The New York herald., 1879-01-02
Free Canals.

[ On motion of Alderman Morris the Board
of Aldermen have passed resolution recon-
mending to 'the Senators and Assembly
men elected from this city to use all
honorable means TO induce the other men,
bers of their respective Legislative bodies
to enact and pass bill making the canals
free Of tolls"
The subject of free canals was much dis
cussed at Albany last winter upon series
of concurrent resolutions introduced into
the Assembly early in the session by DIR.
Isaac l. Hayes, member from this city. The
resolutions provided for amendments to the
constitution in manner prescribed by
that instrument that is, that the PROPOSE
ton, after passing two successive Legisla-
lures, shall be submitted to vote of the
people; since the canals Of the State that
are of importance-viz the Erie. Oswego,
Champlain, Cayuga and Seneea-are
constitutional canals" the constifu-
ton providing that they "shall re-
main the property of the State and
under its control forever" and that
"the expenditure for collection, superin-
pairs on the canals shall not exceed in any
one year their gross receipts for the pre-
vious year." On this rock the "high toll"
and slow toll' advocates split, with the ad-
vantage this year decidedly in favor Of the
latter for there has been an increase this
year over last of 17O, ,307 tons of freight and
q gain of S112,O91 20 in receipts. Some
thing Of this, it is true is due to the
prompt action last winter of the Canal
Board and the Canal Committee Of the As
sembly, of which DR.. Hayes, pronounced
slow toll" man, was chairman, by which
shippers were enabled to make their ar-
rangements on definite basis before the
opening of navigation. But this alone is
not sufficient to account for the great gain
Of more than twelve per cent
The action of tho Legislature and of the
Board was wise over their action Of the pre-
vious year but the main cause is the un-
doubted cheapness of canal over railroad
transportation, and steadiness Of the grow
ing conviction that, with fair management, it
must always be SO. Yet, if the Glow toll"
sheet, properly applied, yields these salts
factory results, that fact does not furnish,
necessarily, an argument in favor Of no toll
sheet at all. The receipts this year derived
from tolls will apparently meet the expendi-
lures. Make the canals free by amending
the constitution, and these expenditures
must be met by direct taxation. Nobody
need be told that, with the opening of the
Erie Canal October 8, 1929, the real great
ness of New York as the comm ercial centre
of America first began. Coming through
the only real break in the Allegheny range
south Of the st. Lawrence, the Erie Canal
created q new route for inland commerce,
which soon became as fixed as the caravan
routes Of Asia, the Roman roads. the mule
paths Of the Andes, or the turnpikes of
America halt century ago. When railroads
were invented the New York Central natu-
rally took the course Of the canal, because
the line of traffic had been already fixed
there, and cities had grown up beside
it in consequence. And there it will
remain, and by that route will the Hud-
son River continue to receive the vast
drainage of Western products to which New
York owes it's wealth and greatness. We
cannot blot out that route nor change it.
BY wise or unwise legislation we may profit
more or less by it. The time may come
when the canals will be freed OF tolls. Has
the right time come? In no case can this
end be constitutionally accomplished be-
fore $780,