New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-15
CANAL TRANSPORTATION.

CANAL TRANSPORTATION.
TESTIMONY BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITrEE-sUa-
GEsTIoNs AS no REDUCING CANAL TOLLS AND
RETAINING NETWORKS COMMERCE..
The Special Committee of the State Senate APP
pointed to report measures by which the business Of
the State canals may be increased and the cost of
in the room Of the Board Of Managers OF the Pro
duce Exchange, at No. 33 Pear-st. The committee
Forster and Murtha- 1t spent several hours in
hearing the testimony of men interested in canal
A. b. Miller, chairman of the Committee on
Canals of the Board of Trade and TRANSPORTATION,
submitted a written statement to the committee
He alluded to the war of rates between the trunk
railroad lines and said that whether 1t was waged
for the purpose of removing the competition OF the
business or for speculative purposes in connection
with stock operations the effect equally banefu
to those engaged in lake, river and canal transpor-
tation aud threatened in their bankruptcy seriously
to Imperil the public I'M erests by removing the
navigation. TO show that the State and city are
largely interested IN the maintenance Of water
m Mr. Miller read t as ne OF the
the ports of New York. Philadelphia Baltimore and
Boston. From this statement it appeared that the
total receipts at New-YO k after dedncting the
canal receipts in these five years, were l79,2o9.S57
bushels less than the aggregate receints OF the
has delivered at the City of New-York for the last
five years 1924 :742 bushels annually in excess
bushels annually in excess of the total receipts of
Baltimore. and 25,666, 463 bushels annual ly in
the snS he Erie canal
for the five years were o2,224.269 bushels
il Of the M e0spts of a1ps ss
that the canals were of vast value In controlling
the rates of the railway lines and in support of his
blanchard. of the Erie Railway before the recent
Hepburn Committee of the Legislature. He sub
united the following suggestions of means to re-
duce the of canal transportation and to prevent
the diversion OF commerce from New-York:
fSrstThe canals should be made entirely free from
SecondTho rigid economy should be prac,iced in
maintenance in the hishes, state Of efficiency,
rdThe AUDITORS once in 0 at present sn6u an
abolished being and the duties of the
Forth-The removal of the weigh locks and all piers
other that erected in the prism Of
fNThc deepening Of the canals two feet as recon-
Sirh-The adoption of improved vertical aud outward
the locks be1argey increased without any extension
of the existing walls It is snggesied that tai be
| applied to all with the least possible delay.
+. r.. Lvermore declared himself in favor of abel.
ishing the canal tolls because the grain trade was
New Orleans. BOSTON and Montreal. He called
attention to the fact that the Mississippi route was
becoming strong competition, and that the old
objections of the gram being impaired by over heat
ing were no longer valid. He insisted that unless
| the grain business was saved to New York by the
| abolition of tolls. real estate in this city would
taxes would be thrown upon rhe country districts.
| He thought that free canals would at once double
| the receipts of grain at Ncw-York.
A. II. Gray called attention to the danger which
| lay in the fact that Newly Orll capital was gong
South for protection, and said that the elevator
capacity OF Ncw-Orleans had doubled within the
last year. BY making the canals free the wealth of
| New-York would be increased more than twenty
| times the cost of maintaining canals
II. II. Laimbeer, Edward AMMAN; II. O. Armour
| aud H. c. Smith. president of the Canal Boat
| Owners Association also testified. MIR. Smith
urged that the canals he deepcned two feet. and
that the Office of Canal Auditor be abolished and
| The locks at Utica he removed. The committee
| will hear further evidence to-day.