New-York tribune., 1877-07-11
LOW TOLLS on THE CANALS.

Speculation IN stocks has revived discussion
in regard to the reduction of tolls on the Ca
nails. The Canal Board at its last meeting
adjourned until September, but another meet
INC had been called and was held yesterday,
and ingenious operators for an advance have
insisted that an advance of tolls was to be or
deIed. In behalf of the Board 1t was desired
that the meeting would have this subject un-
der consideration, but the presence OF Lent
Gov DOIsheimer in this city, and his confer
ence with members of the Produce Exchange
were used to create the impression that an ct-
fort to raise the tolls would be made. Some
of the arguments which have been elaborate
ly paraded with intent to influence the action
of the Board, deserve attention.
1t is said that the advocates of low tolls rep
resented that, if the tolls should be reduced,
the increase of tonnage would more than COM
pensate for the reduction of rates, and that, in
point of fact, the tonnage has not increased.
Those who reason thus are either very ill-in-
formed or very disingenuous. Tonnage
Transported by all routes, by lake and ca
nal and by water, has been very much
less this year thus far than last year,
the grain shipments from the West for
June having been reduced from 10,1O0,-
900 bushels in 1876 TO 13,300,O00 bushels
in 1917 The only true test is in the proper
ton moved by canal and by rail, and in that
respect the increase has been quite as great
az any advocate Of low tolls expected. The
shipments by water last year i'll June We're
10, 200, 200 bushels, and this year 1O,500,OO0
bushels; the proportion thus shipped has in
creased from G4.4 per cent last year to 1S.6
per cent this year. All the loss resulting from
diminution of the general movement has fallen
upon the railways, for the shipments by rail
in June have fallen from S,500,000 bushels in
1876 to 2.S5O,000 bushels in June, 1877. 1t
is obviously unfair to reason that the Canals
cannot pay expenses with low tolls, merely
because, during season of great deficiency in
the grain movement, the tolls have diminished
There is prospect Of large crop and heavy
grain movement this Fall, and If the Canals
continue to secure as large a proportion Of
the traffic as they have secured thus
lar, there is no reason TO suppose that
the increased tonnage for the entire sea-
son may not compensate for the reduction OF
rates. In June the loss of revenue compared
with the corresponding month last year, which
was one of very large shipments, was only
S1OG.332. The merits or demerits of the
present system can only be tested after a full
season, embracing at least a fair average OF
aggregate grain shipments.
But if there should prove to be some loss OF
tolls with ordinarily large shipments, is it a
matter of no consequence to the people OF the
State that the threatened destruction Of water
Transportation, and the diversion of traffic from
this city to Baltimore, Philadelphia and Boston,
have been arrested? The change which has
been effected i'll this respect ly the reduction
of tolls is very remarkable. In June last year,
this city received only 1,s35,3sO bushels of
corn out of 9,377,GSS bushels received at
the six Atlantic ports or only 1876 per
cent But in June, 1877, NewYOrk re-
ceiyed 2,44O,327 bushels ont Of 4,913,571
bushels received at the six ports, OF 49,
per cent-a gain Of nearly 80 per cent
in the proportion. Meanwhile receipts at
Baltimore have dropped from 2,757,000
bushels in June, 1876, to 9S6,400 bushels
in 1877, and receipts at Philadelphia have
dropped from ., ,751 800 bushels in June, 1876,
70 only ACC, 900 bushels in june 1877. Every
bushel thus diverted from other cities adds some
thing TO the profits and to the taxable wealth of
New-York merchants and draws to this city,
also, a larger share Of the purchases from the
West. Is this remarkable change Of no i'm
portance to the StateR 1t must be rcmem-
bered that other cities, all along the line of
the water route have shared in the benefits
thus secured Can it be said that this State
cannot afford some loss of revenue. if it can
thereby secure for its merchants and manu-
facturers so large "A share of traffic which was
diverted last year to other cities
There is much simpler question which the
tax payers of the State ought to consider
The Canals, under the tolls formerly exacted,
were fast becoming useless. Within single
year nearly half of their proportion of traffic
had been diverted to other routes, very