The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-06-03
CEDING THE CANAL.

uc pCODlC VI llIlIlOlS WALL Dc tdlltu upOu
next fall to vote upon the question of ceding
the Illinois & Michigan canal to the general
government on condition of its enlargement
to a ship canal, in accordance with the provis.
ions of an act of the late special session OF the
Illinois legislature The cession becomes nee
essary because, of course, the general govern
ment would have no power to enlarge the ca
nal while it remained the property and under
the control Of the state. But, 1t may be urged,
if the enlargement. of the canal is a protita-
bic thing to do, why not let the state do the
work itself, retain the property and reap the
profits? Because, IN the sense Of money-mak.
ing, the job in itself is not profitable one.
As an institution to yield a revenue a ship ca
nal, no more than the present mule canal, will
ever be profitable. The money advantage to
be derived from it is looked for in very differ,
ent direction. The object, in word, is, by
means of the proposed ship canal as well rs
the lIennepln canal, to open a grand water
route from the great west and northwest to the
east that shall serve as-not a rlval-but regu-
IdtOI VI iulii DhuS luIIl lbi Col
rying freights 1t Is to give not only the north.
west but the entire tier of states north of the
OHIO river line from Dakota to New York the
same advantage of a regulator that Is now en-.
joyed by the producers along the Illinois riv-
er and Illinois canal, and along the Erie canal
and the Hudson There is no need to go into
extended statistics to show what this means.
1t Is sufficient to state that while producers
living within striking distance of the Illinois
river and canal can send their corn, wheat,
oats, &c, to market for from 3 to cents per
bushel Others, living as near the market but out
OF the reach of the river and canal pay double
and often quadruple those rates. Dakota Mime
sofa, Nebraska Iowa, &c, instead Of paying
90 cents bushel to have their grain carried
to the seacoast would pay 10 cents, and of
course the whole country to the seashore would
share by getting cheaper breadstutts, IN the
profit of the lower rates.
1t would not necessarily follow, however, be-
cause the proposed water route could carry at
these lower rates, that 1t would therefore do
VIC carrying DuSlueso' luc cuCCt Wouiu Sill
ply be to bring down the railroad rates to ap-
proxlmate figures, 80 that, while the canals
would make no money, and the railroads
would make less, the profit would rebound to
the producers at the west who would get bet
ter prices, as well as to the consumers at the
east who would get cheaper food. 1t Is from
this fact, therefore, because the profits are so
indirect, yet so vast and substantial and spread
over so wide an expanse of the country, that
the work derives its claim of being eminenty
national and the expense of which the general
government can with the clearest justice be
asked to incur.
Illinois will lose nothing by ceding her canal
to the general government. The property at
present yields but few thousands year above
the expense OF running it. Yet 1t is worth
hundreds of thousands a year to the people
within reach OF it as a freight regulator. The
cession to the general government and enlarge
nent of the canal would greatly increase its
prohtableness to our people in the latter re-
gard, while in the former the loss would be
too insignificant to talk about. AS matter OF
sheer business common sense, therefore, the
whole state should vote unanimously AYE" on
the question Of the proposed cession.