The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-03-13
ME CANALS OF OHIO
THEIR PAST HISTORY AND
FUTURE POSSIBILITIES
Written for The News Democrat by W. A. TAYLOR

W loOl, ~ pdiu iDtO tut JcdouIy a
net revenue over and above oil the
expenditures, and over and above the
cost of maintenance, operation, etc.
Some idea OF the extent of this reve-
nue. may be gained by the official fig
nres Of the record, when 1t is said
that for the period Of ten years rum
ming from 1s47 to 1857 the average
net annual revenue direct from the
canals, was $4,000 per year.
This was only the direct revenue
| derived from the states investment IN
the canal system. It's indirect r5ve-
nue. was infinitely greater as will be
shown by a glance at the auditors
and secretary of states reports, cover
ing the increase in the tax duplio ate,
from which the remainder Of the gen.
eral revenues were derived In 1870,
the total Of the tax duplicate was
| I$1t2,326, ,156. In 1850, 1t was $439,-
6,340; an increase Of $327, ,550,1S4 or
about 200 per cent. In 1860 1t was
! sSSS S,5G2,601, an increase in ten years
of more than 400 per cent ard In
twenty years Of more than 500 per
cent. This was during the best
twenty years of the system, and while
! the bulk of the increase OF the dupli-
cate was in the canal counties, the
benefits of the increase of duplicate
extended to every county, in the
gathering of the general revenues Ct
the state into the treasury.
| The total duplicate Of the state in
1860 was $sSS,302 COL. In 1900, forty
years later, it was 1884, ,053,22S, an
increase Of but little more than 200
per cent during the period in which
the canal system was being systemat
tcally neglected and the states splen-
did property was being permitted to
! go to waste. These figures, standing
alone, ought to be both suggestive
and argumentative.
In 1861 the state leased the oanal9
to private parties for a period of ten
years. which was subsequently ex-
tended to twenty. 1t will be recalled
that for the ten years between 1S47
and 1857 the net revenue of the ca
nails was something over eight per
cent on the investment of $16 O00 000
Disastrous floods in 1853 and 1860. re-
duced the net revenue somewhat, so
that 1t was paying but 6.5 re. cent
in 1861 when the lease was made. At
that It was splendidly paying prop
orty, but the state in. moment of
temporary alteration, or of unmeas-
nred gerSNosity. leased it to the phi
vate parties for $20,075 per year Dur
ing the II years and the lessees oper-
atod the canals they paid into tn
state treasury the sum Of S401 600 all
of which, with S104.0C0 in addition
the legislature appropriated hack to
them, for the making of repairs which
the terms of the lease required at
their hands.
Then in 1877 they turned TIE di,ar-
idated system back to the state to b.
neglected and buffeted for the last
quarter of century. with no net rev
enue whatsoever. At tie best, FIR the
20 years preceding the lease of tho
canals. the net revenue averaged S.5
per cent per annum, at the worst 6.J
per cent on the $16,000,00O originally
invested. Had the state continued 10
manage its own property in a busi-
pess-like way, since 1861. at the high
est figure the net revenue would have
aggregated at the close Of 1902 s5 .
$4,000, while at the lowest il wolla
have been S4,2000 600, independent Of
the general increase of incidental rev.
enues because of an expanded tax Gu-
plicate, and without taking into con.
sideration the modern methods of ca
nal management, depth Of draft, lock-
age and motive power. which could
have multiplied the direct revenue by
from three to five, or even more.
These were some but net all. OF the
facts, which stared the SPECIAL COM
mission in the face when they SIT
about their work. There were her
economic questions and problems ia
connection with the system, and pcs
sihilities in state growth and enlarge
ed commerce, and the reconcilemento of
the contradictory idea that there II
any rivalry in the different systeps
of transportation, save the rivalry to
meet all demands and give good serv-
Ice. while all Of them reap rich re-
wards, the narration Of which will he
interesting.