, 1873-02-10
FREIGHT FACILITIES.

II ia now reported that there arc pornona ct
Washington making arguments before Commit"
toos aud button-holing mombers OF Consroas, to
induce IN appropriation OF mnuy millions Of
dollars to enlarge tho Now York l. Eric canal.
This il substantially the beginning OF 4 job to
sell tho Eric Canal to tho United statos, aud
eventually to transfer to tho whole American
people tho coat Of keoping in repair tho thirteen
canas Of tile State OF Now York, no one Of which,
oxcopt the Eric, earns enough to pay tho salaries
Of the -gnthorers, 1c le0a tho cost OF koep-
ing it in order. Tho account of tho Erie canal
with tho State Of Now York shows that the canal
has pail iuto tue State Treasury, over and above
ali its cost and expenditures, s9o,ooo,ooo; and
under these circumstances, 1t Ia an unheard-of
propoaition for that State to ask tho United
States now to expond fifteen or twenty millions
of dollars to enlarge tho canal.
There is, however, no occasion for any such
expenditure by tho General Government, Tho
Canadian 0oyernment, with an enterprise and
epirit which, compared with The aeltlah and beg
garly policy Of Now York, is worthy of tho ago.
III already at work. It has provided for an OK
pendituro Of s8,ooo,0o0 to enlarge the Wel!atltl
Canal to tho capacity Of tho largest-sizod lake
steamers Tho contracts would now be let woro
It not that recent surveys indicate tho possibility
Of constructing an entirely now canal, Of tho
largost Dimensions, by anew route. Tho original
! plan was to construct new canal parallel
with tho Wollanl Canal, in orlor not to suspend
Lilo ororatloua Of tho latter. It IL now regarded
practicable to construct Bhip-canal from Chip
powa to Qucenston, tho cntire distance being
| but six mics. Tho cost Of this canal
will bo 30 comparatively amall, and tho tImo re-
quired 10 short, that aho letting Of tho consractt
on tho acknowledgement work has been post
ponou, in order to receive estimates on this. Il
either case. our lake yeasels and stoamers, o
whatever Dimensions, will, In very nhor
titno. be ablo to proceed from, Chicago direc
into Lake Ontario, aud thcnce to Montreal
But tho Canadian Government doca not stol
hero, It has a1so undertaken tho en1argomou
Of the canals around tho rapids of tho st
Lawrence to an oxtont that will admit til
snme steamers and yessols to return wilt
I lHil EACHOd* ~ s"S*'0 ~ --"~~
millions Of dol1ars III maao by the Canadia
Government to open to tho Wostern Statop
through wator route to an Atlantic port. A
Montreal NO llayo all tho facilities that VIC ca
J find at Now York. Tho trip will bo moaaurabl
sholtor and the route will not bo limited III Il
: capacity. Tho difficulty with the Erie cauRl II
that 1t ia not capable OF accommodating but
: certain number Of boats, OF limited aizo; thet
, boata cannot move more than ono bushol In to
7 that tho West eau forward. Nor can tho Er
r Canal DO mado capable OF carrying but d sn1a
Q percentage Of tho brealaufrs OF tho West. Tho
q being therefore, All absolute limit to the bulk
r grain that car be moved by that route, tho rat
] Of freight must remain precisely what tho hoa
/ owners ohoose to demand. So long aH u
/ freight offered IL in oxcess of what eau 10 tran
. ported, there can be no reduction in tle rates
t freight. But opening tho st. Lawrence route