The sun., 1900-12-08
ODELL AND THE CANALS.
SO, ,gRvOF.sIstr mars AM Ortrrs
Og IUtIR gupROp pEWr>I
Ne Declines to Commit Wim.sW rurth'r
Thsn ,o sat That U- VIII wste the Nat
ter the subist ~ = spedsi we.aH"
and win Gi,e ~ ssrrfui confederation.

ter the sabI.c, ~ y special we.ssH-
and WIN Gi,e ~ Careful Consideration.
The Carsl Association ~ Greater Now YORK
appeared hofYr" gov -oIoot Odell y"-t"r-
dr' and 1ddr'--"d him uu what the a-soola'ion
u"li"vr- b.. hls duty toward tho canals of th"
state. Ih" association wa reinforced hy
% delegation from Bunalo. There were also
uU1ou- of the smaller cities ~ the state
uf"-out. III" Governor elect listened 10 the
Arguments ~ tho committeeman with tho
Closest attention and asked one or two uucs-
tlona ~" then said that he had decided 10
MAX" the canals the ~ jeo' Of special mos
sage tp be- sent to the Legislature Immediately
after the completion Of the report Of the state
Engineer on the cost of the proposed enlarge
ment Of the Erie Canal. He did not care TO
make any promises or do any talking on tho
matter. he said. until he wHs more fully In
formed on the details when Le had fun
Information ha would act with some assur-
ance that what he determined to do would
br fur the b"-t
The delegation which waited upon Mr..
Odell Ia parlor DR Of the fifth Avenue Hotel
was headed by Henry Il. lIeber, chairman Of
the association, who said that II had been
organized for the purpose Of cooperating
with other organizations throughout the state
in q concerted movement to spread informa-
tion about the importance Of the canals 20
the commerce uf the state and To- the commerce
of the city. The association approved, h"
said the recommendation. OF the commission
appointed by GOV Roosevelt to look into the
canal question.
lie reviewed the condition Of commerce
in the state and city. particularly during
the period in which. according to him, the
state was In the control OF the railroads.
he said that the dNerentlal against he city
~ New York by railroads was caused IN part
~ the ineficiency Of the Erie Canal and
It,f mt tttIs
Commission ha. stated that the decline 81
the commerce of the state Of New York cor
rssponds with the reduction in ,he tonnage dtS
even In its present inefficient condition was
nrexIlator Of freight rates andthi, was shown
by the advance Of rates az ne close 2l 'he
rates immediately following the opening oil
the canal each spring .,.
Mr.. Hebert said that the Canadian canals
would attract more and more Western uafic
until the State and city and even the nation
would feel the need Of q competent canal
Hebcrt attributed the failure Of the Brooklyn
Wharf and Warehouse Company TO tue de-
cline Of canal trano and said That me iaiinS hnS
decreased the value ~ real estate IN IN"
City,
Exchange Of Buffalo, told q a canvass mad"
by tie exchange among the business men
u the anti-Canal counties, Letters had
been, sent TO all the pIominent business men
Il those counties. The main point as to
which their opinion was asked was as to
whether the people Gf he stgt" should dan@ hayf
improvements by a rcferendum vote next
fall Nlnc out Of ten, replies were favor
able Mr.. Haines read II number OF letters
and telegram- from cities and towns In Shau-
tauqua, Livingston, themunT ard orleans
cort,as i,yorinS GaIal 5TGIroVGfnRemn of Rno,o sod
that after the astounding statements MADE
by Mr.. Hebcrt as To the decline Of the com.
,nerce OF the State there was little room left
10 would bp siIrnItlpllS,
hs sad. for the committee to suggest what
Mr.. Odell should Put in his message, but he
lature on the state ~ commerce IN mi Sta,e
would 60 far toward rousing the people 10
realization Of t,S dTSS''I ThiSh nSa, ne rGka saa
on behalf Of the ulg-iron industries of Bnifalo
not proftably be brought 10 the sean"aTd
II Schwab spoke for the Shipping interests
lie gave fgures to show that the export
for the. past twenty years. while the bust
ness OF the outports had increased very
Tortation had been brought down to a COS, cost
OCEAN 1n tran traEsp"ra,i"n port, % would soon cost but
e eanS Srf mad b%i to sas Se "ss Sos 100 a
long cost. about two mills a ton mile. Rail-
road transportation costs about three cents
ton mile But the canal was SO slow that
il could not compete with the railroad until
the cost of canal transportation was reduced
to half u mill ton niue. a.,
Nr. .Odell was disposed TO question Mr.
fariiities explained the diNerentisl against
New York In the railroad traftic agreements
NJ. SChwab readily admitted that there
were other reasons for the traffic differ
entail John ID. Herman of Utica said that
20 his mind the great value of a good canal
system was that II kept railroad rates down
lie didn't care whether the canal ever foatcd
a boat, so long as IL kept down the railroads
That was good work 'enorgh for canal 10 do.
Nr odell said. u wish TO thank YOU gem
tlemen for your courtesy and consideration
In coming to me on thi, matter Since eleC-
tion have had little time for anything but
reat But / have had time to talk some about
the canals I'm one Of the sort OF people who
do not like to make recommendatiOns or say
things unless they are to be carried ont
should Ike 10 wait until I know moro Of tho
details If the proposed enlargement of the
canals and have more general and particular
information on the whole subject before eX-
believe Buffalo and New York are no more
Interested in this plan than is Newburgh or
| unkirk The small cities are going u share
in any improv"nent of tho commerce of the
State that comes to the large cities. ] hope
interests Of the people II the whole state I
may not rcspoud so quickly perhaps az Senator
Ianghln thinks should, but when do make
n recommendation | want II to be something
that can stand upon
The Governor eject said that he intended
70 make the canals the subject Of special
message to the legislature to accompany the
was one TOO large and too important 70 be
mixed up with any other lie asked for
further Information and suggestions that
mi ght occur TO any members Of the committee