, in all probability, gained
more than the canal has lost.
The result of this movement has been. and
will be, to increase the domestic and foreign
trade of Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore
at the expense of that of New-York. Not only
do those cities and the States in which they
are situated now supply themselves direct with
grain and provisions, of which they formerly
bought largely in New York, but their export
trade is growing faster than that of this port
Boston in 1868 received 100000 bushels OF
corn from New OTk anu OtueI sodDodiu poitcj
and less than 100000 by railroad direct from
the West. In 1872, she received over 100000
bushels by railroad from the West and only
300 900 bushels from the seaboard. The exports
of domestic produce. specie deducted, from the
mort of New-York increased from $170,00000O
in the year ended June 3d. 1867, to $25S,OOOOOO
in the year ended June 30, 1879 This is
aygain of nearly fifty-two per cent. But the
domestic exports of Baltimore, Philadelphia,
and Boston increased during the same period
of six years from SA,0OOOO0 to $70,OOO,0OO
gain of ffty-nine per cent. Similarly the
value of the exports of breadstuffs and pro-
visions from the port of NewYork increased
from SAC 200 OOO. in the year ended June 3d. 1867,
TO 100000 in the year ended June 30. 1872,
being gain of one hundred and thirty per
cent. But the exports of the same articles
from the ports of Baltimore, Philadelphia, and
Boston increased during the same period
from S106O0,O00 to SOS, 100000, the gain be-
ing equal to one hundred and forty per cont.
These effects may be expected to become
much more conspicuous a few years hence
Montreal is gaining on New-York even more
rapidly than Boston and Philadelphia, and the
work is already in progress which is to con-
vert our great rival, the Welland, into ship
canal. navigable for propellers Of loo tons