The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-18
The Erie Canal,

The New York Il Erie Canal has for
over forty years produced surplus reve-
nue. the State Of New Y ork has received
from the earnings of that canal nearly for
ty-six millions OF dollars more than the
expenditure for constructing and main
tanning the work. The surplus receipts
from the canal for the last fifteen years
would have paid for its enlargement to
double its present capacity. The State,
however, has used this surplus revenue to
meet the cost of repairing and operating q
series of lateral canals which might all be
filled up to the great profit of the State.
Public attention has, however, been arous.
ed in New York to the threatened loss of
commerce by this policy, and bill is pend
ing before the Legislature providing for
funding the canal debt of the State, and
to relieve the earnings of the Erie and Os-
wego Canals from all charges except their
own maintenance In 1869-'70, the tolls
on grain on the Erie Canal, from Buffalo
to Albany, were 6 cents per bushel and
that year they were reduced, after q bit
ter fight, to 3 cents per bushel The Or
binary surplus earnings of the Erie Canal
average over one million dollars a year, at
the present rates Of toll 1t is assumed
that if the funding bill be passed, the
State tolls can be reduced to | cent per
bushel, and pay all the cost of operating
the canal, and even of enlarging some of
its locks and constructing others that are
needed
This reduction of cents per bushel is
upon the tolls collected by the State, and
in no other way relates to the rate of
freights. So long as the business offered
the canal exceeds its capacity, there is no
room for an increase either of the number
or size of the boats, there can be no ma
terial reduction of the rates of freight.
The relief afforded by the reduction of
State tolls is nevertheless impor-
tant, but it is not too soon to
meet the threatened diversion of
the trade from New York The st. Law
renee and Welland Canals are now under
going engagements, and in u comparatively
short time will permit the passage of the
largest class of lake steamers and sailing
vessels, The comparative distances from
Chicago to New York and Montreal may
be thus stated
Niles
Chicago TO Buffalo by lake .s16
Buffalo to New York by rail. -. .442
Chicago to New York by lake and rail =. / 1853
Chicago to Buffalo by lake e16
Buffalo by canal 10 Albany. ....................352
Albany to New York by river. ....... ........l 5l
Chicago to New York by water .419
Chicago to Montreal by water. ,261
The average time from Chicago to Mon
treal is days from Chicago to New Y ork,
by lake, canal, and river, 20 days.
The distance from Chicago to Liverpool,
by way of the lake, Erie Canal. and Hud-
son river to New York, is 4.SS9 miles, and
the time 80 days. The distance from Chi
cago to Liverpool, by way of Montreal, is
4,409 miles, and the time 81 days. If two
propellers leave Chicago with grain for
Liverpool, one by way Of the st. Lawrence
and Montreal, there to connect with steam
er, and the other by way of the Erie Canal
TO New York and thence by steamer, the
cargo sent by way of Montreal, may under
favorable circumstances, reach LIVERPOOL
and be sold before the other leaves New
York. The freights from Chicago 70 Mon.
treal will, ii is claimed, be 10 cents ner
bushel less than the rates charged in 1S79
for the transportation by lake and canal
from Chicago TO New York. The improve
ments on the st. Lawrence canals are al
ready in progress, and the State of New
York, 1t it hopes to maintain the COM
merce now performed by its canal, must
not be content with the reduction of State
tolls, but must so enlarge Erie Canal that
It Will be open to more boats and cheaper
freights. -. :"