The evening world., 1900-01-25
ROOSEVELT
!, ON. CANALS.
Bends Strong Message to
Legislature and Two
a. Reports.
.RoASTS THE RAILROADS.
They Discriminate Against
> stats-Canal System
the Remedy.
.RoASfS THE RAILROADS.
OseAi 70 ne sv,ains w~,A)

OpRAi 70 ne svsains wwiA)
ALBANY. Jan &-Gov. Roosevelt
transmitted . message 10 the Leeisla.
tuss to-day On the canal problem with
I - eepert OF the Commerce Commission
oaA shs Canal commitiee's report.
Ne Gays ne thanks Of the Btate ARE
: ~ re Commissioners and continues:
Y IN the Arst place call your especial
GeAsatioa to what the Commission re-
nogts - 10 the main cause Of the dam.
- 10 New York commerce: thAt II. to
q Shs way In which the railroads. and
$ espacialiy the railroads Of our own
Olats. discriminate against her In the
ia,srsst Of competing ports
'Ths Commissson presents . sum
Uary Of it, conclusions and recon-
msndstions. and the fpt ten subdivi-
sions Of this summary relate 20 this
railroad discrimination composed OF
what h known NJ the diherenttai agree
msns between the trunk-lins railroads
"a the American Atlantic seApots.
the Commission shows that this dis
elimination In made so as TO overcome
TIE advantage which New YORK would
have under natural conditions A. the
cheapest route to foreign markets for
ne products OF the West and com
i 0ents with especial severity upon the
New York railroads which have received
benefits from the State. and yet PARTED.
oate In the Discrimination. to the serious
Injury o. Ns~ York.
"lt does not appear. however. thai
ANY legislative action IL at present
recommended, and the Commission sim
ply through It's report. seeks 10 give
widespread publicity to the facts. hold
ing that the evil can be remediei by i'm.
proving the canals, canal examinations.
&c
The Commission makes eight recon-
mendatlons 10 legislative action. As to
seven 81 these there can be no question
In my opinion. Proper terminal facili-
ties should be lmme iiately provided. as
the Commission outlines. The act regu-
latinE the fees and charges for elevators
should be amended The act limiting
corporations designed to navigate the
caaais to'a capital stock Of $4,000 should
he repealed. Tn, canal piers should
again be reserved exclusively for canal.
boats New York city shouLi b. allowed
10 carry out lie plan for the construc-
tion Of piers, and improvement In dock
facilities. and also to acquire possession
OF the water front between Gans~vooft
and Twenty-th streets,
with some hesitation agree ALEC
10 the wisdom OF passing an act pro-
hibitiae the conveyance IN perpetui'y
of any land under water within the
Ilul.s Of the Greater New York. but
pro, idins for the lease OF such land
with power of renewal This 10 OBJ
viously proper for the crowded districts
q the city. In remote parts Of the city.
SoWever the terms must 10 suss,eientiy
liberal TO encourage private parties to
take hold ana build M improvements
which will help the whole water front
The Commission. as of the first i'm
portance. recommends action on the
state canals themselves They agree
with the Committee Of which den
Greene IL chairman. that In the first
D.acc. the canals cannot be abandoned;
that In the second place, a ship canal
ought not to be built by the State: and
that IN the third place. the present. [,
canals must be enlarged. =,
'On these three fundamental points the
IMPORTS Of the Commission and Commit
tee are at one. They differ. however. !
~ 10 wisther the thousAnd-ton barge ;
canal should be built at a cost Of some ,
on.os.c 900. or whether the canal improve
ments proposed In the act Of 1895 should
BE- carried through a, the cost. a. they
estimate 1t. OF N5.oc.0o.