Evening star., 1898-12-05
THE c. AND @. CANAL
Interest in Proposed Sale by State Of
Maryland.
PROSPECTIVE Loss OF WATERWAY
Reasons Advanced Against Action
at This Time.
THE SITUATION DISCUSSED

The residents of the District of Column
| bia and in the counties of Maryland
through which the Chesapeake and Ohio
canal passes are taking lively interest, 1t
| is understood. In the proposed sale of that
! waterway. When the subject was first
broached by the board of public works of
Maryland few weeks ago there appeared
| to be general sentiment that 1t would be
advisable to dispose of its holdings in the
| corporation especially as the canal has
| never, with the exception of a couple of
years, about quarter of a century ago,
| paid the state any interest but within the
| past few days decided change of opinion
| has taken place, and it is understood the
board of public works will be asked to
| withdraw its proposition to sell the states
interest to the highest bidder.
Among the reasons advanced as to why
| the state should not relnquish its hold on
| the canal is that there are a large number
| OF persons who woulG be injuriously affect
ed If the operations of the canal are stop
| ped. A gentleman who takes a great in
| terest in the matter said:
| Issue MisunderstOod.
The real issue of the proposed sale of
| the states interest in the Chesapeake and
! Ohio canal and the real ground of the OBJ
| lection to the sale, seem to be strangely
! misunderstood by the state officials of
| Maryland and many who have discussed
the matter. The question is not whether
| the canal shall be maintained as a canal
| or whether it shall be converted into a
| railroad but whether the state will sell ITS
| holding to the Baltimore and Ohio and
| have neither canal or railroad, or nod
| to its interest and insure the continuance
! of the canal or else have a railroad con-
| Structed on its toWpath.
| The object of the purchase has been
| said to be q removal of a threat to the
Baltimore and Ohio. Why should the state
| bestir itself to remove a threat to the Bal
| timore and Ohio? What public interests
will be served by making that read the
| cnly outlet to the coal mines of Maryland
| and the Elk Garden?
The bitumnous coal mines of this part
| of the United States are controlled by
| three railroads. namely, the Baltimore and
| Ohio, the Pennsylvania and the Norfolk
| and Western. What is to prevent these
! three companies from forming a combine
| and levying tribute upon the factories and
| commerce of Baltimore and other cities
| just as tribute is levied upon every hearth
| stone by the anthracite coal combine? The
| existence of the canal or of an indeDen-
| dent road on its towpath is an absolute
| guarantee, as far Baltimore is con-
| cerned, against any such calamity. Shall
| the state of Maryland enter into any ar
| rangement to remove the obstacles to
| combine?
| No Special FavOrx
| 'The people of Maryland and those of
| Washington and Alexandria, who voted
| large sums years ago for the construction
| of the canal need not look to the Baltimore
| and Ohio road for any special favors The
| Baltimore and Ohio is no longer a Balti-
| more or a Maryland enterprise. The ma
| jOrity OF its stock as reOrganized IS held
| in other cities. For five years to come ct
| one Baltimore man will have single vote
| in electing directors of the company. Every
| STARE of its stock will be voted by citizens
| of New York, members of a voting syrGi-
| cate or pool which has already been APP
| pointed. The dominating influence III this
| voting trust. outside of New York, will be
| Chicago New York at one end, Chicago
| at the other and Baltimore way station.
| What is the state to gain by the sale
! to the Baltimore and Ohio? Suppose the
| generosity and patriotism of that company
| should Prompt 1t to pay a half million tf
! dollars for the states interest, the sum so
| received would, under the constitution,
have to go toward payment of the tate
| debt, saving in that manner $4,000 year
| in interest. The destruction and abandon
| ment of the canal would so decrease the
| value of property along nearly two hundred
| miles that reduced assessment would de-
| crease the receipts into the states treasury
fully that much each year, and probably
| double that much, and so the state would,
| in fact, be getting nothing in dollars and
| cents for its property. But it would be
| deprivlng the people OF large portion of
| tHe Sldle OF lIlelf only avenue TO market,
| and taking the daily bread from hundreds
| of families. The state expended ten mil
| lion dollars to give this great advantage to
! the people, and ii is to be abandoned in
l order to remove d threat from the Balti-
| more and Ohio.
Matter of Deserts.
| I'm what manner has the Baltimore and
Ohio deserved this kindly consideration from
the state? By Withholding the interest on
| tat IN, he 40 bra ,t,o
By failing to pay over to the Washington
branch nearly a million dollars. which it
| admits that it owes and one-third of which
| belongs to the state?
The canal is in the hands of the Balti-
more and Ohio until May l, 1901. 1t must
continue its operation as a canal until that
| time or the attorney general of the state
| can make a motion for the Immediate sale
| OF the work for violation of the terms of
| the decree. On May l, 1901, the decree for
sale must be enforced if the state asks it.
| With the states interest in the hands of
| the Baltimore and Ohio the threat of the
sale Will be removed, and we may reasona-
bly, look for a discontinuance of business
on the canal the day after the sale is made.
| And, as has been said by some well-inform-
ed persons 1t will become frog pond
| The Baltimore and Ohio will have OBJ
| Ject in diverting any coal from it's own lines
| or operating the canal at loss. 1t will not
build a track on the towpath, because 1t
| already has double track within a stones
| throw from almost any part of the line
| west of Tuscarora near Washington. 1t is.
therefore, certain that the only object the
| baltimore and Ohio can have in the pur-
| chase is to remove the threat of a competing
| line.
| Competing Line Needed.
| The people want the competing line
more than they want the sum the Balti-
| more and Ohio may offer. Treasurer
| Shryock's statement, which was recently
published. shows that the state does not
| need the money, but even now the revenues
are so large that the present small tax rate
| should be reduced.
| 1T is apparent that the Baltimore and
Ohio is the only possible purchaser at this
| time By buying the stock it would get
| the canal and remove the threat. Any
| other purchaser would only be buying a
! lawsuit, and then might not get the canal.
/ THE state has held on for sixty years.
and 1t can hold on for three years longer
| Then. If desirable the canal itself can be
| sold. and there might be many bidders
| At this time the West Virginia Central and
! the Western Maryland roads are satisfied
| with Baltimore and Ohio arrangements,
but long before 1901 break may come.
| Future Possibilities.
| THE Western Maryland may want its own
| entrance to the mines. and so insure sup