New-York tribune., 1900-07-08

canals. canals The canals 81 per cent is not very i'm
What sort of magic does this canal work2 A
bushe of wheat is in the elevator in Buffalo 1t
may run down spout into a freight car or down
another into a canal boat. Whichever way it goes
less when it reaches New-York 1t hasn't i'm
proved bit while IT leisurely loitered along
on its cost Now. why should we DO so much more ore,
! other? BY one way we send it free and by the
of ground it travels over.
WHY NOT BUILD A STATE RAILROAD?
It is proposed to spend over $6OOOOOOO upon the
canal enlargement. This great sum must be raised
by taxation. Among the taxpayers the farm
ers and the railroads. We farmers will be taxed to
bring Western products the markets to compete
with our own, and the railroads will be taxed to
Iurnlsh f without cost to traffic huge @ eompettor m M
@ @nulllng ahother falroad, tnat Woulu 90 eeltetI
work than canal can. and furnish IT free or cost
should propose this would be declared an idiot but
furnish the capital for a TRANSPORTATION system and
then lose the interest their capital, when other
business and will pay taxes on it for the public
But it is said that business is diverted by the
railroads from our port Of New-York. and that the
greater than that of New-York This is greatly
overworked: Percentages are deceptive. A small
amount makes large percentage small
The fact is that Boston is the only one OF our
that gain is nothing alarming.
Again. ii is said that must enlarge the canal
TO prevent business going through the Canadian
canals on its way to Europe. This scare is also
greatly oVcrwOrked. True, Canada is making
pucky fight for business of all kinds, but in this
the fates against her. She has splendid
canals, but when she delivers grain at Montreal 1t
Is not where the transatlantic carriers want IT.
Montreal has not water enough for such vessels
can now carry freight prohtaby across the At
lantc. As the railway locomotives and cars have
been enlarged to their present size, the freight
steamers have been enlarged to immense proper
ions. Now vessel carries the amount of
cargo formerly carried by three or four, greatly
lessening the cost ton. These huge vessels
must run TO ports for which they get return
of them to Montreal. These steamers of
themselves guarantee the trade port.
The St Lawrence River is closed to navigation
too many months of the year to make that route
q possible competitor for than a small share
of the business. And the dangers of that route
a serious obstacle to its development. The
fogs constantly enveloping it, while the swift
of the Belle Isle and Cabot straits and
the icefoes that remain through the early months
Of navigation each year such serious difficult
ties that the British marine underwriters make
extra charges against it, and last year Lloyds
added clause its policies discriminating against
British North America ports" The recent loss OF
the steamer Montpelier adds fresh emphasis to
this.
To observer of the Syracuse convention, 1t
would appear that open discussion of the prop
osition to enlarge the Erie Canal is not desired
and suspicion is aroused that the State is
fronted with the greatest canal ring Of all its
history. JAMES WOOD,
President of the New-YorI State Farmers Con-
Mount Kisco, June 49, 1900.