, 1873-01-11
THE ERIE CANAL.
Gxtrnct from tho 1feSange OF Cover
NOR Dix, OF Now TOr1es


cost of collccio'l.. ..:...,".,.'.'.".' l,Sfo'o'o
Leaving surplus Of. ,2o2bfl
THO surplus would havo been largor by tho
sun, OF a5s7 .1B1.3S, but for deficiency to TIM;
amo mt iu tho revenues Of tho latoral canals to
moot tho expenditures upon them. It is hardly
fair to tlon to considor tho reai dchctonoy 4nito
Eric 6a',al products Which would not othorwiao
havo reached It, md the tolls collected Oh tho
transportation Of these products OH tho latter
ehould be considered ma reducing tho apparent
deficiency to TINT amount. Neyortholoaa tno
moot tho sums oxpon1od for hopping them IN
operation, anu hnvo drawn largely Oh the State
Treasury to supply thoso aohiioloncios.
The payments Of s1,875,070.71 ahovo stated
Comptrollor'a report thcro will bo found d full
Btatemont Of expenditures for tho catlalB, includ-
Ing ordinary md extraordinary ropairs, ant M, now
work for tho year ending aotl September, lst4
on all of thon1, in oxccss Of NIL income, nnount
to $314 ,373.07-a doncioncy to bo mot by loans or
taxation. -,
been ono OF tho chlof commercial condllit1 bo-
tween tho City OF Now York and tho Western
MasuS e,,d Toyrtorics and, until tho introduction
Of railroads, wus Tho sole channol Of conmrit!ica-
lion hotwoen them. ltAas added incidentally to
tho wealth OF tic State md to tho convenience OF
its inhabitants, and llas beon justly regarded IN
ono Of tile great enterprises Of tho age. Tho
wegtern boundary Of civilization at tl,o ti1ho Of
ita completion was, with inconaidora1lo oxcop..
is now on tho shorea Of tho Pacific mud MI i'm
monso population covers tho surface which WAS
tlon only marked by rude and widely scattered
settlements. Although railroads l1ayo Rupor~
scttcd canals in the transportation of passengers
md lighter products Of industry, tho latter are
still reIiod upon for moving bulky articles, and
are likely, with tho progress Of Improvement to
yield as largo q revonuo as they earnod before q
the business Of carrying waa al'arod with tic
former. Willis, therefore, tho competition OF
the great railroad limos which arc now pene-
trating the Wost, for the purpose Of carrying on
itH commercial communications with tho sea-
board, may roduco tho rates Of transpoi taton to
tho ,o%eat stnndssd Of profit. there is always
fnlr compensation. Phvtial agvcenents of thia
kind hive more than once been mao' but t1oy
so s Sy ~ 5 ken IN OF sa05s e tSa es for te
purpose Of oyorroaching and gaining an advan-
taro oyor the othprs. In this point Of Wow it
becomes of importance for tho State to retain
tho control Of tho canals and to hold them as
consolidation Of other lines Of communication,
mud az aGordiug m ultimate measure Of tho
rntcs Of transportation, which, without snch g
control might bo indefinitely and oppross!Voly
Increased, It ia scarcely to 10 doubted, il tho
State were to part with tho Eric Cnnal, that 1t
would soon pass into the hands Of some great
railwny eorporation, and the people would have
no check on tho imposition OF oxorbttant
CHARGES for freight, Whi1o. therefore,
We appreciate the Immense Importance Of
tho railroad system in miniBtoriug to our COM
fort aud rrosperity, III stimulating our growth
and adding to our wealth, and wlilo our 1ogfsla
would. in my Judgment, bo extremely unwiso to
diBarm oursc1vcs Of tho power to protect the
pooplo of tho State against contriyancos to which
great corporations are but too prone to resort
for increasing their profits forgetting that tho
principal object Of their creation is to promote
tho welfare OF tho community al. large, mud not
tho interest Of their shareholders.
Iu order to roudor tho power Of restraint moro
otfoctual It ia desirable that the timo required
for Tic transportation of heavy freight from
Buffalo to New York, by the Eric Canal, Hnould
bo 30 reduced that it may not, In auy great de-
Eroo, differ from TINT needed for the transpurta-
ton Of like freight by rail, But the
question Of moro rapid transit involves
tinlo taEon for the transportation OF cargo
from Buffalo to Now York eau bo shortened
from fourteen days to flye, thero will be aav~
ing Of nearly two-thirds In certain items Of tho
cost. Such diulinution Of tlsno cau only lo
effected by the substitution OF steam for a1l.
mails, ns motive power, and in giving the canal
tho enlarged dimenaions hSod by law il 1856,
aud aftorward recognized BY the Constitution,
TINT il, seventy feot in width aud soyon teot IN
depth Though it was declared, in 1902, to DO
completed in accordance with tho legal and con-
stitutional requirements reforrod to, It ia woll
known that, by the accumulation of earth in tho
bottom Of tho canal, it docs not posHos, through
it's ontiro extent. the required depth. Thoae
distractions should 10 removed as speedily ns
possible il order to admit the freer pas
saga Of boatn and to facilitate tho succoBs Of the
experiments recently mado undor tho aot Of
tho Legislature Of April 23. 1871, with WOW to
the introduction Of aseam as motive, power.
Will. canal Of tho prescribed dimensions VIC
cannot doubt tue ultimato Success Of those ox'
pcrinents without an impeachment Of tho inge-
nuity aI,l Hlill Of our inventors and onginoore
altogether unwarrauted by tho improvements
tAoy haye effected in tho past. 70 accomplish
tho greatest attainablo rapidity Of transit from
the Hppor lakes to tide wator, and to create the
least possible disturbance of the wator Of tAe
canal, q change will be necessary in the form ol
tho boats employed in this service, by making
them sharper, and this will diminish thoii
enpucity mud i,creaso tho cost Of transportation
eestod that it is possible to ionethon the locE.
BY tho Introduction Of gates Of q different con
gtructlon thus enabling tie boats to receive til,
= H.