New-York tribune., 1880-01-14

re-, 5hr o.,i raj ANA Tor The support o the Gov
eminent -.----...---. -.-''''''''--- 80
L Ne revenue or sur us required. g. lj1S23 90
Set t,v mae earned ''''''' ''
Dc.cie.c, Of revenue for year ending 9otb Sep , |
tcmo.I 80 siO2l'4i o
Tie ,aliu- the credit OF the sinking fund on TIE
3O,h Sep-nbe., 1879, was Sl4i5,lC5 - In ojfiton
10 is haanco on deposit ana invested tneTe r. duc the
flnc Ssll 532 &C. bcrg the dcnccney m the centrOa-
tion roia the revenues OF the c, Tor the hsca year
which ended SON September, 1873, and thc interest
thereon. ier ieh a author2 2ed by chapter -
of tie OF @79 and is IL process " assessment
and collection
There should have been coatribuied tho rove
Of tbe LIST Gsca year, TO meet al fopriatons'
tl9CO35 g..
Tles.y,h section Of article seven Of The Constitution,
as amended in Is74 permits tic sale or abandcu'1f0
Of all Inc canals owned by the state. excepting tao Erie
the Champaiu the Cayugi ana sneca and the Os"eso
In accordance with this permission ana acts chapcr 4Ol
" tie laws Of 1877 ard chapters 113 aad 81 OF
The laws Of 1873, the Crooked Lake Cana
has been disposed Of. The C1cmung Canal,
the Genoe Valley Canal, anO the main porto Of the
Chenanco Canal have been declared abandoned for plI
puses ot navigation, nut the ultimate msp' siion OF
sc aba. doncd works awaits the further action Of the
l. glslarurc.
Itls graf jng 70 he able 70 announce that NE com
panv organized 70 equip the Erie Canal with the Belgian
system cable towing IS making progress Dur
in the past tcu additional tu;s were constructed
operate the system FROM Buffalo 70 To ester 'o fcw
days prior 20 the close of navigation From all accounts
there Is room Tor douh', any be-
ore existed 10 to the perfect adautby of the orstem
to the Eno Canal aud there is every a>sur-
ance thal by means OF 1t, shall secure
greater speed ~ less cost, than by the present
method Of animal towage The enterprlsiug managers
the company quite sangune that they Val nave
the Erie canal fully equipped by the close Of another
and when thus equipped The entire tonnage Of
the canal can be moved 10y steam power.
Our canals have a capacity equal fo double the
tonnage which has ever been transported through them
In single season ami they cOud be proftably en-
plOycd, less taan cost by rail, in transporting
the combined tonnage Of railways and canals which IA
usually mOvedhurng the navigable season. Our state
then would still be able to hold Its share OF the Western
trade though her railroads should decline all hus
ness which would not yield compensating rates for
transportation.
What then is the motive for this incessant warfare
against a route which brought wealth. prosperity
and distinction the State and the perpetuauon OF
which confesscdly essential in order 10 retain the
large and steadily incre, sing trade OF the Wcsti
The canals are placed IN awkward md peculiar po
siion. BY the law OF the State thty must be
supporting and moneys can be expended thereon
IN excess of the tolls LEVIED Tor tner use ana n their
earnings from any cause should he insult icni
10 maiutain thom, serious break should
occur requiring expenditures in excess OF income,
they must closed. This law cannot be repealed nor
amended except by a tedious process requiring from
three 10 four years TO accompnshit Railway manager
are well aware of these facts and know that, thong
they hight be successful In effort TO prevent
amendment of the Constitution. they can dcprcss
business during the navgable TO make It too
improbable TO encourage the building OF canal boats
and vessels and IN that way they gradually Gissi
pate the equipments OF the water route aud by sys-
tematic Efforts diminish the revenues OF the
canals as TO prevent a possibility OF maintaining them.
al al n "a
a loss during the navIgable season, lyt Il could
easily be recovered after the suspension Of navi-
cation by exorouae freight charges on through tTai
nc and unjust Determinations on their local busn ss
during the entire year Whether 1t be the premedtated
design or not the Of our railways Tor the
ast fe years that there Is great danger
II viii eventually terminate. If not corrected In the de
cay OF and canal craft and the total disuse OF our
canals for Of means and equipment 10 operate
them.
| The committee, which appointed for the purpose
by the legislature has thoroughly investigated the
operatiops and management OF the railways OF this
| Slate and some Of the evidence obtained
| by 1t, If correctly reported, shows that con
tracts have made with parties in tins State without
reference to csnpensatiOn, ana upon the arbitrary
co1diliun that tpey SHOULD sup nothing by the canal
their doors ana in some cases ireignts
were from Others who were beyond tine reach OF
canal compeitio9 on, OF az reasonable prop9rton ,or
charged TO and from points a Thousand miles inland.
| During the mouths ~ May and June last, public
opened MAY g. all rail rates Chicago to New-York
were reduced 10 point lower Than ever before known
specal contracts were made stated as low n II 20
per ton, three and sixienths cents per bushel for
wheat while the actual cost OF the carriage was prob
published rates por 10 me opening OF 9avisa'"n' or
| twenty-nne cents pcr bu-hel.
In DecemLer 1874. the Hon. s. II. Sweet. State En-
gineer ana Surveyor reported TO the Canal Boarc that
ot Syracuse upon the bcrIne side o. the canh between
wcsst aud corporation line the New-l ofk Contra
and nd. Railroad have taken possession OF
a Inc stale land the biue line and canal for
| branches and freignt-hOus embracing an urea OF
about 162690 square feet or Three and ihreequarter
acres ana that upon the east end of this encroach-
aDon. five hundred feet in length BY mcans OF
| this cncrOachmcnt. large quantities OF freight
company Ii thus appears that this cor
porton occupying aud empioyng me canal ia land, OF
Evidence might be multiplied to show that the
uess OF water route by methods too sys-
tematic to admit OF d belief that they are SIMPLY
the accidents OF healthy competition. Tine thods
longer present even the appearance OF competition;
but bear unmstkabe evidence that they are prompted
by spirit OF determiDed opposition 10 our water KAY.
and desire execute the threat few years ago.
-" at grass shonid be made grow In the prism OF the
canal"
CARED through tnis state moved heavy loss The
roads. II The railways should abandon this
test with The water roue, and decline an un-
profitable business. they wonld save tins loss,
roadbed ana equipment and consequently could afford
dead more justly with their local ana would
SION OF navigation than when compelled TO tax their
Winter traffic with the losses incurred In contest with
the canals.
INJUSTICE IN RAILWAY MANAGEMENT.
1t would not, any circumstances oe unreasona-
bic 70 require that freight shOnd be transported lo eli
zens OF this Stale upon favorable terms as for citizens
Of the Western States Wnen transported for
cents per busnel from Chicago t. New-York by
raiways Incorporated under the laws of this
state, thc roads should charge
rrcdncere shippers th's Snte higher rate for
shorter The same direction. In Justice tny
should cnoIgc less, but certainly they should 10
allowed 10 charge mufr. .
I only Object which the railroads in carry
ing frcight fourth Onelalf O actual cost n