National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-03-29
THE uENNEpIN CANAL.
Astonishing Figures Specially Interest
ing to New England, New York, and
Transatlantic.

Ing to New England, New York, and
Pennsylvania.
Nimmo's report on internal commerce OF
the United States for 1880, page "a, shows
tho cereal receipts in bushels at and exports
from the cities Of Boston, New York, and
Philadelphia as follows, viz:
Receipts. Exports.
BHoston".y'.'' ,5I0gl,0l lSlg.23W
New York .....".... ."...... l6igi2i2j l326j6lW
Philadelphia ...".".",,.. ig,l02,6sS 3ljO9i6j
Subtracting the exports from the receipts
OF each OF these cities, the balance will show
what was retained In each for home con-
sumption, as follows, viz: OmittiDg small
fractions, Boston retained i9,0O0,0O0 bush
els, New York retained 32,000,00O bushels,
and Philadelphia retained 1I5O0,OO0 BUSH
els. Suppose one.half Of the above cereals
came from sections receiving the benefits OF
all-water transport-that Is, in case the
Hennepin canal was built connecting the
Misslssippiwlt the great lakes (which sup
posed amount no candid man having in
vestigated the facts will question: land
suppose, further, that four ~ cents per
bushel would be saved ON this half by an
all.water route from 81. Paul and all Inter
mediate points on the Mississippi and west
of that river as far south as Kookuk 10 Chi.
cago Ito prevent cavil the saving ia put two
(2) cents lower per bushol than any estimate
heretofore made), the exhibit would be as
follows, viz:
Boston, one.half OF nineteen million
bushels is nine and onehalf millions;
four cents az per bushel saved on this
number of bushels would amount TO three
hundred and eighty thousand dollars $780,
000) New York, one-half Of thirty.two
million bushels is sixteen millions; four tI)
cents per bushel saved on this amount
would be six hundred and forty thousand
t$640, 000) dollars.
Philadelphia, one-half OF seventeen and
one-half millions bushels would DO eight
millions seven hundred and fifty thousand
(S,T50, 0O0); four az cents per bushel gained
on this amount would he three hundred and
Fifty thousand (S350,O0O) dollars. Now,
should the government issue three (3) per
cent. interest bonds to the amount OF niuc
million dollars $4,000, 000), u little more
than the United States engineers estimate
Of cost Of construction OF the Hennepln
and the enlargement Of the Illinois and
Michigan canal, the annual int crest would
be two hundred and seventy thousand
($210,0G0) dollars.
Thus II appears that the saving on what
was retained In Boston for home consump-
ton, In Boston and vicinity, would amount
annually to one hundred and ten thousand
(Sl10,000) dollars, more than enough to pay
the annual interest on cost Of all the i'm
provements contemplated.
The same reasoning shows that New York
could pay interest on cost OF said improve
ments from the saving OF what was retained
for home consumption In the city OF New
York and vicinity, and save three hundred
| and seventy thousand 1870, 000) dollars by so
| doing. And the same reasoning also shows
that Pennsylvania could pay annual inter
| est on entire cost of construction Of said
improvements, or two hundred and seventy
thousand ($270, 000) dollars, and save eighty
thousand ($sO,OOO) dollars annually by so
| doing.
The foregoing does not state more than
half the saving that would accrue TO each
Of the states named. Every business man
knows that shipments Of grain from the
west to Pittslleld, Springfield, Worcester,
Lowell, Lawrence, and numerous other
cities and towns in Massachusetts, do not
go to Boston at all, but directly to those
cities and towns.
Neither does the grain from the west
shipped to the many cities and towns west
Of New York city go to the city OF New
York, but directly to those cities and towns.
There is no extravaganza therefore in the
supposition that the amount Of grain from
the west consumed in Massachusetts,, west
Of Boston, and in New York, west
of the city of New York, equals, the
quantity retained in those cities for home
consumption in those cities and their imme.
diate neighborhoods respectively This
granted, the showing would be that Massa
ehusetts could pay annual interest on cost
of said improvements and save four hun
dred and ninety thousand (S490,0 00) annu
ally; and New York state could pay interes
on cost of said improvements and save ont
million and ten thousand Isl, 0l0, 000) dol
lars annually. The other New England
states are as much interested as Massachu
sets, New York, and Pennsylvania II
supplying the missing link 1.-THE HenLepir
canal) to connect the Mississippi river with
the great lakes.
Is 1t surprising that the national board OF
trade, the New York produce exchange, thu
New York board of trade and transporta
ton, the Buffalo board Of trade, and nu
merous other boards oil trade and conven
lions in various parts Of the country, ant
that the legislatures Of New York
Illinois, and Iowa should have 81
unanimously passed resolutions call
ing upon Congress to make the neces
sary appropriations for the construction o
these much needed improvements Is 1
any wonder that the Knights of Labor ar
now flooding Congress with petitions for Al
appropriation to commence the construction
of the Hennepin canal, the only missin!
link to complete waterway from the Mis-
sissippi to the seaboard9 j. @. DoRE.
|
| MADAME ]. p. PALMER. 1107 + street north
I llp NJ Inn In nm 10 an