New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-20
THE FUTURE OF THE CANALS
.r.1K WITH EX-GOVERNOR SEYMOUR

IrrrcA Dec l6.-GoVetnorS Seymour consented
- a., interview on Monday in relation TO the concurrent
out,or introduced IN the House OF Representatives. by
r~.,R ,iiscock OF New-York concerning tho canals
., osoiaton provides for tho appointment OF Joint
,,,,ec NJ i've members Of the House and three Sena
,rs 4, c,nfer with committee OF like power appointed
=, ,hs terislatnre Of NcwYcrk and with the Governor
~ other state officers In regard to the canals OF this
s,a aud - ascertain they are sufficient for the re-
,o,reuts OF Interstate commerce. or ~ they should bc
i,,~ai aud the probable cost Of enlargement The
u,,,tee IL als, to ascertain on what terms an con-
,,,,. the United states acquire title to the canals
~ Now yotk or any of them
,.,,rnor Sc, mour expressed his views the subject
A. Follows.
40. canal, read the resolution OF Mr.. Hseock with
rrrcl ido MT question his motives and do not s'ubt
Nj. ieplshr for the interests vt tho state o New York
b.,e IA ,et deal ~ hisnrv about the rnhlio works "
SOW Y,fk which ia not generally understood at ,his
,,,a when tho Erie canal WA built as NV father WA
,,s al tho commissioners heart very much about ts
h,s,, and tnss reit.nt 10 its construction although
tr,s,ets ,pune fhetr wsa opposition ih tho nnthern
and snaihrgn tpfs uf counties ~ New-Norh oie con
,IreiIen The people Nlag IA these sceiona feared "
rend ha an unsHceosaln enterprise, New Noh ar7
nned 60 other staes THAT were mlercaet N baihs nr
the prosperity of tho country. AMI I" '"hsro'H I" All Ia
bnldms tho canal They an refused ~ give nA any aH
distance Hat the state went on and hallt'h eanH''
which nat ony excited ~ that time grna, hie~sl Ia of
avn country, but European Governments seht over
aaents to evamno the work snd 10 report upon 't value
II. success exceeded tho expectations OF liza warmet
friends.
Iater In life | was a member OF the Legislature OF
York and at ono tune chairman OF the Cana Com
mtee Al this time the subject OF the public works was
rery earnestly discussed not only In tho Legislature out
u the public press. Tho state officers. who were very
ALE men, were OF them opposed 10 the enlargement
Mr. nagg prominent ut that time In AFFAIRS
Of our state bcsve that the tonnage OF the canal would
FALL of because lumber of the largest ARTICLES
carried and rapidly cutting on the pine an"
other trees that furnished lumber comoatted These
views to The of my ability The rasat Is that AZ tAis
iay the lumber carried upon our canals Is ABOUT -FOUR
times As much a. whca 1t predicted that the
quantity would soon fall oh
CANALS AND RAILROADS MUTUALLY DEPENDENT
81 have no hostility To railroads On the contrary
was director in OF the roads which now make up
the Central Many OF the links which compose this road
were not allowed by their charter to carry any freight
unless they paid to the state the same toiis tDat "o"
have bceu charged freight had been carried UPON
the canal cAerted myself 20 have That law repeaed'
for believe II restraint upon omlerce NAV was
hurtf Ia the Of my Official life have been aoe
10 render services TO the railroads whcn did with great
pleasure because those services added To their ueln
ness The reason why this subject has hot been ecnor-
ally understood is that railroads and canals have Deen
lookeI upon merely competing Does or transpJrta
ton IL is rae that they d. compete In many respects
but in other ways they contribute TO the business OF each
other the hundred principal towns In the United
States nearly all are both railway aud water routes
Some of them have been made prosperous by water
powers or other oauses but the rule Is that they owe
their prosperity water routes. Regarding ra'lr"diS
and canals merely competing routes many persons
have concluded that tho days OF the usefulness oil the
canal have passed away; while in fact the Erie Canal
has never been such advantage 10 our state anu oOun
try as during past eight ten years NcwYcrk Was
at no time as much by the Erie Canal when 1t
was only route OF commerce ~ II Is at TINS day Up
To $40 the toll upon a hundredweght or grain from
Buffalo to New-YOrk 10 cents Under thiS rate OF
toll boatmen could carry from Buffalo TO New
York except a charge OF from II to l6 cents. The
rates of toll we're gradually cut down TO nominal sum-
aud then the canals were made free.
