The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-01

A determined effort was made by New
York city interests last winter to in
huence the state to take measures for
the construction of a ship canal from
Buffalo to the Hudson river, thus open
ing up deep water route from Chicago
and Duluth to the sea. In this enter
prise New York city was not entirely
Unselfsh. For the last twenty years that
metropolis has seen her prestige as a
shipping port graSually waning. The
farm produce Of the West has been seek
ing an outlet through Baltimore, Phil
adelphia and even Boston. The inter-
ests Of the Northwest. with its millions
of tons of freight. have been clamoring
for 81 ship canal to connect the great
lakes with tide water at the mouth Of
the St. Lawrence, while the south At
lantic and gulf ports have been gradually
assuming importance as shipping points.
One thing atone viii save the shipping
trade Of New York-a ship canal across
the state. AS the Erie canal in the
older days tended more than any otheS
factor TO the upbuilding of New York
city, so this link between the inland
ocean and the Atlantic VIII make New
York the greatest commercial port Of the
world
The effort to interest the state in the
enterprise having failed, New York now
turns to the country at large for as
sistanoe. Accordingly an effort will be
made at the next session Of congress
to induce congress 10 take up the matter
in earnest. In the s~bjoot of a deep
Watel way canal adj the West is inter
ested. One-third of the great produce
tive part Of the United States IS tribu-
tory to the great lakes. A twenty-one
foot canal to tide water, allowing ocean,
going vessels to reach Chicago or Du-
luth without breaking bulk, would affect
the entire Northwest as would no other
national enterprise, So far as tne West
and Northwest is concerned 1t does not
matter whether that channel ends in the
st. Lawrence or Hudson river The
shipper is interested only in the rate
Of transportation. If the route via New
York is feasible and can be constructed
at no greater cost than the route through
Canadian territory, it would receive the
hearty support Of all Western congress-
men. A comparison between the bust
ness done by the Suez canal and the
amount of freight passing through the
Detroit river shows that canal from
Lake Erie TO the Hudson river would do
tenfold the business that the most san
guine hope for the Panama canal.
If We want to secure and hold pos
session Of the foreign markets. there is
no advantage attainable which can be
compared to that which water route
to the very heart of the continent would
give as. The great mineral resources
of Minnesota and Michigan would be
laid at the very feet of ocean trade.
The wheat fields of the Northwest would
be moved a thousand miles nearer the
market This difference in freight would
mean the difference between success and
failure Two cents difference in the
freight on a barrel of flour, often opens
or closes great Touring mills. In ma
tional Importance. the problem of deep
water from the lakes to the ocean over
Shadows that of a transisthmian canal.
While New York city and the Northwest
would be the most affected by the re-
duction Of freight rates which would
follow the completion of a ship canal.
the general result would affect the COM
merce Of the whole nation and the work
should be undertaken by the whole ma
ton. AS the improvement of the MIS-
sissippi is carried on by the government
although it affected, ostensibIy, the Mis-
sissippl valley only. so should the deep
waterway be taken up by the general
government.
If the government would leave off buy
ing islands which have no other merit
than that OF being in position for
naval stations to defend a possible