Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-31
MONEY FOR CANALS
Wanted From Congress, for Which
the Shippers of the Country
Would Be Grateful.
HOW FREIGHT RATES COME DOWN
When the Waterways Are Enabled to Com
pete With the Great Rail-
roads of the Land.
G0NI TRTFrESTTNG INEApn lTIAN
HOW FREIGHT RATES COME DOWN
SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION
AddGced at a Hearing Before the Senate and House
Committees Yesterday.

WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. SO.-A dele.
cation of representatives OF the Deep
Waterway Convention, held in Detroit in
December last, WAS given a hearing TO-DAY
before the House Committee on Rivers and
Harbors and the Senate Committee on Com
merce in Joint session, these committees
having IN charge the preparation Of the reg
ular river and harbor appropriation bill.
The purpose of the delegation was TO urge
the construction and maintenance of a 81
foot channel from the head of Lake Supe-
rior through the various connecting links
between the great lakes and through the
E-e Canal TO the sea.
George H. Ely, of Cleveland, O., opened
proceedings with the reading of published
memorial of the convention on the subject.
Senator FRYE interrupted the reading and
said: "Nou people in the Northwest are will
ing to admit that we did ample Justice to
ycu last Congress, in providing for the i'm
Trovement of St Mary's river, and authoriz-
ing the engineers to make contracts for COM
rlction Of the work"
Liberal Policy Wanted.
Mr Ely-We are entirely satisfied with
the actions of both committees on the last
river and harbor bill, and ask that the same
policy adopted then as to ST. Marv's river
shall be adopted now in respect to the con-
Meeting channels of the lakes.
General Poe, the army engineer, in
answer to an inquiry said the original esti-
lgste for the improvement of ST. Mary's
river was $1,000, 600. Subsequently it had
been increased to IS, 1O0, 600, but he was
able now TO state that by adopting the con-
tract system the work would be completed
within the amount of the original estimate
Senator Frve-We saved 81 900. 900 there
and we save l,0O0,0 600 in Philadelphia by
tie came system.
Mr. Ely said the principal object was to
secure authorization of contracts for 21 feet
Of water from Duluth to Buffalo The esti-
mated cost was only So. S94, 900. 1t would
take four TO six years to do the work, and
the cost would rnn through that period.
There were six places at which improve
meats were necessary, viz: Round and at
the head OF ST. Mary's river, Sailors En-
campment, ST. Clair fats, the mouth of the
Detroit river, and at the loot of Lake
Huron. The work was all mud dredging
The work on the 500 Canal would be COM
pleted in the spring OF 1896, and the ques-
ton was: Should that Improvement be con-
IaEUed through all the connecting links, SO
as to give p feet throughout?
Mater Rates Great Economizers.
The effect of water rates over the lakes
was 10 greatly reduce railway rates through
oul the country. The average cost of trans
portation rom Duluth to Buffalo by water.
a distance of 500 miles, was l $40 mills per
ton per mile, against an average of 9 mills
on all the railways and the lowest rate on
I no. NN~.n il or
per mile. An additional depth of water
would still further greatly reduce the water
rate.
:. A Thompson, Secretary of the Duluth
Chamber Of Commerce, then had the a.:en-
ton OF the committee for an hour. He was
thorough master of his subject, and the
committee soon realized it, Horatio Sew
mour, Mr.. Thompson said, had stated that
economy Of transportation was one of the
fundamental elements in the prosperity of
any State Some 10 or - wears ago two
railway presidents meeting, one of them
s1ld 10 the other that the railways had run
Ihe canal and rlvtr boats out ofthe business,
aud that soon the lake steamers would 90
lie same way and leave the TRANSPORTATION
business TO the railways. Since
tHGL time railways had reduced the
rake OF transportation of a bushel of
wheat from Chicago to New York from 10
cents 20 IA cents, the water rate had been
reduced from % cents 10 55-1OO cents.
] ne rate on the Erie Canal was about 30
1hllls per mile. The average railway rate
was AZ mills, and the actual cost on the
Lake Shore was 4 mills, and the Grand
Trunk . mills. On the best operated of ali
canals by a system Of steam towage, tie
canal cost had been reduced to Lode per
1Aile, including return of empty cars. From
Duluth to Buffalo 81 on the lakes would do