Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-01-18
will Follow Completion Of Barge
Canal Two Years Hence.
Members Of Commercial Cluk UPged
to Answer Certain Questions BASED
on the New Conditions Of
Transportation.

members the following statement:
THE New York State Bnrge Canal
connecting Lake Champlain with tho
Hudson and points southerly and running
through central New York State to Lake
Erie and points westerly. will probably
be completed at the opening Of naviga.
ton In 1914.
The channel through the 'Narrows' Of
Lake Champlaln should be widcned,
deepened and Strengthened to accom-
modate the traffic which Is expected TO
come into Lake Champlain through tho
barge canal. This work will he done by
the federal government How much
money should he expended in improving
the Narrows' obviously depends upon
how much traffic will pass through that
waterway.
1.-The United States engineer Lieut.. r.
d. Black of Albany. y. V, having in
charge the work OF improving the Mar
rows. has asked us to obtain for him
certain information upon which he can
base his recommendations OF how much
money should be expended In such i'm
prOvement.
TO assist in furnishing this informa.
ton will you kindly answer the questions
placed at the end OF this circular. basing
your estimate upon the following nssump.
lions. namely:
According to the Information furnished
by Lieutenant Black. and other most
competent authority. II is estimated that
the new waterway (under maximum condi.
tons OF efficiency Of use) will afford q
ton-mie charge for moving heavy low
value freight between New York and Bur-
rington. which may sink as low as 1-2
mills per ton mile, or in other words Is
to co cents per ton for the 900 mile haul
between New York and Burlington.
THE change Is almost certain not
to rise above two and one-half mills
per ton milo for low grade traffic and
four mills for the highest grade traf-
fic. even II the waterway Is not used
under conditions OF full efficiency.
The railroads must and will meet
these water rates during the season OF
navigation. except where time Is OF the
essence Of the transportation service
performed. And wen in this latter
instance 1t is not unlikely that the rail-
rates will be scaled down so as TO ex-
coed the competitive water rates only
by the amount OF soile fxad difyeren-
tlal.
>. AT present one Of the lowest
commodity carload freight rates from
New York to Burlington, Is exactly
eight miles per ton mile. The lowest
commodity rate from Burlington 10
New York is over eight and six
tcnths mills. Our apples lin barrels
and carloads) now go by rail for this
haul at IL and one-half mills
per ton mile Ns and one-haif cents
per hundred pounds: our granite at
ten and sixteenth mills Irregular quot
ed rate) or 16 cents per hundred
pounds. At present the lowest Glass"
rate between Burlington and New York
in either direction Is tho same as tho
rate on granite; and the highest
"class" rate Con south bound traffic,
is "a mills per ton mile, or 81 cents
per hundred pounds.
7. 1T should not be overlooked that
the barges due in two years to use tho
port of Burlington can carry carroe,
to and from all the important cities
along the line of the barge cana, in
New York State, to and from all noirts
on the Great Lakes. and down the Hud.
son to New York city. Soon there is
TO be canal across Cape Cod and n
large canal connecting New York with
trenton. Philadelphia. Baltimore. etc
not to mention the projected inter.
costal canal extending to the R,o
Grande in Texas.
branches OF the New York s....
barge canal will extend TO within
few miles Of the anthracite con, ee,as
and bituminous coal will be brouvr,
from po'hts near the Chesapeake Bav
= TO get an exact idea of the now
dispensat'on In transportation that IL
coming for this whole region In tho
near future. let any shipper ascertain
the distance Of the points that viii
be reached by the new waterway west
and south. to which he sends freight
or from which ne receives fre,pht
multiply the number of miles nv tho
prospective ton-mile water rates civ.
on above q mills. 3 mills, 4 mills ar.
cording to the class Of merchandise,
and divide by 20 to get the rate ne,
hundred pounds. and then comnare
this last figure with what he ia now
paying for carriage by rail,
ut Ia hoped that each one will Az.
swer these questions mainly from the
point of view OF the business win
which he Is personally most familiar
trade. agriculture. quarrying. or man.
ufacture, as the onse may be. and %.
pecially is 1t desired and specifically
requested by Lieutenant Black tha,
each indicate the nature Of the rea.
soning and data by which he arrival
at his conclusion. in order that tho 80.
Inmates or opinions or conclus,on.
may be subject to review and veria-
cation without involving considera-
t'on OF the commercial experience or
sagacify Of their authors"
QUESTIONS.
Upon the basis OF the new conditions Of
transportation set forth above
First What in your opinion will 10 the
probable expansion OF existing trade o,
Industry In northern Vermont using
burlington as gateway by rail and
water?
Second What Is your opinion with re-.
spect to the possible or probable estab-
lishment Of new industries or new lines
OF trade:
In view Of the fact that Lieut.. Black
wants the information In question sent
to him by January u. II win be necessary
for all concerned 10 act with the utmost
promptness
Frank e. Hooper. the wsll-known sv'
thority on mining. who has become large
~ Interested In the Vermont constructien
company. was quoted as saying that the
development Of the champlain waterway
would facilitate the handling OF large