Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-18
THE VALUE oF CANALS

Discussing the canal question in gen.
eral, as suggested by the proposition for
the Delaware and Raritan ship canal, the
New York Times takes doubtful view of
their necessity. Its argument is as fol-
lows:
The far-sighted and energetic men of
aeventy years ago who secured the building
of the canal cannot be overpraised by the
present generation of New Workers, but to
say that is very different thing from say
ing that the chief need of American traffic
to-day is more and better canals. That is n
proposition which challenges inquiry.
American traffic can, in general, be trusted
to supply its own needs, and If the first of
these were more canals, more canals would
have been built. As matter of fact, while
the mileage of our railroads has increased
nearly tenfold within the past quarter of q
century, the mileage of our canals, as Prof.
Haupt himself points out, has not increased,
for half a century. The railroads have
bought up many canals for the purpose of
suppressing them, and the Erie is the only
canal left which is really great factor in
the commerce of the country, while the
Erie is not operated on q commercial basis
but retained on political grounds as a check
upon the possible extortion OF the railroads.
This is equivalent to the assertion that
whatever is the present state of things is
the correct one, which as a basis of prin-
ciple is the most erroneous possible. 1t is
true that the canal system of the country,
antiquated at best, has died out. before the
spread of the railway system. The means
by which their extinction has been Sc
cured is limited at but not fully told in the
statement of the Times that ''the railroads
have bought up many canals for the pur-
pose of suppressing them" They have
not only done that but they have made the
process more certain wherever there was
water route, whose competition threat
ened to become factor by making their
business Improbable until they were sup
pressed, when the loss of the operation
was recuperated by enhanced rates. Add
to that the power of the railway interest
in both finance and politics and the ex-
tinction of the canal system, outside of
the Erie canal, is not an Impeachment of
the commercial value of canals.
Against that extinction is one important
fact The mode of transportation by
which the great staples of commerce can
be most cheaply moved is the best one for
commerce. The Erie Canal, notwith-
standing that it presents no better facili-
ties than when the railway system was in
its infancy, is living and constant de-
monstration that such freights can be
moved by water at half the cost of railroad
charges. Add to that the fact that the
cost of carrying anthracite coal to Phila-
delphia by water was cheaper thirtv-five
years ago than it is now by rail and the
economic fact is very clear The Times
says that the Erie Canal is retained only
on political grounds, which may serve to
explain the failure to make its facilities
advance with the times If during
the past forty years the Erie Canal
had been deepened to accommodate
lake going vessels, the expenditure would
not have been greater, in proportion to the
traffic, than the amounts spent in the
same period by its competitors, the trunk
lines, on additional tracks, steel rails and
other betterments.
On freights in which the element of time
is important, the canals could not compete
with the railways; although at present
river steamers are able TO meet them even
in that field. But for the movement of
the great quantities OF grain, metals and
ore which this country handles every year,
the experience alike of America and
Europe attest that improved water ways
have valuble. and if our capabilities are
to be fully improved, an indispensable,
commercial service.