New-York tribune., 1918-10-08
Smith Is Charged
With loose Talk"
About Barge Canal
Chairman Sears Refutes AS
sertion That Inland Water
way Is Incomplete

Joseph II. Sears, chairman of the
Whitman Whitcbook Campaign Com
mittee, and head Of the Appleton pub
fishing interests, says that the State
barge canal is finished, and that the
Federal government is operating it..
He adds that if Alfred f. Smith,
Democratic candidate for Governor,
says it isn't finished, he is very loose
talkcr. or words to that effect. When
the Democratic candidate for governor
heard last night what Mr.. Sears had
been saying about the barge canal, and
himself, he said:
Sears may be a good book publisher,
but what he doesn't know about the
barge canal would fill all the books
in his store"
In a formal statement last night
Mr.. Sears said:
"In view of the fact that the Tam
many candidate for Governor has de-
clared he will finish the barge canal,
if elected it may be of interest to
him and his friends to learn that the
barge canal has already been finished.
The Democratic State Committee ap-
parently is as ignorant of the real
facts as is the Tammany candidate, for
it repeats his error. General Wothor-
spoon, formerly chief of staff of the
United States Army, and Superintend-
cnt of Public Works, who supervlses
the canals of this state, has written
to me the following letter, whicn
speaks for itself:
Dear Mr.. Sears:
Z" \ notice that the Democratic candi-
date for Governor, in his speech Of
acceptance at Syracuse On September
26, declared that the barge canal ter
lnjnals care not built ana the canal
promises a speedy completion of the
canal and terminals and intimates that
the great inland waterway is standing
idle.
Ignorance Is Charged
"'Such a statement evidently was
made by the candidate without knowl-
edge on his part of the facts. He
should know, as do all shipping inter
csts, that the improved canal from
Buffalo to Troy, with its terminals, is
finished. Boats of the maximum di-
mension are speedily and safely navi-
eating the channel. Each terminal
aock along its line is equipped with
warehouse and freight handling ra-
chinery and is efficiently handling the
business offered. On this subject H.
S. Noble, Federal Manager, represent
ing the United States Railroad Admin
istration, this week, said:
The channel from Lake Erie to the
Hudson River is a splendid one, and
terminal equipment at every point is
IN efficient operating condition. The
state has furnished a splendid water
way. and now that the United States
government has undertaken the move
mcnt of freight upon it it only remains
for the shipper to give US the business
Freight service will be extended as
! traffic increases. At present we are
carrying considerable amount of tor
mage, but the available equipment
could handle much more"
Continuing. General Wotherspoon
says:
"As you are aware, since May the
movement of freight on the canal has
been under the control of the Federal
authorities through the United States
railroad administration, and answer to
the partisan charge that the great in
land waterway is standing idle in any
degree should come from them.
Claim for Election Fails
al this is a sample Of the Tammanv
candidates acquaintance with state af-
fairs. which he exploits, his one claim
Tor election falls to the ground" said
Mr.. Sears.
When Mr.. Smiths attention was
called to the Sears statement he said:
"The barge canal was intended TO
provide for a certain depth of water
for 2,000-ton barges. The purpose of the
canal was TO take barge freights from
the Great Lakes to tidewater in New
York City. The canal is not finished.
and will not be finished until 2,OOO-ton
barges can go through to tidewater.
Sears may be a good book publisher,
but what he does not know about the
canal would fill all the books in his
store"