The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-13
SHALL THE cow LOSE HER JOB?
M'GJIRE'S PASTORAL PEA FOR
THE BARGE CANAL.
Vote Against II and You Retire the Hen
From Her LIES WOrk--A saranac
Lake Impertinent Properly Bewis-
derct,-Cnr short age Gives anal Work.

Observe the Hon. James X Mcclure,
ex-Mayor of Syracuse and former chair
man of the Democratic State Executive
Committee, as he climbs up on the 1000
ton-barge canal platform and takes
seat beside the Hon William James Con-
ners of Buffalo. A sad song he pipes, Tor
his mind Is on the time when the city OF
New York, minus canal, shall have so
diminished that it will no longer offer a
market for the produce OF the rest OF the
State II is his voice in tho ear OF Syra-
cuse Herald reporter:
See the streams of milk trains winding
their way into New York every moment from
OnondnKa Madison and twenty more coun-
ties up the State; the trainoads oil berries
from Oswcgo county, cheese from ONEIDA
and Herkimcr counties. butter from thirty
COUNTIES Eggs from AZ many Hpre. ncps
GRAPES from Yates and Seneca. apples from
Orleans and Ontario, VINE from Steuben -
rever-ending PROCESSION OF lar , prou a ,h
farms OF our State would be blasted ana
Deserted as though a famine had swept over
and blighted the land
twenty counties dry up. Tell the hen her
industry is purposeless and give her ham
mock. No barge canalp What New Yorker
would like to have his milk, butter and
eggs brought down by boat from Onon-
daga and Madison? Mayor McGure's
pastoral on the relation Of the farmer to
New York city deserves high place in the
literature of the pro-canal party.
From a cool nook At Saranac Lake cor
respondent writes to the Evening Post, asking
questions, of which these are samples:
Have We any accurate statistics on which
to base estimates of the benefits TO be derived
from barge canal?
We all know that the present Erie Canal
has passed its day Of usefulness, that the old
Delaware and Hudson Canal has been aban,
doned and that the Pennsylvania Railroad
las seriously considered the closing OF the
Delaware and Raritan Canal because II no
longer pays. Is 1t not reasonable TO ask
Would not barge canal such as Is proposed
soon become relic OF the past? In other
words, IL interior water transportation worth
the expenditure OF such large sum as 500. :
600. 600? Why should the State rather build
a canal than build great highway for cleo
trically propelled trains?
ia barge canal were a paying proposition
why has it not already been built by private
company?
The Canal Associations handbook on
how to dodge directs that, when such CUES
should be carried out into maze OF fig
ures of expenditures made or proposed
for European canals, and the Erenin0 Post
followed Instructions, Comparisons Of
canals here and in Europe must be studied
in the light Of the fact that the coat Of
freight hauls in Europe 10 more than
three times the cost in this country, The
average expense OF moving freight on the
London and Northwestern il 386 per cent.
Of the cost per ton per mile on the Penn
sylyania Railroad Such conditions make
possible canal competition in European
countries on terms that are impossible
here and render such comparisons absurd.
The lO0-ton engine of to-day with its
possibilities on constantly improved road
beds will make the SiOi ,0OO, 900 canal obso-
lete and non-competitor long before the
l,0OO-ton barge has earned its own cost IN
gross freights,
An article in the Buffalo Express on the
demand for locomotives and cars by the
railroad companies confirms the explana-
ton made by shipper in The Sun that
the increased traffic on the canal for the
three months Of navigation was due to the
fact that the railroads could not carry the
freight and the canal got a share at rates
almost as high, and In some cases az high
az the all-rail rates The Express on Aug.
said:
This is day Of unprecedented condi-
tions. Railroads are absolutely refusing
consignments az they cannot avoid delays
in those they receive
In two years the Pennsylvania Railroad
has added 10 900 freight cars 10 it's stock,
and it Is buying one locomotive a day
The canals gain Is due to nothing but the
failure Of the shippers to get their freight
moved East by rail,
A report from Lake Mohonk says that
Gov Odell may take the campaign for the
slOl 900 900 referendum out Of the hands Of
the Canal Association and run II himself.
The act puts the whole Job in the hands
Of the Governor and his appointees.
Does the price suit you, or is II little
high2