New-York tribune., 1873-02-13
ALBANY.
MAINTAINING NETWORKS COMMERCE.
THE SHIP CANAL QUEsTfoN-THE GARDNER PIER
AND WAREHOUSE PROJECT.

ry,R SHIP CANAL oUEsTToN-THR GARDNER PIER
AND WAREHOUSE PROJECT.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THB TRIBUNAL
ALBANY, Feb. 12-Thero were two important hear
ings to-day before the Legislative Committees on
Railroads and Commerce and Navigation on ques-
tons seriously connected with the commercial
prosperity of New-York State and city. The Hon.
John Young of Canada, at the request Of Assembly
man Weed appeared before the Canal Committees
of the Senate and Assembly and gave very IN
teresting accounts of the canals OF canada ~ Is
well known that whenever the Welland Canal shall
be enlarged 40 as TO permit the passage of propeers
of 900 TINS burden a very large proportion OF the
foreiOn exports of grain corn, and flour from the
limited States will find their way TO Europe
nv way of the st. Lawrence Mr.. Young
stated to-day that the appropriations had
been made for the enlargement of that
Canal that proposals for doing the work had been
received, and that contracts would be immediately
awarded and the work completed probably inside OF
four years 1t is nevertheless entirely possible that
the bulk of this produce may continue 10 be ex-
ported from NewYork provided the State of New
York will open a canal of equal capacity with the
WeHand from Hudson River to Lake ChamplaIn
This be done at an expense of only S6OOOoOO or
$SOOO0OO. Only II miles of canal proper would have
to be constructed in connection with 40 miles of
be made with the St. Lawrence River above Mon
treal and Lake Champlain by canal OF only 9i
miles in length, costing less than S5,OO00OO.
In both the projected canals the elevations TO be
overcome are very slight being only % feet for the
Canadian canal and $50 feet for the Hudson River
connection Mr.. Young gave very positive assHr-
ances that the Canadian Caugnawaga Canal
would be built, charter having already been Sc
cured. The saving of time, as compared with the
Erie Canal. would be nearly half and the freight
could be carried at less than two-thrds the cost.
Mr.. Weed has introduced bill for the preliminary
surveys on the upper Hudson for the projected con-
nection with Lake ChamplaiD which bill Will soon
be reported for the action of the Legislature.
In the evening Mr. Gardner explained TO the Com
mittees on Railroads and Commerce and Navigation
of the two houses his proposed system of warehouses
and railroads along the water front of New-Yerk
CITY BE showed that the expenses in New-York OF
moving freight from the railroad to the shipping
were very much greater than in Boston, PhiladeL-
phia or Baltimore. He also demonstrated by statis-
tics that there has been of recent years a great
diversion Of commerce from New-fork to the other
cities named. This diversion was not caused by the
cost of inland transportation for frelghts from the
West to New-YOrk were cheaper than to the other
cities The statement was also made and promptly
confirmed by Mr.. Pierson, the managing director of
the Central Railroad who is Chairman of the Assem-
bly Railroad Committee, that three-ffths of the
through freight coming over the Central Railroad
from the West passes over the Boston and Albany
Railroad into wEngland, and only two-ffths
down the Hudson River.
Mr.. Gardner asks for a charter giving his company
power to acquire the water front for the construc-
ton of ten large piers and warehouses to be con-
nected with each other and the Central and Hnd-
son River Railroad by railway along the water.
He aff1ms that English capitalists willing TO
put SIS, 900 into this investment The railroad
company are prepared to give him an opportunity
to make the experiment, and there seems to be no
serious opposition from any quarter.