New-York tribune., 1900-01-26
COMMERCE EBBING AWAY.
COMPETING PORTS FAVORED BY NEW
YORK RAILROADS.

YORK RAILROADS.
Albany, Jan. % SpeciaD.-Following Is the
message of Governor Roosevelt transmitting to
the Legislature the report of the NewYork Com
merce Commission:
To the Legislatures
l herewith transmit the report OF the New
York Commerce Commission, which was ap-
pointed by my predecessor in pursuance of Chap
ter GA Of the Laws of 1898 This report repre-
sents an immense amount of wholly disinter-
ested labor, undertaken solely with view Of
accomplishing something effectual to stop the
decline in the commerce of NewYork. The
thanks of the State are due the members of the
Commission for the marked ability and untiring
industry they have shown throughout their la
bOrs.
In the first place, 1 call your especial attention
to what the Commission reports as to the main
cause Of the damage to New-York commerce;
that is to the way in which the railroads. and
especially the railroads of State, dis
criminate against her in the interest of compet-
ing ports. The Commission presents summary
of its conclusions and recommendations, and
the first ten subdivisions of this summary
late to this railroad discrimination. composed Of
what is known as the differential agreement be-
tween the trunk line railroads to the American
Atlantic seaports. The Commission shows that
this discrimination Is made so as to overcome
the advantage which New-YOrk would have
der natural conditions, as the cheapest route to
foreign markets for the products Of the West,
and comments with especial severity upon the
Newly ork railroads which have received bene-
fits from the State and yet participate in the
York. 1t does not appear, however, that any
legislative action is at present recommended;
and the Commission simply through its report
seeks to give widespread publicity to the facts,
holding that the evil be remedied by i'm
proving the canals, canal examinations. etc.
CANAL THE CENTRAL QUESTION.
The Canal Committee, Of which General Greene
is chairman (the report of which I am trans
to consider the canal problem. The Commerce
Commission was appointed to consider the whole
problem of New-Yorl's loss of commerce. in
qulrng into all the causes and seeking to find
out all possible remedies. 1t speedily discovered,
however, that the question of the canal
really the central question around which hinged
all others concerned with benefting the COM
mercial development of New-York or arresting
the decline of this Development This is a
further proof, if any be needed of the immense
Importance of the canal and extreme unwisdom
of abandoning it as outworn institution.
The Commission makes eight recommendations
to legislative action AS to seven Of these there
can be no question in my opinion. Proper terminal
Facilities should be Immediately provided as the
Commission outlines. The act regulating the
fees and charges for elevators should be amend
ed The act limiting corporations designed to
navigate the canals to a capital stock of $4,000
should be repealed. The canal piers should again
be reserved exclusively for canal boats. New
York City should be allowed to carry out its
plan for the construction of piers and improve
ment in dock facilities, and also to acquire pos
session of the waterfront between Gansevoort
and TWenty-thlrd SITS. With some hesitation [
agree also to the wisdom Of passing an act pro-
hlblting the conveyance in perpetuity Of any
land under water within the limits of the greater
NeW-York, but providing for the lease of such
land with power of renewal. This is obviously
proper for the crowded districts of the city. In
remote parts Of the city, however the terms
must be sufficiently liberal to encourage private
parties to take hold and build up improvements
which will help the whole waterfront
ACTION ON THE STATE CANALS
The Commission as Of the first Importance
recommends action on the State canals them
selves They agree with the committee of which
General Greene is chairman that, in the first
place, the canal cannot be abandoned; that in
the second place, ship canal ought not to be
built by the State, and that, in the third place
the present canal must be enlarged. On these
three fundamental points the reports of the
Commission and the committee are at one. They
differ however, IS to whether the 1000 ton
barge canal should be built at a cost of some
SOO,OOOOOO, or whether the canal improvements
proposed in the act of 1895 should be carried
through at the cost, they estimate it. of S15-
OoO'OoO: rms difference corresponds to the
doubted differences of opinion on the subject
among the people in the State at large who are
most interested IN seeing the canals built up. In
my message accompanying the Canal Commit
tees report l have given in detail the reasons
why l accept their conclusions rather than the
conclusion Of the Commerce Commission this
I desire especially to call your attention to
that portion Of the Commerce Commissions re-
port which shows the main source of the trouble
over the S9'OUO,OOO expenditure for improve
ments under the act of 1895. The Commerce
commissions report makes it perfectly clear
that there never was sufficient authority or
indeed, any authority, for supposing that this
S9OOOOOO would be enough to complete the
work. and that a named which was en-
tirely insufficient. 1t doubtless believed to
be easier to get the small sum than a large one
LOSS MUST BE STOPPED.
I call your attention to the whole report
which should be read and studied in detail The
Commission held it's hearings not only in New
York and in the West. but also visited all the
important SeaportS which the business rivals
of NeW-York. We cannot afford to blink the
fact that there has been a very serious loss in
New-YOrk'S commerce, and that the State can
not allow this loss to go unchecked. The Com
mission has gone at great length into all the
various causes for the state of things described
Prompt action should be taken to remedy the
evils complained OF. We cannot afford to rest
idle while our commerce is taken away from us
and we must act in the broadest and most lib
eral and most energetic spirit if we wish to re-
tain the States commercial supremacy In ac-
cordance with the direction of the statute the
Commission will speedily submit drafts Of bills
designed to carry its recommendations into ef-
feet. THEODORE ROOSEVELT IT
THE COMMERCE. REPORT.