New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-12
NETWORK AND THE CANALS.

The S9mOOOO which the people have Just
voted for the enlargement of the canals OF the
State If properly spent. is likely to be OF CON
siderable benefit TO the boatmen and indirectly
to the city Of New-York. That the canals should
be improved and made to contribute more large
" 10 the prosperity Of the State and city IMAM
they have done in recent years there can be no
doubt 1t has been questioned whether small
enforcement which will not bring New-lork
and the West into direct relations without trans
shipment. but only enable slightly larger loads
10 be carried I'm boats of the present pattern,
will not be done AT an expense incOmmenslirate
with the benefit The taxpayers. however. have
decided TO incur the burden and signited their
willingness TO intrlst the enlargement 10 the
SUPERINTENDENT Of Public Works. with such pro-
tcction against waste as is given by the require
mcnt that every thing be done under contracts
with the lowest bidders for different classes and
sections Of III" work.
We are not TO have Il ship canal, nor even
11-foot waterway such as Chicago hopes to
make usc of as an outlet TO New-Orlcans, but
we are promised canal so deepencd as TO in
crease the carrying capacity of the present boats
about % per cent with little or no increase Of
cast to thc carrier. The limit OF draught In the
Erie Canal is now & fcet 1t and the Oswego
Canal will be deepencd to feet wherever prac-
ticabe without removing existing stone struct-
urcs. and in all cases made to give clear
draught of s feet This will allow the boats
fully Il inches deeper immersion, and enable
them TO carry 300 tons of freight instead of
24o tons. 1t is planned by lengthening the
locks To make possible boats carrying over $50
tons. Improved locks will also considerably in
,ritl l,i..l, trnfi flo. 1p
handled. and the deeper water will make rapid
movement by steam or electricity more eco
nomical because of the reduction of the fric-
ton. Canal men calculate that these changes
will make possible reduction OF one cent
bushel Oh wheat charges from Buffalo TO New
York from the normal rate. That may be said
to be about 49, cents per bushel. In the ten
wears following the abolition Of canal tolls 1t
averaged 4.3 cents, but in 1892 it was "a cents.
and though up to 4.G cents in 1893 fell last
year To 313 cents and ut one time this year to
10 cents At the lasr-named figure there is
certainly no profit to the bOatmen. But per
haps or 81. cents will suffice To support them
Whether they can continue long TO compete
with the railroads at that rate is possibly open
to doubt The railroads at times have come
down to 3 cents and in competition with the
canals under the present conditions have stead
ily Increased their business. More than half Of
the grain that came to NewYork IN 1893 arrived
by rail, and the percentage Of New-York's ex-
port trade in grain has shr,nk considerably in
twenty years. owing 10 the competition Of lines
TO other cities with our combined railroad and
canal service. From handling over % per cent
Of the combined wheat and corn exports we have
come to handle only about 30 per cent The
tonnage Of the Erie Canal is less than half what
IL was in 1880 when tolls were still charged
and last year 1t was the smallest In thirty-hve