New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-15
THE CANALS AND THE LEGISLATURE.

THE CANALS AND THE LEGISLATURE
The canal question is certain to receive a
good deal of attention at Albany this winter.
but it is by no means clear now what sort of
canal measures will secure the sanction of the
Legislature. An act was passed at tho last
session providing for doubling the capacity OF
a number of the locks on the Erie and Oswego
canals. VIII the lawmakers Of 1887 indorse
this improvement polcyi Will they commit
the State to a scheme of general improvement
of these great artificial waterways !
1t is understood that the friends
of the canal system who held a
conference at Syracuse last STANDARDIZATION.
forwarders representatives of boards of trade
and othcrs-wiI urge the coming Legislature TO
provide for lengthening all the locks on the Erie
and the Oswcgo and for deepening the Erie
foot and half. The promoters of this I'M
portant measure argue that the canals have been
the chief feeders of the commercial supremacy
Of the State and that if they arc TO continue to
lie thus prominently serviccablc they must
be maintained in a condition Of the greatest
efficiency.
Opposed to these men are those who arc
willing TO have the canals improved but who
are unwilling to pay their own small share of
the resulting expense The Eric County Farm
ers Institute lately adopted resolution OPP
posing any further improvement Of the canals
by direct Stale tax until Congress shall be
called upon to reimburse the State for the out
lay Commenting upon this resolution The
Buffalo Commercial Advertiser" remarks that
"thcre is good reason TO believe that i'll this action
the farmers Of Eric County represent those OF
the entire State upon the proposition to tax
themselves for canal improvements The
Federal aid proposition which these Erie
County farmers and other Of our citizens favor
does not commend itself to those who have
carefully studied the canal problem. Horatio
Seymour was opposed to 1t. The Canal Con-
ference of 1885, over which Mr.. Seymour pre-
sided, was opposed to it, The Canal Confer
ence Of this year,was opposed to It, The siren
nous efforts made last winter to induce the
Legislature formally to approve of it failed.
Nevertheless, it is reported that the Weber
bill, which provides for Federal aid,
is to lie vigorously pushed in Con-
gross this winter, and doubtless the
Legislature will again be asked to pass a
resolution requesting our representatives at
Washington to vote for it. 1t is only far to
note that recent Republican State Conven-
ton inserted plank IN the platform which it
adopted declaring in favor Of "asl<ing the
National Government to defray the cost Of en-
larg.ng the locks and Of deepening the channel
of the Eric Canal while still preserving 1T under
State control"
There are no politics in the canal question,
so it may be hoped that the Legislature will
reach conclusion tbs winter which will give
New-Yorl1 a canal policy truly conservative
Of her best interests. 1t is generally agreed
that the canals need to be improved at once
if they arc TO continue to hold their own.
The disagreement relates to methods, no one
proposing to abandon them altogether. The
newspapers that are cndcavoring to array one
portion of the State against the other on the
question by talking Of "canal counties " and
"anti-cana counties" proceed upon an as
sumption as illogical as it is vicious and I'M
patriotic They might as well divide the State
into agricultural and anti-agricultural counties
or into urban and anti-urban counties. The
prosperity Of commonwealth is conditioned
upon the devotion of all its citizens to whatso-
ever makes for the common welfare. Gains
inquiry, cam | my brothers keeper 7" ex-
hititcd a spirit which for narrowncss and sell
fshness has its analogue in the query which
is now heard in certain quarters, 4" Shall the
anti-canal counties bc taxed for canal improve
ments Z"