New-York tribune., 1902-02-12
HEARING ON CANAL BILL.
CARNEGIE URGES THAT IMPROVEMENT
IS NECESSARY TO CONNER
CIAL SUPREMACY.
rBr TELEGRAPH TO rHE TRIBUNE. !

tBT TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
Albany. Feb. 1.-THE strength of the senti-
ment in favor Of an enlargement Of the canals
of the State was strikngly shown to-day at the
hearing Senator Daviss bill to bond the State
10 the amount of SOS, 600 600 TO improve the Erie
Canal. This hearing given by the Senate
Committee on Canals. The room in which the
meeting held crowded with many emf
nent citizens of the State Appropriately there
was present 10 urge the passage Of the bill
George Clinton, OF Buffalo, descendant of that
family of which De Witt Clinton was the chief,
who took the lead in digging 'the big ditch OF
the State the Erie Canal.
Mr. Clinton chairman OF the investigating
commission OF Governor Black which made a
mastery inquiry regarding the way the $4,000
600 which appropriated I'm 1895 for canal
improvements was expended: also present was
Frank :. wtherbee, a member OF the Greene
Canal Commission OF Governor Roosevelt, the
commission that reported IN favor OF the
,largement OF the Erie Canal to barge dimen-
sions. Both Mr.. Witherbee and Mr.. Clinton
earnestly favored the S2S, 100000 appropriation.
They were supported by Frank Brainard. of
New-York. another member Of Governor Blacks
investigating commission; John d. Herman, of
Utica. president OF the State Commerce Con-
veution: Henry b Hebert. chairman OF the
Canal Association OF Greater New-YoriS; Gustav
II. Schwab, and Francis 3. Thurber represent
ing the Chamber Of Commerce of New-York;
Frank S. Gardner and William f. Mcconnell,
of the New York Board of Trade and Trans
portation: ex-senator John Laughlin and
George II Raymond. Of Buffalo. and many
others
The argument Of all was that II was essential,
If the State to retain It's commercial su-
premacy. that the Erie Canal should he i'm
proved.
A remarkable letter. written by Andrew Car
nege. was read. It was addressed 70 Mr.. Hebert,
Mr. Carnegie said that the Carnegie Steel Com
Iany had purchased land at Conneaut Ohio and
had plans at one time for constructing great
steel works there and shipping iron and steel
by way OF the Erie Canal it being the belief
that New-York state was about to engage In
the enlargement Of that waterway
I'VE intended" added Mr.. Carnegie Ito manu-
facture pig iron az Conueaut to supply Roches-
ter Utica, Syracuse. Troy and. OF course, New
York and the Eastern ports so hat the foundries
Of these would have had cheaper pig iron than
ever before
Then Mr.. Carnegie said emphatically:
80 am certain that the Empire state can
maintain her position the Empire state
only by developing her manufacturing fn-
ciHties through the Erie Canal. ii is well
known that the port of New-fork is not
ceiving her due proportion of the increase
exports imports. The other fact, per-
haps not well known, thnt the state of
New-YoTk. excluding greater Se~-York. is
not increasing fast in population as her
great rival for FIRST place. Pennsylvania,
but IL Is
Mr.. Carnegie closed his letter by saying:
Il strongly in favor of the bill recon-
mended by the Governor. because it keeps the
path open for another step forward in due time
to the ideal canal, which [ believe the future
will demand
Frank :. Witherbee especially presented the
views Of the canal Of the Champlain Val
ley in favor Of the bill. NIr Witherbee said that
the Champlain Canal had in many places been
deepened 10 seven feet All that was desired
Il Is said that addition OK 250OO0O TO the
S2SOOOOOO appropriated for the Erie will i'm
prove the Champlain to the degree desired by
Mr- Witherbee and other canal men of the
Champaln Valley Mr.. Witherbee added that
he had recently visited Europe and there
in the improvement Of its canals Russia was
expending S20O,000,00O in canal improvements
and Germany about to expend many mill
ions. Electric traction the canals would
greatly cheaper the cost of ansportation and
in France electric traction was successfully en-
pjloyed the canals.
Speeches in opposition TO the bill were made
by Senator Amber and by John r Platt OF
Poughkeepsie Mr.. Platt made a long arc,I-
ment, trying to convince the Canal Commitfee
that the canals are Improbable
George Clinton. in reply, argued that the
and Mr.. Hebert, of New-York said that the
railway rates for the transportation OF grain
were higher than for several years previously
in 1901 because Of the lack of effective competi-
tiOn by the canals
The committee took no action upon the bill.