New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-21
week. But II 1T does not propose to ieglS'a'e
inrelligently, it may as we'll eat II Christmas
dinner and get the good OF it.
TILL CIN4L PROBLEM.

THE CdNAL PROBLEM.
During the late campaign the question oil 'ho
precise significance of the work oil the Legis-
lature on the Free Canal Amendments was uuch
discussed The contention arose from the fact
that after adopting resolutions amending oeo-
tions 3. 8 and of Article VII OF the Cons'i."-
tion. the careless Lawmakers OF last wInuer
nro, ided that the ballot to be used the elec-
TORS in ratifying or rejecting the amendments
sbould he entitled @For Tor againsD the pro-
nosed amendment to Section 3, Article VII OF
tbe Constitutions" thus limiting the popular
vote to one of the three amendments ms
stnnid and inexcusabe blunder afforded great
comfort to the opponents of free canals, since
they believed that its effect was practically 10
bring the amendments to naught. On election
day a large majority of the votes were cast III
strict accordance with the Legislative provision,
for or against Section of Article VII. NO
votes were cast separately for or against either
Section 5 or Section 6, but many votes were
cast for or against the three amendments con-
sdered as one proposition. 1t was rather
mixed result, hut the Attorney General IN re-
Spouse to a request from the Secretary Oh
State, has decided that the constitutions
scheme proposed by the amendments was uuS
adopted by tho electors OF the state ~ tuo
November election.
So the free canal step may be regarded as
token What is the next step toward the s0lu-
ton of the great canal problem Opinions
differ. some saying that the canal debt must
now be Maid of. others that the consideration
of the debt can safely be postponed until the
people have passed upon the great proposition
TO enlarge the canals. The canal debt I'M
provided for at the close of tie last fiscal year
was Sc. 56O,379 43. Section of Article VII
of the Constitution, as just amended, leaves IL
Optional with the Legislature either to con-
tinue to provide for the interest on this debt or
to impose for the fiscal year beginning on the
LIST of October, 1888, State tax sufficient To
discharge the entire debt, principal and inter-
est. Those who are IN favor OF paying the deDt
argue that 1t would cost several million dollars
to enlarge the canals, and that prudence sug-
oests that il would be well to be of with the
old debt before being on with the new one.
To this the advocates of the enlargement policy
reply that since the EIie Canal has paid into
the State Treasury over $42 000, 1000 above all
the cost of construction, superintendent ana
repairs, the State eau well afford to enlarge 1t
without stopping to take thought OF the canal
debt. 1t is to be noted that there are several
enlargement propositions. The special COM
mittee appointed by the Senate OF 1881 to SIT
during the recess in order to consider the more
important phases of the canal problem pre-
sented q report to the last Legislature contain
inga recommendation that the State at once
take steps to furnish an increased depth of
water in the Erie and OswegO canals. The
committee suggested that the increased depth
could be secured by eXcavating those canals
"one foot in depth from the bottom and with
I" the earth taken therefrOm raising the walls
zone foot, thereby giving two feet greater
"depth of water" This suggestion has many
ardent supporters in Buflalo-which Is to be
regarded as the headquarters of the canal eX-
perts of the State. 1t is, however, opposed by
a powerful element in that city which argues,
through The Courier, that there many
places along the line from Buffalo to Albany
where the addition of another foot to the bank
and two feet of water TO the canal channel
would result III the breaking away OF the en-
bankment. Assemblyman Hickman last winter
introduced a bill which provided Tor still
more radical change in the canal. He pro-
posed to dispense with the present locks and
build new set, % feet wide and 236 feet long,
with sufficient height of walls for ten feet depth
of water. Still another enlargement plan pro-
yides for nine feet of water in the channel and
! for one tier of locks double the length OF the
present ones. Taking issue with those who
| favor any of these plans, that great authority
on canal matters, HoratIo Seymour. says:
| There are two ways of enlaTging. our canals,
- one by giving more depth of water, the other
by gaining speed for our boats, which | think
is the true way. If boats can run with their
present capacity three miles per hour, ms tead
" of an average of one and half. it will make
| "a marvellous change. 1t will not only double
" the capacity of the canals, but it will bring
| back to them much OF their former COM
| merce"
The Legislature of 1888 will not only be
called upon to consider these TWO important
questions of canal debt and canal enlargement,
but to provide for canal retrenchment No
inconsiderable portion of the sum that win be
required to maintain the canals under the new
policy can be saved by destroying Offices that
| have outllved their usefulness. The Auditors
Office, the Canal Appraisers Office the Resident
] Engineers office, the Collectors office, and
; perhaps some others, could be abolished with
out detriment to the public interests. The
coming lawmakers will have a great oppor-
] tunity to render the State a signal service in
respect to the canals. Let us hope they have
| the brains and the dispositions to make the
most of it.
| CHRISTMAS CHARITY.