Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-09-26
The Canal Report.

The report OF the special committee
of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Company (appointed last month to
inquire into and report upon the
question of fair rates to the boatmen
for transportation made last week at
a meeting in Baltimore, has excited
considerable interest, particularly in
this. county. The report is a terse
statement of what it assumes are the
real causes of dissatisfaction in response
toa petition for the reduction of tolls to
redress the boatmen $ complaints. 1t
alleges that they suffer from the exac-
tions and extortions of intermediate
men, and not from the rate of tolls for
transportation-that while the Canal
Company does not produce sufficient
revenue to pay annually % per cent.
on the actual cost of the work, the
charges for wharfage at Cumberland
realize in two years gross amount
equal to the entire cost of building the
wharfs, or net profit of over IT'S per
cent. per annum over operating ex-
pehses.
The committee exposes another i'm
position upon the boatmen in the sys-
tematic and extortionate practice of
compelling the boatmen to purchase
boats at an advance of $500
to $1,000. Through local agents of
some of the coal companies the CAPT
talists of Cumberland make their IS
per cent. in a single transaction, The
hoatmen must accept the extortionate
offers, else abandon the business.
Now, whether the Canal Company's
allegation of disinterestedness in politi-
cal affairs is true or not, it has made
showing which, if true, honest men of
all parties mustapplaud. 1t has given
an idea of the manner Cumberland has
tattened off the coal trade and its de-
pendencies-how it has not scrupled
to take every advantage to monopo-
lie all the profits, sparing neither the
labor nor the poverty of the poor.
This has been done in an astonishing
variety of ways-some directly, but
mainly indirectly. What it has failed
to accomplish by wheedling, cajoling
and coaxing, it has made up by COM
pulsion and extortion.
1t is interesting to note, also, how
Cumberland papers treat the report as
it affects politics On the one side
the Democracy are berated for the par
ticipancy of their standard-bearer in
the evils alleged On the other he is
set forth as the champion Of injured
rights. German & Co. are further
more accused of engineering canal in
terests against Mr.. Walsh chances for
Congress; in this way favoring Mr.,
Lowndes, and so on.
In either event such use is corrupt.
In fact, Cumberland has been quite
blatant one way or the other, or both
ways, about the corrupt political mis-
uses to which the managem ent of the
canal has been adapted for years past.
Yet Cumberland couldn't do without
the canal no, no, not even if Allegany
interests never have representative
in the board. So anxious are they to
keep the rotten old thing i'll their
grasp as long as possible they would
rather not see it extended, except by
the Wills Creek dry route. 1t should
on no account follow the Potomac to
Westernport, where it would tap the
coal region-a section which it is abso
lutely necessary to avoid for fear it
will reap some benefit from its own re-
sources, and Cumberland thus lose
what belongs to somebody else.