New-York tribune., 1903-05-26
THEY OBJECT TO CANAL.
Senators against Barge WaterzpQu
Issue Statement.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE ]

TBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNEl
Albany. May 25--Canal champions are scarce
=, Albany County since the route Of the proposed
hs-re canal cuts the county out and makes thu
+s-r7inus Of the improved Erie at Waterford
IN Saratoga County. Governor Odeu does not
osre 70 say more than he has already said in his
ofcial comments on the subject The RenuhIi
ran Senators VINO sign the argument against the
nroposed enlargement Of the canals are all Re-
publioans. and fourteen of them voted against
the bill when il was in the Senate Senator
stevens who signs il. was absent when the bjlI
passed. hUt would have voted against If had H.
been present Senator Amber was paired with
Senator Frawley. of New-York. he also Is an
snti-caaal man. The sixteen Senators represent
over half the counties Of the State but they
are not the more populous counties OF the
counties Of the southern tier the Senators who
append their names TO this anti-canal s~~-e9
represent all but Orange. Rockland. Tior.
Broome; they also represent the north-.n n
counties except Clinton. Oswego. Orleans md
Niagara. Nearly all the counties on the
Hudson up To Albany. and all the coun-
ties on the line Of the Erie except
schenectady. Montgomery. Madison Oneonta
and the extreme Western counties. are in dis
r-icts Of opposing Senators. Senator White. who
rsrresents Onondaga County. has been out Of
TIE Stare recovering his health It is under
STOOD, however. that he would have been with
the opposition had he been present either before
OF after the session 10 co so and that his coun-
n of Onondaga is not over friendly TO the
project This sef-appointed committee Of sena-
tors was first called together Immediately after
re legislative session ended. and il is under
stood that Senator Merton E Lewis Of Roches-
tsT. has been at work OF this address ever since
Il wss then determined TO issue appeal to the
people 70 vote against the proposition TO expend
Slol-OO0.0oo in improving and enIarging the
States waterways The argument and the sign
ers represent nothing but the hostility to the
canals Of the rural interior counties, where i
has always been expected 10 find such opposi-
ton It is therefore not e new force to count
On but the same that has been repeatedly de-
fested by the canal men OF New-York and Buf-
falo.
IN addition 70 those mentioned the following
Senators sign the document: John Raines, Elon
P Brown, Merton E. Lewis. lothian P Aids.
William ". Armstrong. Walter L Brown, Will
ian D Barnes. James 3. BI'Ewan. Albert T.
Fancher. Frank j. Lefevre, George r. OIalby.
Franklin D Sherwood, Edwin Q Stewart and
Benjamin NJ Wilcox
Their statement is addressed TO The People"
snd reads, in part, as follows,
The Senators who voted against the thousano-ton
barge canal bill deem il proper IN view OF the fact
the bill cannot become law unless ratified by
Statement 70 their constituents and TO the people
large Of their for opposing its passage.
While Il Is manifest that the canal as Il now
ests or as Il IS projected must necessarily arIect
localities through which il passes, and particularly
the terminals OF New-Tork and Buffalo more than
other OF the State, Go not base our oppoS
ton .pon sectional or local hostility The canals.
but upon what We believe VIII be the evils and ~---
fortunes Of the whole State and its people a-1=
Ing upon the adoption cf the particular measu-7
under consideration
We recognize the fac1 that great benefits 10 i'm
po-ran1 sections OF Ihe STATE benefit the entire
Safe. n not secured at the expense Of other sec
tlons but determined thai claInor rom
en6 Buffalo shall not be substituted 1or reason n
ths examination OF the question thus 20 pc SUB
this clernor comes from the interests IN those
cities that have by their exacCoas and overchArses
<o- docks elevators and other terminal TaCllltes
enriched themselves At The public expense while di
rec-ly contributing TO The decline OF canal com
% canal influence they have succeeded II ceIeat-
ing year after year legislative relief from his op-
these exacCoass covering q period OF upward o.
twenty years have proved so great e deterrent 10
canal commerce that II has steadily declined curing
I'll rhat ZINE, notwithstanding Ireeoon from Jo--s
granted by he State, they seek 70 have the STATE
enlarge the field Of their operations and 70 pre-
expense We therefore appeal the people il these
great cities which our pride as We'll as theirs
We deny that there is any condition emergency
n the development OF these great commercial cen
tres, OF any lesson 70 De learned from their his
tory which would justify the levyng Of taxes upon
he property OF the State The incu-ring Of &
State Indebtedness fer initial expenditure ot
Z the welfare OF the State De viewed wholly
hound ID in the highest possible rate Of increase in
esfi 10 see how the projectors Of the canal
expect growth II either much in excess Of the
sesseo valuation Of the city Of New-York treating
that city composed Of the counties OF Kings
eief-v years sre shown in the following table:
Assessed valuation