New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-04
cTATE CANAL PROBLEMS.
uorrp>oR ROOSEVELT WILL HAVE A
sprcrAL MESSAGE ON THE SUBJECT.
Scrpors CANADIAN COMPETITION
WHAT DEEPENING WATERWAYS OVER
THE BORDER MEANS TO NEW
WORKS. GRAIN TRADE.
WORKS. GRAIN TRADE.

Works. GRAIN TRADE.
Noe 2 (SpeciaD-Governor Roosevelt
nomnced Yesterday that one Of the main pur-
.s 81 his visit TO New-York the present week
pS.ia he 10 hold a conference with General
,,s Y Greene. the chairman of the Canal
f'...,. Commission. and with Austen G. Fox
wouace MacFarland who made critical
DIV not,on in his behalf OF the evidence taken
tN, Coral Investigation Commission.
" governor further stated that he had
- that the Canal Advisory Commission
not ba prepared to submit its report until
W. rn,ddle OF January. and therefore he would
.. % treat of canal affairs in special mes
- 70 the Legislature at that time
canal Advisory Commission Is specially
"a with the duty OF learning whether 1t
ia he commercially profitable 10 the state
', ~ou,-York to continue the work OF canal i'm
cement so inauspiciously begun In 1870 with
,hs 100000 Improvement Mr.. Fox and Mr.
u r,a,d On the course of their investigation
,-.-nad some facts in regard TO the wording or
80, contracts which led them TO think that
.~, wording was adverse TO the interests of the
cate and therefore IL is not unlikely that Gov
'.or Roosevelt may make certain recommended
.io,s IN his annual message to the Legislature.
st their suggestion, TO remedy the defects IN the
,,4sent canal contract system. Even though
~ state should never expend an additional
rennv toward canal Improvement, the correction
., tho form of the canal contracts might save
the State many thousands OF dollars when the
ofscers of the Department of Public Works
make contracts in the future for maintenance
NJ the canals in good condition.
DIVERSION OF GRAIN TRADE.
Governor Rooseyelt's attention it can be pre-
dicted will soon be directed in impressive
manner by members of the Produce Exchange
Of New-York and the Merchants Exchange of
Buffalo TO the great danger that much Of the
sran trade Of the State will be diverted through
me welland Canal and the recently completed
canals along the st. Lawrence River to Montreal
And thence to Europe. either by way of the st.
lawrence River or TO Portland, Me-, by rail.
Tie merchants of Buffalo were not pleased
last week when they read that the ocean going
steamship Porto Rico, built in Toledo recently
passed through the enlarged Canadian canals
and reached New York a few days ago. The
ship is about go feet long. 1t is stated that the
Canadian locks will accommodate vessels that
are go feet long. The change in the capacity
OF the Canadian canals and locks since 1898 is
marked In that year 1t was necessary TO cut
IN two United States revenue cutters on the
Great Lakes to get them through the canals TO
the Atlantic Then the Canadian canals could
accommodate vessels OF only 1856 feet"
The Welland Canal has depth Of II feet and
so have the recently completed Canadian canals
on the St Lawrence. From Montreal there Is
27l5 feet channel for seagoing steamers down
the St Lawrence. and the distance 10 Europe
is 31j miles less than from New-York to Liver
pool As a contrast. the State of New-York
offers the Erie Canal only partly improved,
and IN the main only I feet IN depth. Even
when the present improvements OF the Erie
o4n1 Of Wi
he only 9 feet, except at aqueducts where 1t
will be only feet.
ELEVATOR CONCESSIONS AT MONTREAL.
In the last week the Harbor Commission Of
Montreal listened to applications for elevator
concessions from the Canada-Atlantic Railway
Company the Montreal warehousing Company,
the Allan Line the Montreal Transportation
Company the Montreal Terminal Railway Com
pany. Robert Referd & Co, and the Harcourt-
Corners syndicate The Harcourt-Conners syn
dicate has American capital at its back. All
| the concerns and corporations mentioned above
| think that the commercial consequences Of the
| completion of the Soulanges Canal, the last Of
| the II feet deep canals contemplated, Will be
! the diversion Of grain traffic from the United
States 10 Montreal The Harcourt-Conners
syndicate offers TO build elevators at a cost OF
100000 at Montreal.
One Of the needs Of the Canadian canal
route will be the creation Of a special fleet or
steam or tow barges to convey American grain
from Port Colborne, on Lake Erie. at the mouth
o. the Welland Canal, through that canal and
on through Lake Ontario the st. Lawrence
River and the other Canadian canals TO Mon
ueal The Harcourt- Corners syndicate OFFERS 10
buld or acquire fifteen canal barges. at an
average cost of 100000 each. This Of itself
would be an expenditure Of S1,5OOOOO
Tie syndicate also further promises that the
first season after depth Of water Is provided
GPr Colborne of IS or 20 feet on sufficient
70 allow large lake vessels 70 transshlp
TIER cargoes there will be transported TO Mon
uel and handled through the elevators and
facilities OF the company at least 25,OOOOOO
Nushes Of grain, and in each season Thereafter
100000 bushels OF grain. This one synolcaIe
therefore. hopes TO send to Montreal 35,OOOOOO
bushels Of grain large part Of this grain un-
toubtedy would be diverted from American
Channels Of trade and good proportion OF II
frnynt ba L-rto