New-York tribune., 1900-01-26
A BARGE CANAL ADVISED.
THE ONLY MEANS TO SECURE COM
MERCfAI4 SUPREMACY.

Albany, Jan. % (SpeciaD.-Governor Roosevelt
to-day transmitted to the Legislature the re-
port of the Committee Canals appointed by
him in March, 1899, with the following message:
To the Legislature:
I herewith submit the report of the Canal
Committee appointed by me March s. 1899, to
carefully investigate the whole question of the
proper policy which the State of New-York
should pursue IN canal matters. The committee
consisted not only of the State Engineer and
Surveyor and Superintendent of Public Works,
but of five of the best known and most respon-
sible citizens of the State, who have taken over
ten months 10 make their investigation. One of
their number has carefully gone over on the
ground some of the most important European
canal systems. The whole committee visited the
Canadian canals besides going thoroughly
own. They have collected an immense mass
of testimony and have had most careful sur
veys made. They went into the matter absO-
lutely without prejudice and have felt their
way step by step, coming to no conclusion until
the evidence in its favor seemed overwhelming.
The report they now make is unanimous, and
too much stress can hardly be laid upon it.
I am well aware of the gravity of the matter
that they report. They deal with the most i'm
portant single State interest which is cared
for directly by the State government They pro-
pose policy which will entail very heavy
penditures, which should only be justified by
success. and which II ere would be no warrant
in adopting save for the weightiest and most
unanswerable reasons. Yet am convinced that
their reasoning is unanswerable; that the policy
they propose is not merely wise and proper. but
indispensable, If the future development of the
State is to in any way correspond with it's past
The committee point out that the first ques-
tton to consider is whether the canals should be
kept or abandoned 1 call your attention on this
point particularly to the report of Mr. Witherbee
on the European canals 1t appears from this
that in the most highly developed portions Of
Europe there has been immense, positive and
relative increase in the canal systems and in the
traffic upon them so that the experience of Ger
many, Russia, France, Belgium and, in short,
of all the great Industrial communities where
canal work is possible is that it is desirable and
profitable to keep up the development of the
canals as fast as the railways are developed.
THE SITUATION IN AMERICA
1t is alleged, however, that owing to Americas
advanced position in the equipment and man
agement Of her railways compared with Eu-
rope the problem here is different the canals
being hopelessly at a disadvantage; 1t being al
legged specifically that the railroads competing
with the canals carry freight so cheaply
that under no circumstances would it pay to
transport it along an artificial waterway through
this State
This subject the committee discuss at length.
They come to the conclusion. and fortify 1t by
arguments which are seemingly irrefutable, that
If the canals modified to meet the require
ments of the business of to-day freight can be
transported upon them for about one-third of the
cost by rail- and that far as human foresight
look into the future this result be guar
anteed for at least generation If the facts
thus set forth are true, and seemingly they can
not be successfully controverted, it is matter
of vital interest to New-York State, and
pecielly to New-York City, Buffalo and the great
cities between them. that the canals should
be put upon really satisfactory working basis.
New-York has seen of recent years a steady
relative decline Of her commerce compared to
that of other ports. This has largely been
brought about by railroad discrmnat tion but
there have been other factors at work. Among
them the decadence Of the canal commerce has
been the most prominent