Omaha daily bee., 1885-05-27
TIE NEW O CANALS.


We have received from the New York
board Of trade and transportation an In.
teresting statemen. regarding the busi-
ness Of the canals OF New York as com.
pared With that OF the rAllroa During
the season of navigation Of 1884, the
canals delivered at the port of New York
81, sol, 424 bushels of grain, aud the
railroads for the same period delivered
90, 049 ,020 bushels, or 9,462, 404 bushels
less than by canal, and while the tonnage
Of the canals, owing to the gener al de-
PRESTON throughout the country was
Goa, 568 tons less than the preceding
year, the tonnage of the New York trunk
lines fell short more than double that
amount.
The fact that these results were OBJ
tanned with canals upon which practically
no improvements have been made for
many years, while the railroads
have had everything which science
and ingenuity could furnish, is suggestive
of the great benefits TO the country which
may come from the improvement and Ok
tension OF our waterways. The New
York canals are not only a great benefit
to that state, but to the whole western
whest-growing country, for, In connec
ton with the great lakes, they furnish al
all water route from Duluth, Milwaukee,
| Chicago, Cleveland and Toledo to the
seaboard, thus affording a competing
transportation line to the railroads. The
benefits cannot be overestimated. The
waterways not only are the means of
~cheapening transportation, but they are
an important factor in the problem of
making rates stable, both on land and
water. Millions upon millions of dollars
and vast tracts of land have been donated
by tho government to the railroads, which
are In the hands of private parties,
and 1t does seem singular that canals,
especially those which are free public
highways, ore not more encouraged by
the government. The surplus could not
be more advantageously expended than
In the construction of a public system of
canals connecting the various navigable
rivers and lakes. But 30 long as the rail-
road lobby remains as rich and profitable
as 1t is to day there will be but little hope
of any great canal enterprise receiving
national aid to any considerable extent.
The canals of New York, which have
been made free highways, have worked
wonders for that state, and their influence
upon trade and transportation is
not by any means confined to local
limits. We are glad to see
that the interest In the canal system of
New York is net allowed to flag. Import
ant improvements have been proposed and
advocated by ex-State Engineer Horatio
Seymour, Jr., and ex-Comptroller Ira
Davenport and other state officers. 1t is
not too much to predict that with these
proposed improvements, calling for a
sum insignificant In comparison with that
already expended on the half. completed
new capitol building at Albany, a new
era of usefulness for the canals would
begin. the results of which would be
greater than anything that has been &C.
complished in the past. To obtain the
necessary funds from the state ought to
be a very easy matter, but we suppose
that the main obstacle to overcome
Is the opposition of the railways. How
ever, meetings ara to be called through
out the state to form sn organization to
be known as "The union for the improve
ment of the canals of the state of New
York" the object, of course, being to &C.
cure the necessary appropriations from
the Legislature. The parties having the
matter in hand are proceeding systemati-
cally and theoretically, and probably will
succeed.