New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-07
PART III.
PAGES II TO IS.
THE MANCHESTER CANAL.
,rscA1cuLATED AND UNPROFITABLh
p1-BLIC WORK-A BURDEN CARRIED
BY TAXPAYERS.
Manchester. September 20

q, Manchester II was for the sake vi ""'''''''e
obaap food that the agitation against the corn
laws was organized: and the free trade move
,oeut was justified the ground that II "oulu
cheapen manufactures and thereby promote '"e
welfare OF mankind. The same motive INSPIRED
the project for the ship canal whlch mas COLI
verted this inland town into port IL was con-
tended that II railway transportation TO anu
from the Mersey could be avoided anu lre'sh'
could be handled once instead or twice corn anu
provisions would be cheapened' IA" Co'loH WOULD
he a shade lower and manufactured GOODS would
~ shi,,ed 70 the markets Of the world without
unnecessary additions TO the cost OF production
WITHIN radius Of thirty miles from the Town
VAL three-fourths Of the cotton manufactures
zero centred. and there We're 100000 mouths to
"a A canal would enable ships To bring corn,
hacon and cotton to the wharves Of Manchester
I'd 70 take out the manufactured goods without
-orvav tolls and transshipmenL These were
.rg,,nrents as plausible as any plea ever advanced
~ NJ do Lesseps for the construction OF the
~, Canal English investors listened to
-, a. cresilously as the French peasantry had
80 before them. Their money was sunk in an
.-ternrise which ought never 10 have been begun
Tho Manchester Canal was rescued by the
rr,r,n Council from bankruptcy and failure The
work was undertaken by private corporation
-, Tho strength Of an engineering estimate that
,be cost would not exceed S25oo0o00 1t was not
until the company had practically expended So
sol 600 and exhausted its borrowing powers that
,be Town Council interviewed and finished the
,,t-e-vsv as municipal work The canal was
.h,,,. +v-o-th.rls done when the city agreed to
borav SO 500 GOO on the security Of the taxes. 50
A. 70 prevent the collapse Of the project 50 the
canal has cost altogether about S75.oo0.Oo0, or
three times as much the original estimate Of
the engineers whose incapaciiy as practical cal
culators was as conspicuous as the reckless in
competence u the French engineers at Panama
The surplus wealth OF the rich and the savings OF
the poor had been invested in the enterprise, and
the reputation and local pride Of the town were
also at stake II was with the hearty approval Of
all classes that the corporation assumed the re-
sponsibllity OF completing the work
DISAPPOINTED HOPES.
The projectors Of the canal promised the people
OF Manchester great reduction in the transporta-
ton charges for freight This result has been ac-
complished. but mainly in consequence Of the
action OF The railway companies and the improve
ment Of terminal facilities at Liverpool. 1t no
longer costs as much TO move cargo Of cotton
from Liverpool 10 Manchester as to ship it across
the Atlantic from Galveston. New-Oreans or
Savannah. The Liverpool shippers and the rail-
way companies have cheapened transportation
and improved their facilities for handling freight
10 and from Manchester n this way the compeu-
ton OF the cana for the freight business has been
Of practical benefit 10 the industries ~ the town
but in every other respect the project mas been
failure. The receipts from the canal
traffic have been inadequate for paying operating
expenses and the interest charges. The cost Of
maintenanca has largely exceeded the estimates
and dredging is carried on almost continuously.
The investors are getting returns for either
their preferred or their common stock. and the
Town Council has been compelled TO remit one
half of the interest due on the mortgage debt
There was an increase II 800 5s9 tons in the traffic
during the first eight months OF this year and this
was equivalent TO gain OF sl36o55 in the total re
ceipts; but while the local press has derived con-
ISOLATION from these returns. there IS only vague
and nlusory prospect Of ultimate financial success.
The original outlay was too great. The cost of
maintenance is TOO heavy The difficulty OF in
ducing commerce 10 run by Liverpool into this
new channel seems 70 be insuperable.
As an abstract proposition. the utility Of the
cana seemed O. require no demonstration. There
were millions % workers in Lancashire 10 be fed
with corn and pork from america. there were
millions Of bales of cotton needed for tie fac
tories OF Manchester. Stafford and oldham. and
there Were hundreds OF thousands # tons % man
usactured goods 10 be shipped TO the markets If
the world. The construction OF the canal would
convert Manchester into port and diminish the
heavy railway tolls 20 and from the coast. The
projectors found it the simplest thing in the world
70 prove these assertions by statistics. There
were the raw cotton and the food products to be
brought in, and the manufactured goods TO be car
Il lo
munerat,ve enterprise, But when the waterway
was opened. only small coasting vessels made use
Of IT, Neither the cotton ships nor the grain fleet
from America came in. Liverpool, with its ware
houses terminal facilities and mercantile prestige,
was invincible
A WELL-BUILT WATERWAY.
The canal itself IS a well-constructed work. is
a little over 35 miles long. is 172 feet wide and
has a depth q 26 feet The locks are Of great
size. and are wei built and rapidly operated.
There are immense docks Oh both the Manchester
and the Stafford sides. where the largest ocean
freight steamers can be loaded or unloaded The
canal is unfinished In many sections. where the
banks need 10 be lined up with masonry and it
lacks the thoroughness o. engineering scierce for
which the Kie Canal is conspicuous but it is a
substantial work and provides facilities for the
to and from the 4rarchester docks TIE canal
has been excavated a. tremendous cost, but Man
chester is a port only in name. II has coasting
trade which employs Il feet Of small steamers.
But great ships loaded with cotton and wheat
seldom enter it. and manufactured goods are
rarely dispatched directly for GINA. India. Aus
trsIia and America. The strongest Inducements
have been offered in vain. both 10 shippers and
T,ara 70 no cha gas for Sims dues
for vessels loading and unloading Al Manchester;
the tolls ere on cargo alone; tugs are furnished
without extra expense and steamers have moth
ing 10 pay except p.iotage ard steved )rng tolls.
and even the p0tage is not compulsory The
local press has made the most urgent appeals
20 the merchants and manufacturers 10 use the