The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-01-22
The Old D. and II. Canal.

| aware q hudson canal, extending from
Honesdale to the Hudson River, l, 49, :
800 tons of freight. This is more than
half the tonnage carried on the Erie
canal and all its. branches in either 1906
or 1907 and it nearly equals the tonnage
carried last year. The combined tonnage
of the Champlain, the Cayuga and Sene-
ca and the Black River canals fell below
that of the Delaware & Hudson in 1889
by more than 650,0O0 tons.
The tonnage of the D. & H. up to
twenty years ago was increasing at the
rate of 100, 900 tons a decade, while that
of the Erie and its branches was decreas-
ing and has since decreased approx
mately million tons decade.
In the decade following 1899 nine
million dollars was expended in the i'm
provement of the Erie. Simultaneously
policy of ruin with respect to the Del
aware & Hudson was inaugurated, and
has continued until to-day the water
way is to all practical purposes aban-
doned only a few miles, extending
from Rondout westward, to accom-
modate the cement trade, being in opera
ton. Its tonnage two years ago was
81 900 tons, exceeding only that of the
Black River canal.
In view of the d. & HIS showing in
1899 it is reasonable conjecture that if
the waterway had been taken care of
and improved to meet the requirements
OF traffic, its tonnage would now almost
equal that of oil other canals in the State
of New York.
There are no elevators at either ter
minal OF the Delaware & Hudson canal.
That is why the "canal interests" IN the
New York Legislature have not been
heard for the improvement of this water
way, with its promise for cheaper fuel
for New York and New England. Barg-
es could float from the coal fields and
discharge their cargoes at docks of cities
for the supply of a million homes and
thousands of manufacturing establish
ments.
So-called 'coal roads" completely
control the situation, and will continue
to unless the waterway is restored. A
large part of the price of coal represents
the transportation charge, which the
government has proved the roads are
in combine to maintain.
The bituminous field in Western
Pennsylvania has a water outlet in the
Monongahela-P Pennsylvania West and Vir
ginia canal, which last year carried more
than $4,000, 900 tons of freight The
economic effect of this waterway is felt
throughout the West, where in almost
every section coal sells forless than here.
-
On Jan. 28th, at noon, the Cuban
people will come into their own for the
second time at the hands of the Ameri-
can government. This last intervention
was in September, 1905, when COM
pany of marines landed at TIN palace
from the United States cruiser Denver
and halted victorious revolutionary
army on the outskirts of Havana. The
members of the Cuban Congress had be-
come Indifferent, and for months prior
to the revolution it had been impossible
to secure the attendance of a quorum.
This necessitated government by presi-
dental decree, and it was quickly fol-
lowed by the cry that President Palma
was usurping the power and assuming
the role of dictator. The American pro-
visional governor, Chas. E. Magoon,
has done all that it was possible for him
to do to prevent a recurrence of this
state of affairs by decreeing that Con-
gressmen who do not attend the sessions
shall not receive pay, and providing
limitations to the securing by them of
leave ofabsence. These rules, however,
have already been declared dictatorial
and irksome by the Congressman, and
an attempt undoubtedly soon will be
made to repeal or amend them. The
Congressman also are even now discus
sing an increase in their salaries from
$500 to $500 month, although the Gu
ban Constitution, like that of the United
States, declares that an increase in sal
aries shall be effective only in succeed
ing Congresses to that amending the
law.