The New York herald., 1878-03-01
Free Canals.

tain the party" in this way.
Free Canals.
The spirited speech of Dr. Hayes i'll the
Assembly in favor of free navigation OF the
| State canals can do no harm and may do
| good. The vital necessity OF New York is
| cheap communication with the West and
whether we do or do not have it by rail 1T
is indispensable that we have it by water
| TO be sure, water communication is slow,
and goods of small bulk in proportion to
their value will never take the water route,
however cheap it may be made. To be sure,
also, the canals and lakes are closed for five
months of every year and the railroads have
a monopoly of freight carrying during the
cold season, not only for light articles OF
small bulk. but for commodities of every
description. But Notwithstanding the con-
troll of the railroads over all business for five
months of the year and their secure hold on
some classes of freight at all seasons the
| competition of the water routes is the most
important means Of keeping down the prices
of transportation. The Erie Canal has
always, even when tolls we're highest, car
by rail and now, when the canal tolls are
barely sufficient to defray the expenses of
administration there is no danger that any
| class of freight which would 60 by canal at all
| will seek the railroads. So far as railroad
competition is concerned there can be no
| appreciable difference between free navga-
ton of the canals and the present moderate
Ill :.1, I>o., (0y &1,on Nf
superintendent and repairs. The only
solid argument for making the New York
canals absolutely free rests upon the fact
that Canada is enlarging the Welland Canal
and making it navigable for large ships.
The effect Of this, so far as it has any effect,
will be to increase the business Of Montreal
at the expense Of all our seaboard cities,
and not to give other American cities an ad-
vantage over New York. AS yet we have
no great reason to fear the competition
of Montreal. Nothing seems more unlikely
than that city on the st. Lawrence, which
is frozen for nearly half the year, will ever
become the centre of American commerce.
If free canals are necessary for the pros
perity of New York by all means let us
make the canals free but there is no me-
cessity for jumping to this conclusion until
facts demonstrate it! s. DR.. Hayes has no
doubt done service to the city and the
State in rousing attention to the subject,
but there is no necessity for hasty or pre-
cipitate action We con have free canals only
by an amendment of the constitution. No
time would be gained by passing an amend
ment through this Legislature, because it is
not the Legislature Of 1879, but that of 1880,
that must indorse it before it can be sub
mitted to the people. An election of new
Senate must intervene between the two Leg
islatures that successfully give their sanction
to constitutional Amendment. Aside from
the general objection that action this winter
would be premathre and would secure no
advantage even in point of time there are
strong special reasons for letting the subject
60 over to the next Legislature The canals
are about to pass under the new system of
management prescribed by the last
amendment of the constitution. The
new officer, Superintendent of Pub
lie Works, having at last been ap-
pointed the old Canal Commissioners
cease to exist, and their Methods Of admin
istration are likely to retire with them.
Next year the Legislature will have the ad-
vantage of a years experience of the new
system. The Legislature of 1879 will be in
position to judge more intelligently of the
new state Of the canal question than the
Legislature of 1873, and since no time can
be gained by acting now it is wiser to post
pone the question for another year.
The annual expenses of superintendent
and repairs have heretofore been from
million and o quarter to million and
half dollars; but they are expected to be
great deal less under the new system of
management. Whatever this annual ex-
pense may be it will have to be betrayed
| out of the annual taxes on property when
ever the canals are made free. AS the
canals during the greater part Of their his
tory have made large annual contributions
to the State treasury above the expenses of
management and repairs it will take some
time for the taxpayers to reconcile them
selves to an annual burden from n source
which has heretofore brought great annual
relief 1t would be unwise to submit an
amendment for free canals until the people
are prepared to adopt it, because defeat
on the first trial would postpone the change
for many years.
New York's Commercial Supremacy.
The merchants and shippers OF New York
held meeting in the Chamber of Commerce
yesterday to receive the report of the COM
| 1. u.