Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1909-07-10
CANAL
VIEWED
TO-DAY Y
Senators and Newspaper
Men Guests Of P. R. R.
on the Trip.
SOME HISTORICAL
FACTS REGARDING 1T
Party on Inspection Tour
Left New Brunswick
This Morning.
Special to the EVENING NEWS

New Brunswick, July I0.-The Sen
ate Committee appointed to investigate
the Delaware and Raritan Canal, at the
instigation of Senator Silzer, of Mid
dlesex, is making tour of that water
way today. Senators Bradley, Leavett
and Silzer compose the committee and
they, with party of newspapermen
are the guests of the Pennsylvania rail
road on the tug Relief.
The start was made at outlet lock
here at 1923 o clock this morning The
trip will end at Bordentown and the
party will go home by train.
The object of the trip of inspection
is to determine as far as can be done
what has caused the falling off in the
traffic over the canal in the past TWEEN
ty years or more. Last year, Senator
Silzer made motion that joint com
mittee of Assemblymen and Senators be
appointed by the heads of the State
legislative bodies, for the purpose of
making this tour of investigation The
Senate Committee was appointed but the
the House. At the legislative session
just passed, Senator Silzer again intro
duced his motion calling for but one
body, the Senate Investigating Commit
|tee
A brief idea as to the extent of the
falling off Of the canal traffic in late
years may be gained from citation of
the fact that in 1871 the net earnings of
|of the Delaware and Raritan Canal were
81, ,212, ,429, while in 1903 the books of
the company showed deficit of $112,-
1913. In the following year, 1904, the
last year concering which figures about
the traffic could be obtained, the deficit
was again huge and showed loss of
|$103,21S.
The Delaware snd Raritan Canal
Company received its charter in 1880,
and became consolidated with the Cam
den and Amboy Railroad Company in
the following year. The company re-
sultiDg from this consolidation construc-
ted the canal and operated it until S67,
when it united with the New Jersey
Railroad Company.
The new company took the name of
the United New Jersey Railroad and
Canal Company, which is still the real
owner of the canal.
In May, 1871, however,. the canal,
which in five years had increased its
profits from little over half million
to twice that amount, was leased to
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for
1899 years. AS that was 38 years ago,
the railroad still has 961. prospective
years of control.
The Pennsylvania Railroad further
pays 10 per cent. each year ON the total
stock Of the united companies. Three
years after the railroad received its
lease, viz, in 1874, there were 2,308,-
|671 tons of freight carried over the
canal Thereafter there was an ap-
preciable falling off in the tonnage
carried, and for the past 10 years the
figures are not obtainable.
In 1899, the last year for which the
figures can be obtained, the books
Ishowed that in less than 20 years the
traffic had fallen off from more than
100000 tons carried each year, to
but little over a million. Three years
later the first annual deficit of 1870 was
announced for the year. In 1898, the
year following the first deficit, the los
Ises had jumped to $14,330, and ten
years later had increased to ten times
that. deficit.
TO find wherein comes this falling
'offI of traffic and the apparent abandon
ment of the canal, is the work of the
Senate Investigating Committee.
Whether or not the railroad company
discouraged transportation on the canal
in order to better by the higher rates
on the railroad, an assertion that has
often been made, is one of the problems
that must be thrashed out~and answer
ed, for in the report of the committee
Any. attempt to get an idea of what
business is being done over the canal
at the present time, or through the
Trenton Transportation Company, a
subsidiary concern, organized largely
for the Roebling traffic, meets with
practically fiat refusal on the part of
the officials asked to give the present
tonnage, or the loss or gain of late
years.