The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-28
AS CANADA SEES BARGEWAY.
NOT ALARMED BY THE COMPETE
TON OF A SHALLOW DITCH.
An American Ship Canal Might BE Re-
garded With Apprehension. but ~
Canada Now Has lA-Foot Canals and
Is Planning Deeper Ones, l7-FOOt
Waterway Doesn't Scare Her Much.


waterway Doesn't Scare Her Much.
The Rochester Chamber Of Commerce
sent commissioner into Canada to study
the canal system there, in operation, under
construction and projected, and to ascer-
tain II the artificial waterways there stood
in danger from the proposed SOL 100000
canal across New York State, on which
the people are to vote next November.
In his report to President Dunn Com
missioner Dennis says that the intelligent
Canadian does not feel at all disturbed
about the proposed 12-foot waterway here.
An American ship canal which would re-
ceive the vessels Of the Great Lakes and
take them to the seaboard with their car
goes unbroken would be regarded as
menace to Canadian commerce, but having
now canals deeper than ours will be when
completed ten or fifteen years hence,
ordered by the people. the Canadians feel
no apprehension about competition. As
the Canadians abandoned their own l0-foot
canals many years ago, l2-foot waterway
seems to them to be trivial in these days
when engineering skill has opened up the
possibilities Of ship canals.
"The view is becoming pretty general
among publicists across the border that
the approval of the first appropriation OF
Sol 900 900 for the deepening Of the Erie
Canal to IL feet, by vote OF the people
of the State OF New York, and the actual
beginning OF the work, will be the signal
for the turning of that waterway, as well
as the treasury of the State, over to polit-
ical grafterS and plundering contractors
for the next generation Your commits
soner was obliged to admit in all candor
that this opinion is shared by many people
south of the boundary line, reports Com
missioner Dennis.
AS stated in a former report to your
honorable body the settled policy OF the
Canadians is to keep ahead OF the American
canals. The Welland and St. Lawrence
canals now have minimum depth OF Is
feet in the locks. and it is held, on its face
apparently not without reason, that the pro-
posed enlargement of the Erie Canal by
deepening it to IL feet In the locks will be
in no sense dangerous competitions; and
here again they call the attention OF the
American visitor to their abandoned H.
foot barge canals.
The effect which entering upon the
work Of deepening the Erie Cana to IL feet
would have on the future Of the Montreal,
Ottawa and Georgian Bay navigation is
question upon which Canadians do not en-
tirely agree. On one hand it is argued hat
the expenditure Of the sums which will be
ultimately required for the enlargement
OF the Erie Canal to a depth OF IL feet will
be futile so far as real compel ton with
Canadian canals is concerned Therefore,
it is commended. the Dominion can AFFORD to
hold the great Lake Huron Montreal ship
canal proposition in allegiance until the
Americans show a disposition to do some
thing in the direction of genuine ship
canal
"On the other hand there are not few
who thAnk the burden imposed by the at.
tempt to enlarge the Erie Canal to depth OF
IL feet will result in time in the United
States Government coming to the relief OF
the State and constructing an inland ship
canal 20 feet deep, practically on the line
of the present Erie Canal. Those who hold
to the latter theory contend that not only
should the present St Lawrence and We'll
land canal systems be fostered but enlarged
to 20 feet in depth in accordance with the
avowed policy, and that no time should be
lost in entering upon the work of canalizing
the French River. Lake Nipissing, and the
Mattewan and ottawa rivers"