The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-15

OF 1878 will show a moderate gain In respect
OF tonnage carried The whole amount oil
tolls received on all tho State canals during
the year reported was 1882, A3000 Notwith-
standing the amount and value OF the prop
erty transported is said to hove augmented,
the figures named reveal a decrease In re-
ceipts, as compared with 1877, OF some
500. 900. This loss In revenue is ascribed by
the Auditor TO the fact that somewhat
higher rates OF toll prevailed during por-
ton Of the previous fiscal ycar. But it IL
equally obvious, on the face Of his state
ment, that this reduction failed to substan-
tiate the claims Of it's advocates by defect
ing any considerable portion OF eastward
bound freight from the competing railroads.
Now, Mr. SCHUYLER meets this objection
by affirming that tho process Of reduction
has not been carried far enough. He would
abolish tolls altogether, but because he
knows that even this stop would not suffice
without n signal falling of in carriers
charges. he would have the State enter on
the business of enlargement as we'll as main
tenancc. BY a lengthening OF tho locks the
average capacity OF boats might, In his
Judgment, be increased to 200 tons; and this
change. coupled with such improvements In
model as would insure greater speed, would
result in material saving in the cost of water
transportation. But what evidence have
we that such possible economies, whose
scope is not indicated with cXactness, would
avail to divert trade from tho railroads TO
the canals Has net the cost OF canal car
riagc been for some time lower than that OF
rail transport Mr.. SCHUYLER offers us
very little information on this head. but we
can find pertinent data In the much fuller
report issued for the preceding fiscal year.
In general. It may be said that the aver
age cost OF carrying on the canal ZIG
pounds from Buffalo TO Albany during
the year 1877 was twenty-one cents, while
it was nineteen in the preceding twelve
month, and twenty-threo in 1878. 1t will be
found that the forwardor's charges. or earn
ings, after deducting tolls, were larger In
1877 than in the two previous years, the tolls
having been reduced meantime from "A TO
cents. In other words, the state, under the
existing law, receives for the use Of 3i5
miles OF artificial water navigation less
than one-fourth of the dues accruing to the
| carrier. Now, let us compare the cost OF
transporting freight on the States great
water way with the railroad charges.
| The average expense OF moving ono hun
| dred tons n mile on the New York
| Central Railroad was Sl.02; on the
| Eric road it was 96 cents while on the canals
the whole disbursement including both tolls
and the sum paid to the carrier, was but 81
cents The difference revealed in these fig
ures is striking enough. yet IT does not seem
To- satisfy the clamor for the reduction, or
rather. the complete surrender Of the pit
| lance now cXacted for the repair and main
tenance Of the canal 1t Is not uncommon TO
hear these insignificant tolls spoken OF as a
tax levied by the State ON commerce, al
though we have not hitherto been accus-
toned to hear this view defended by the Au-
ditor of the Canal Department. They are no
more tax on trade than are the freight
charges from New York TO Liverpool. or
from Albany to Buffalo by railway. The
State has furnished a common highway for
the movement Of freight in boats, and claims
TO bee rcmuncratcd for the use Of it, or at
least for keeping it in order by a small toll
far below the cost cntailcd by any other ar
tilieial method Of transportation.