Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-12
THE COST OF CANALS.
Successful Plans for Paying for the
Work of Construction.
EXAMPLE OF RUSSIA AND FRANCE.
GOderate Tolls Repay the Government in
Reasonable Time
LAKE ERIE AND OHIO RIVER PROJECT
WRITTEN FOR THE p1sp ArcH.I

INC buDJecI Oh ROVernmeuIdl COuGIVA Al GH0
construction, management, and the levying
of tolls on waterways, in the papers sub
mitted to the recent Paris international
Congress on inland navigation. Among
these papers that Of NJ. n. De Sytenko,
President of the Imperial Russian Commit
tee appointed in 1891 by the Polytechnic
Society to study questions relating to the
welfare of the waterways of Russia, is
worthy of careful study. The committee
includes in its membership the Ministers
of the Lines of Communication, Finances,
Interior, State Domains, as we'll as repre-
sentatives of the navigation companies and
various commercial organizations The
paper of NJ. De Sytenko is mostly taken
up with a discussion of the basis, or policy,
to be recommended to the government In
the Ievying of tolls upon the canals, etc.
undertaken by the State.
As q rule, heretofore, tolls on these canals
have not been more than one-half per cent
of the value of the merchandise,
Irrespective of distance traVersed,
which, while a very low rate, has
led to some curious anomalies for want OF q
proper classification. In reading the re-
port one cannot help being impressed with
the idea that the Russian Government has
not only been liberal in the past, but is de-
sirous of removing all the restrictions posi-
BILE to freedom of intercourse throughout
the Empire. Unfortunately. the Imperial
Government is hampered considerably by
restrictions imposed by certain ports and
communes which impose taxes on COM
merce. But it is likely these annoyances
will shortly be removed, judging from the
yigor of the movement now being directed
against them.
To Meet the Cost of the Works.
While the Russian Government recog-
uizes the desirabilIty of ultimately declar-
ing all her waterways absolutely free, as
some are even now, it seems to be quite gen.
erallv conceded that q toll system is de-
sirable to meet the cost of the works 1t is
felt that the Government will enter upon
more of these works when an equitable
system for its reimbursement is TO be ac-
cepted as the general policy, and In conse-
quence of this conviction not many foolish
or experimental projects are likely to be
proposed In Russia, as is partly the case
in Germany and France as well, the Gov
and thus we have the interesting and i'm
portant fact demonstrated that ownership
of railroads does not blind their owners to
the conclusion that for certain species OF
freights it is better to forego revenue upon
them, and to seek reimbursement through
the higher development of products made
possible by the cheap transportation OF
crude materials
1t would add greatly to the length of this
communication to quote the interesting con-
clusions of the Russian committee relating
to the adjustment of tolls on canals and
improved rivers, but the closing sentence,
intended to reiterate the general argument,
is IN these words: Navigation must never
have to pay but the remuneration for SER
vices rendered to it, and the sums paid by
it must only be spent for its benefit" This
for works undertaken and paid for by the
national Government
Speaking of canals and river improve
ments paying tor themselves the report
says:
Examples are also not wanting with US
of the beneficial influence caused by
specially employing the product of the tolls
to the amortization of the expenses incurred
for the Improvement of waterways Thus
on the Emperor Alexander IL Canal q toll
of one-half per cent of the value of mer-
chandise transported suficed from 1859 to
1886, that is to say in &c years, to recover
the cost OF the creation OF this canal estl-
mated at 20, 600, 900 francs The example of
the Dniester is still more striking. Naviga-
tion on this river was very difficult and the
transport of cereals forwarded to Odessa
took place by water, partly by rail, the cost
being 97.7 francs per ton.
Some Successful Experiments.
''In 1884 the State decided to grant an ad-
vance of /, 600, 600 francs for Improvement
works on this river, which was to be relm-
bursed by means Of the collection of toll
of l per cent of the value of merchandise
transported. Although the improvement
works are not completed, the traffic has in
creased in the space of four years from 80,
600 to 16O, 900 tons, the rate of carriage
of cereals falling at the same time to "a
francs per ton. The improvement works,
which, we repeat, are not yet finished, have
therefore procured an annual saving of
nearly four millions on the cost of trans
port to the region, that is to say, more than
2k times the sum devoted to the work.
One can understand that under these cir
cumstances the collection of the toll is an
easy matter, and that 1t is supported with
out impatience by those interested"
In the Paris Congress NJ. Sympher dis
cussing tolls and dues ON the navigable ways
OF OeTmduN, d COuntii Al nHlSn Gil bOlls
have been nearly abolished, has neverthe-
less this to saw in his fnal conclusions of
the whole subject.
ESWhen the finances of the State, al
though in a condition to support the ex-
peuse once made of building, are unable to
furnish an annual subsidy, the tolls shall
be fixed in q manner to cover the cost of
maintenance, and finally when the State
cannot undertake the construction of an ar
tificial navigable way unless able to collect
tolls sufficiently high to cover not only the
cost of maintenance, but also the interest on
the capital of first establishment, the col
lection of these tolls should be considered
as admissible and under certain circum-
stances as advisable"
As to the fact whether railroads and
canals cannot thrive together in the same
district.w take this extract from a paper of
NJ l. Couvreur, member of the Paris
Chamber of Commerce, at the Paris Con-
gress:
Conditions That Insure Prosperity.
1--WE have only to cite the Northern Rail-
road Company, of France, whose system of
lines is established in that part of the coun-
try which is the best furnished with naviga-
BILE wavs, and whose business is so prosper
ous that, alone, it has been able to do with
out the guaranteed interest provided by the
Government What makes the prosperity
of a railroad enterprise is the industrial
activity resulting from circumstances ia
yorable 10 cheap production. For the
larger kind of industry, these circum-
ttaDces are realized when fuel and raw
material are found on the same
point. This juxtaposition exists in certain
ao,,,t-ias. we ha We not got it in France Gem