New-York tribune., 1900-11-25
Wooster. Ohio, Nov. %. 1900.
THE NEST OF TRANSPOFtIAIIV-H'
Az ARGUMENT FOR DUAL SYSTEM OF CANALS
AND RAILROADS

To the Editor The Tribune
Sir: The proof If the pudding. says a homely old
proverh IS in the eating. The test Of transporta-
ton lines and systems is IN their efficiency and
their actual achievements. Theories are OF htt!e
account. Responsible statesmen once theorlZed 10
4ha effect that one might well ride Con-
greve rocket as a railroad train at twenty miles
an hour and OF the foremost scientists Of the
century proved. they thought. that no steam
ship could carry enough coal TO supply its engines
for a voyage across the Atlantic But practical
tests OF railroads and steamships Knocked the
counsel Of the wise We smile in our end Of the
century superiority the shortsigntedness Of the
men Of two generations in opposing these great
inventions. Let make sure that for every mote
their eyes contained there be not beam in our own
The plausible theory is put forth. and Is widely
accepted. that railroads eSperior to canals as
means of transportation. and that therefore our
commercial interests will best be served by aban-
doning the latter for the former. That is the
theory. The practical test does not confirm It. On
the contrary, the indications OF experience to
the opposite effect. So long New-Yorks canal
system WAS maintained in q state of efficiency
comparable with that OF the railroads the
merce Of New-York easily maintained in
supremacy that knew fear Of rivals Since the
canal system has been neglected and permitted 10
fall twenty thirty years behind the times the
commerce Of New-York has been proportionately
declining. At the time that country and
those ports which have developed their canal sys-
TEN fully 'up TO date have been gaining enor-
New-York. The public has often been reminded
how great part OF Newly orks legitimate export
trade is being diverted to Canadian ports The in
teresting letter from Mr. Herbert, chairman Of the
local Canal Association. which The Tribune printed
the other day, gave further eloquent testimony TO
the same effect There in 1899 from natural
causes great diminution of grain exports from
the ngures of 1888. OF that decrease New-York
suffered 455 per cent, while the Canadian ports
sunered less than 30 per cent. The exports from
CENT While those from Canada declined less than
70 per cent. And while in 1885 Canadian exports
Were only S59 per cent of those of New-York in
1889 they rose 10 611 per cent. The significance OF
NlcIng than all the theorizing in the world
The tonnage of merchant vessels on the
Great Lakes already amounts to about two-thIrds
OF tlat on the entire Atlantic and the Gulf and AT
The present and recent rate OF increase il bids fair
soon TO exceed the latter and form the greater
country in the world IS favored with a chain Of
great inland seas, extending for more than a thou
sand miles along its richest border. Upon the
ocean our shipping is subjected TO foreign com
petition, but upon the Lakes II enjoys an undis-
turbed monopoly Of traflc And yet the bitter fact
is that all those unrvalled opportunities are heinS
improved largely for the building up and the nroaf
OF alien ports and alien shipping fines while our
own ocean commerce langushes and our own chia|
port OF export suffers loss and decline Aeainst
and the superiority Of railroads are futile The
test Of the case IS practical one With railroads.
and canals both IN high state Of efficiency our
commerce was we'll maintained With railroads ~
nnimpaired efficiency but with canals neglected
and inefficient, commerce is steadily and onof
nously declining; And the lifeblood of nation is
sr its commerce. " %
New-York, Nov. a. 1900 .