The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-19
ARR TINE CANALS "PL1YxD OUR.
Further Remarks by the Secretary OF the
Commerce Commission.

Further Remarks by the Secretary OF the
| Commerce Commission.
To THE EDITOR OF The SuN-Sir: ID. +.
| X" felt impelled to answer my reply to his re-
cent attack upon New York's canals. while as
sorting that he Ia satisfied to abide by the eN-
pressed judgment Of any Intelligent person who
| considers his first statement and my reply. His
renewal OF the argument discredlts this state
ment, and. since he INDUCES in further crro-
neous statements. again request the courtesy
OF space for denial In THE Sun
! AS to whether or not 1t is, as ID. F. h" as
serts, ridiculous to deny that the canals nre
| played out aud cannot longer compete with the
railroads. will content myself with merely
pointing out that they do compete with the
! railroads. ID. f. X" adroitly. but unfairly.
assumes that to improve the canals will be by
! means OF burden OF taxation laid upon the
| bent shoulders OF the farmers Of New York"
/ and this. he adds. would be n colossal crime"
| There Is room for contention as to this. since
| the farmer receives back the tax he pays for
canal maintenance many times each year. in
the reduced cost OF everything be buys. due to
| the existence OF canal competition with rail
transportation The average tax upon an ord-
nary farm. valued at $1,000. does not exceed.
| for canal maintenance 40 cents a year-the
| price Of couple of dozen eggs or a couple OF
| pounds OF butter. while on the cost OF one bar
! rel OF flour or one ton OF coal he gets this tax
! back because OF the lower transportation rate
| forced by canal competition, ID. +. K" does
not know. perhaps. that the railroads offer
! merchants In cities located on the canals
yearly rates below the schedule. conditioned
upon doing all OF their carrying2 What chance
| would these merchants have to get the benefit
OF this reduction were there no canals?
Stripped Of this potent weapon OF defence.
! would not the merchant be compelled to in
crease the prices OF the things he sells. because
OF enhanced transportation rates. and would
! everything they buy. as n consequence?
I'VE bet s,d nformed he would
@ instr saf ana and BON H J mistaken
declaring that $n0O4;00O would improve the
mens. made te to the tonsttutona f' Go S
ton in August. 1894. in which he will find that
the state officials carefully avoided saying the
| very thing he accuses them Of saving. The
state officials are not RESPONSIBLE for and were
not consulted in. the liking OF S9.0O0.OOQ as
ate oeas dG to
to improve the canals with the sum appropri-
one-third Of the Improvement had been COM
snas ses
he asserts that this expenditure has done" 1t
canals. He should be informed. too, that the
worst places on the canals we're the ones
officials. and that the improvement thus made
| has been a substantial aid to canal navigation.
6e true that the saT ena S Try
why was not the fact made much OF during the
twenty months in ls94-5 that this subject was
guards against railroad combinations, or ex-
did not carry a ton. OF freight, so long as they
are kept in a state OF efficiency SO long they
will save the people Of this State millions Of
ID. F. X" shows his unfamiliarity with the
| arguments Of the farmers who oppose the i'm
provement OF the canals before legislative
committees, in denying that their opposition is
hat the 70 Price Staple
the farmers reeeive IS the worlds highest price.
less the cost OF TRANSPORTATION In reaching the
worlds highest market. The rate Of transpor-
who produce grain in the West and 70 the ex-
tent that the canals reduce transportation rates
able production. On the other hand. were the
canals abandoned. then the area OF grain pro-
and the ps
gressiye OF our iarmers, therefore: turn their
samed locally, Or to dairy products in which
they are still able successfully to compete with
I presume that ID F. K" would admit that.
whether the canals were abandoned or not; the
6as II e
say; viii he not assert that the. railroads do all.
In the way OF reducing rates o. grain transport
canals? II he could convince the farmers OF
this they would probably cease opposing canal
ship canal would benefit the people. can he
deny that every step toward such a canal is
Il he dsny that
viii compel reduction in rates OF transporta,
the canals as intended under the act OF 1895
| would have increased the carrying capacity Of
sen nsp Sat sSe ey 9a ssn a Sa
provement and the increased loads will! have
no effect upon transportation rates3 To i'm;
| prove the locks as IL being suggested would
give loads twice as large-and larger--than at
present and nearly twice as large again. when
10 the to sue
ripple the carrying capacity of boats on the
canals would have no effect upon transportation
We're ID. F. K" better posted he would know
that exactly the contrary OF what he asserts is
true. and that there is an Immense local bust:
ness done over the canals OF this State. and
hs he n Ms s
on the canals out Of the single city Of syracuse.
snd tSa him tel the sv IN readers how 6sne
the line OF the canals. and to all OF those, far
removed from the canals. who are benefitted by
the low rates made by canal packet lines-n-
my friend ought to know that tn. railroad
bb By the raiir9ad. Why Is this? He ought to
shipped west OF the canal is railroad freight
Esight given 70 the canals by the railroads air.
cause Of the existence Of the Canals millions Of
tons Of freight come to New York during the
| season OF navigation. because OF the lower
rates forced through the competition offered
| by the canals-merchandise that never goes
| by canal at all. but that gets lower rate be-
cause the canals are open to competitive nav-
| cation He ought to know that coal is carried
| 300 miles from New York to Burlington. Vt,
by water. and via the Champlain canal. at a
rate but one-half the cost from Whitehall to
| Rutland. Nt-twenty-hve miles-by railroad
just to think. coal can bs teamed from White
hallto Rutland In composition with the rail-
roads! Where can II be teamed In competition
Elththe canals? The railroad which parallels the
ness OF northern New York. and Of Yer
mont. too, but for the existence. OF the Cham
canals, a canal that still carries million tons
OF freight annually. and the cost Of which
transportation would be cut in two according
to the evidence OF those using and operating
1t. were the prism OF the canal improved. at
small comparative cost merely to conform to
the RiZe Of Its locks.
ID. +. X" recklessly and entirely enormously
charges me with making an "egreRious error"
IN stating that raj road rates are lower during
the season OF navigation than during the closed
Proof n ha lie hnp do NJ