THE STIMULATION OF COMMERCE.
The statements OF our made to the general
Govern nent by Mr. Nimmo teach ia truths that should
be understood By every citizen From 1865 to 1878 the
balance trade against this country was $SOOOOOO0o
The result was great embarrassment and disastrous fail
ures 1876 the reduction OF canal tolls and the conse
auent reduction railroad reights turned the balance
OF trade favor that In eight years from 1875 10
1888 the balance OF trade in our favor more than
81 800 100000 This change brought about Ivy cut
ting down the cost OF canal transportation AMI the re
inctons were followed by the railroads with the follow"
ing result The cost of carrying bushe OF grain from
Chicago by lake AMI canal in 1863 was more than 20
cents all rail 10 than i2 cents In leS2 the
n
lake ami cina was between and cents; by All raj 10
was ,h,1t IA cents These reductions enabled us to ex
pom gpt sr i nro!rerty Ne%-yorks share Of tnis
favorable balance q trate in proportion 10 it, poppa
BE who9 benefit g ne s'ats for III t1 he FAN 1v D w
state nf Nrv Intk were benefited ~ their prosperity
~ IS trer the canal IN repair has cnst Only nbnnt
sg.Yoog sgar AZ Fa ago ,s 81 a.Srss sur pos
j. UnHf nnepse value, gteaei isah etet hrte,olnje
~ ftritn- AMI oretihg 'hr eos oi carrying 'hionRh
,iat vrt rn,,t &.
~ BnaResfb FEf ARafMsSf
STA. ess ,RES aafsas weAM ~ siaei W Nhsf@
iaS ,ls ea.st 40 ihit " wsNi ehpiraA EARRING "
g-lt yea Np W ila@iheH iAe sghs' hNt tAp eAhN NHSs
n, Ia usa asa the cheapest yasess lpF eafrI las tha
eaa 30 psut fheI ass smpiT lang slHAGe eptrs "'tA
a shadow ul = uuw and slegn. lunr huliehs as FNu
az as wiio as their dscss As iho wites vi tue eans'
always saloth they can 30 hunt very shi compared
with lake ur craft Whom p4iei, almost tho entire
weight IS made uP Of cargo
There are two great difficulties In the way o fur
ther enlargement In the first place, no supply OF water
can be obtained unless large portion OF II Is raised 80
that the waters would now III from Lake Ere. THIS
would only cost vast SUN, hut II would be attended
with great dangers AMI distractions As rule the
present caual Is above the of tho country On It's
northern side the land little distance fromIt amt
rarae with It is generally lower than the bottom Of the
canal. large share Of Utica Is lower thAn tue bottom
OF canal In order to drain the towns and VILLAGES
and the country through which the canal passes 1t Is
necessary make great number Of aguedacts euyerts
crease the pressure upon these. We have le1Uent
breaks hardly year passes without one or more "
The canal L. enlarged these would be more frequent ana
more sastron believe Mr. HlscUck is friend Of pub
lie improvements and think when lie looks INTO TINS
question will find that the plan Tor snip caha OF
sill more cDla rged canal f. a mis- AXE.
There another difficulty: The constant agitation or
nneson. about tue cana.s INSTEAD OF letting them alone,
does great mischief 1t makes an uncertainty III regard
70 them which binders people from engaging IA business
on them ard stops the building of boats. The railroads
the bottom Of much OF this agitation because they
rid Of the canals do not believe that TINS
IL Mr.. ui3cocks idea. however.
TIE ARGUMENT AGAINST GOVERNMENT CONTROL.
have great respect for the managers OF tho railroads
but the past that they have always charged
.l. IhLs a nne.tlnn