Arizona republican., 1897-12-08
ABOUT WATERWAYS
Projects for a Passage From the
 Lakes to the Sea
BIGGER THAN NICARAGUA
Hope of Currency Reform Not Utterly Abandoned
Mir. McClsary Favors Retaining the Crsenbacks Without Maintaining the GreenbaCk PrinCip e. The Extent of Crok sr'S Ambito a.

Washington, Dec. 7.-Following Uncle Joe Cannon's declaration that he, as chairman of the house com mittee on appropriations, is opposed to any river and harbor legislation further than carrying on the contin- uous contracts now under way comes Congressman Powers of Vermont with a statement that amounts to a sensa- tion.
 MT. Powers declares that the New York delegation in congress proposes at this session to fight through the necessary legislation to start a $500,- 0O0, ,000 continuous contract for the construction of the deep waterway from the lakes to the sea by way of Oswego, the Mohawk valley and the Hudson river. MT. Powers, who is chairman of the Pacific railroads com mittee, was asked some questions upon railroad work when he blurted out:
 ''What's the use of talking about that? There is much more impor- hant legislation than that coming much more important, in fact, than the Nicaragua canal or any other in- dustrial proposition before the peo. ple.'
 Then he made the above deep wa terway statement.
 <But," he continued, 1.-the proposi- fn dio fhof York state is impracticable. I don't care if Dr. Angels commission did favor it, it is an impossibility because it will cost too much. Think of $500,- O00,0 0,0O0. That's five times what the Nicaragua canal is to cost. The only feasible route is the one by way of Lake Champlain and the Hudson river. That can be built for $1OO,- 100000 and of that sum Canada would contribute a very fair proportion. know this from conferences with va rlous public men of Canada this m mer. The canal going that way would run within a short distance of Montreal before turning towards Lake Champlain and would benefit Canada almost as much as to reach the sea by way of hhe Gulf of St. Lawrence. /"
 That route would bring the canal alongside of Vermont, wouldn't it?''
 Now start that cry. It would benefit Vermont, of course, but a ca- nal can be built that way, and it can not the other way. The northwest ern congressman understand it fully and they are with me. What they want in all these states, Minneso a. and the Dakotas, Wisconsin, Illinois Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, is a ca nal, not an irnpracticable scheme that cannot be completed for a couple ot generations. We can combine our strength and can force the Lake Champlain route through and it will be only short time until we ses ocean steamers loading at Detroit Chicago and Duluth for all DOTS ol the world. That's the common desire of all interested, and the only argu. ment to be offered against it is that it does no tpledge the United States to spend s5OO,000,OOO entirely in the state of New York. Go by way oi Lake Champlain and Canada will pay from one-quarter to one-half of the expense. Go by way of Oswego, N Y. and we pay it all, and won't have the job done in fifty years, if wt ever do.'
 The Post today prints the follow ing:
 @iMr. McCleary, student of finance who was prominently spoken of fo secretary of the treasury in McKin 1ey's cabinet, and member of tn, house committee on banking and cur re1cy, is interestd to see some reform from that quarter. q am not, how ever," said he, "indulging in grea expectations. Business men in tn northwest are against agitation of tn question, preferring that matter should stand just where they are fo the present."
 MT. McCleary said he had not take counsel with members of the com mittee, and did not know what the WOulu ldFOl, Uul HS IS inclined lieve that there would be no definit action in the house on finance or tn currency. He would favor the reten ton of greenbacks in the treasur when they had been paid for gold un til they were asked for again in eX change for more gold. As gresnhack are a more desirable form of money he feels certain they would eventual be in demand should the policy h advocates be adopted.
 The opinion is expressed that Judg Day of Canton, Ohio, now assistan secretary of state, will have Justic Gray's place on the supreme bencl Mr Grau iS elipihIa for rotn rom Q r