The New York herald., 1879-01-04


New York ana Erie Bank, Buffalo. 22.250
Watkins National Bank, Watkins... 1,032
2s.119
Leaving unavailable September 80, 1875. sls9.2s4
mot Including sums realized from oans) deposited in
banks between September 30, 1S45. and October l.
1873 aggregate about $143.oo OooO and it is worthy
of note that, If the present unavailable deposits
should be counted worthless the entire loss which
the State has sustained for the whole period would be
less than one-ffth Of one per cent.
THE CHANGE SUPERVISION.
On the sth of February, 1875 the superintendent
of Public Works. appointed by the Governor in pur-
entered upon the discharge OF his official duties The
repairs of the canals during the last fiscal year have
therefore been conducted under both the old and
new systems of management and control-the first
third of the year being under the supervision of the
Board Of Canal Commissioners, each of whom had
charge of u division. and the remaining twothrds
under the single supervision OF the superintendent
OF Public Works.
Dividing the year into two periods for the purpose
of showing the relative cost under each system, we
hnd the expenditures for ordinary repairs during
each period were as follows:-
Under the Canal Commissioners from Octo-
ber l. 1877 to February 1873 four months. $279,295
Under the Superintendent of Public Works
from February to September 80. 1878.
Tse eaUeaditures under the SUPERINTENDENT Of
Public Works for eight months being only Sls5l1 30
in Of those under the Commissioners for four
months.
superintendent and ordinary repairs was $739, 74S,
being the lowest aggregate since 1861. when 1t was
ty-nine years.
NECESSITY FOR FREE CANALS
The Auditor. in urging that free canals neces-
sary to meet the changed conditions which time and
enterprise have wrought, says
The tolls necessary to maintain our canals low as
they may be- serve the interests OF competitors
The cent q bushel which compelled to
levy the of the canals, and which aggre
gated less than million of dollars the past season,
Il is asserted is sufficient handicap to enable rival
routes to underbid us and to divert from this State
trade we would secure, but Tor the toll imposed
and which, in value. is immensely greater
than the amount Of revenue we seek to
obtain. The water route, beyond any question
can do profitable business at rates much below
actual cost by any other and, therefore, possesses
the ability to establish the rate. may put the rate
at absolute costfor example, cents per bushel but
to this be added the cent per bushel which the
State imposes as toll. making total charge of
cents The competing routes having no tolls to pay
realize a greater compensation at 6H cents per
bushel than does the water route at cents. 1t is
this half cent per bushel. or the toll imposed by the
State which frequently repels trade and the loss of
the toll to the State is the smallest measure OF
the transaction.
An actual occurrence related by prominent and
intelligent New York merchant will serve pract
cal illustration. Two hundred thousand bushels OF
in Chicago was seeking market at the seaboard
An application came to firm In New York in these
words -
'wil you advance 100000 bushels of corn, to be
They answered-"Yes, but why to Baltimore in
preference to New York;
The reply Transportation to Baltimore is
a haf-cent per bushel less than to New York"
And so the corn went to baltimore. because the
Of $1,000 could be saved in transportation
charges and New York capital followed it there be-
1t was idle, and Baltimore offered 1t employ
ment. The merchant referred to summed up this
transaction in this wise; Six vessels found in Bat-
more six cargoes of corn, and Baltimore received the
inward cargoes Of those six vessels because she could
supply them with return freight If the corn in ques-
ton had to New York at the same rate of trans
portation was charged to Baltimore, 200 would
have been the actual amount contributed for trans
portation within the borders of State. In conse
quence of the toll imposed the corn in question was
turned from New York to Baltimore, and not only
the industrial classes of the State failed receive
the sum of $4,000, which otherwise would have
conn nsf the Of e postye known
loss The loss arising from the non-arrival of the
six vessels at the port OF New York with their in
coming cargoes, the handling and storing OF these
cargoes and their final sale and transportation can
only be matter of conjecture, but must also be
taken into the estimate of the total loss sustained.
Nor is this all Baltimore by giving return cargoes
to these six vessels, will induce return on their
to the continued detrment of the foreign COM
EFFECT OF CHEAP TRANSPORTATION.
The successful efforts which have been made the
past few years to cheaper transportation have greatly
Increased and extended the Of production. Since
the reduction of tolls in 1870 the charge for trans
portation Western lake ports to the Atlantic has
been reduced by the water route more than onelalf,
and this reduction by water route has compelled
corresponding reduction by competing rail routes.
Cheaper transportation has enabled the agricutur-
lists of this country to compete with foreign pro-
out of British markets. and the United States
now supplies more wheat, -four and corn to Great
Britain tnan all other countries together. The
ports of wheat to the Continent of Europe likewise
show large increase, the shipments from September
to December T. 1878. being 19,000,00O bushels in
of those for the corresponding period in 1871.
In 1870 the total exports OF wheat and corn to all
foreign countries were about 100000 tons, and for
1878 will exceed COO 900 tons Nearly the whole of
this vast amount exported Is grown north of the
parallel of the Ohio River.
II this traffic is lost by the imposition of tolls the
State gains nothing and the industrial portion OF
population loses the transportation, which, ut the
lowest, is five times the toll and all the collateral
benefits attending its sale and expectation; but il by
rentting the tolls the traffic is gained the industrial
portion of our population and chief cities
greatly benefited and upon those localities will fall
the largest portion OF the tax necessary TO maintain
the canals.
In order to meet the competition which our change
of policy intensified neighbors, north and south
of u.s. have not been idle. The Dominion of Canada
is enlarging its canals. South of us. railroads.
tons, have been consolidated; steel rails have been
substituted for iron, equipments increased, more
powerful engines constructed and employed and the
cost OF transportation by railways has been reduced
to point which, q few years ago. was deemed inn
possible.
These changed conditions. which time and the
more active enterprise OF our neghbors have
wrought. require US to adopt such constitutional
amendments will permit the most liberal policy in
.he management aud improvement of canals.
q. W. SCHUYLER, Auditor.