Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-04
MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1920.
Canal Should BE Restored.


Recalling the closing of the Delaware ano
Raritan canal, and emphasizing the ire
mcndous value il would be at the present
day in the transportation Of freight and
the reduction Of rates, a Delaware dele
gate "a the Atlantic Deeper Waterways
Association, in convention at Auanuo
City. this week, directs attention to the
fact that when the Raritan canal WIS
leased to the Pennsylvania Railroad Cn.'
in 1871. u was the avenue through which
1000. 600 tons of freight were shipped
yearly between New York and the South,
much Of which WAS to or from tins city
Recounting the boats carrying ireieht
through this canal, he shows there were
two lines from Philadelphia which sent
out two boats a day each way; one hne
from Philadelphia to New England ports
making three trips a week; a weekly
trip 10 Albany and Troy to Phiia-
delphia: line from Wilmington max
inc three trips week to New York,
and the Baltimore transportation line,
that ran steamers daily between New
York and Baltimore. In addition, the
Reading railroad ran a hne of schooners
from Port Richmond, Philadelphia, to
Long Island.
With the leasing of the canal 10 the
railroad. Il was filled up, and at points
along its route. heavy buttressed bridges
have been built, so that the waterway is
out Of commission for all time. The tax
inc over of the canal by the railroad, IN
1871. for term Of 900 years, of course
put a stop to all transportation, and the
rent, which amounted 70 1854, 740 year,
WAS Immediately added to the cost OF
freight that i. born annually by shippers
~ Phfladclphia. Chester, Wilmington and
Baltimore. The lease by the railroad, 1t
may nc added, provided for its renewal,
il the railroad company 90 elects, IN the
wear 2S72, for another thousand years.
A new canal contemplated to extend
from Bordentown, through Morristown
to South Amboy according TO the weli-in-
formed Delaware delegate, would take
the place of the Raritan canal and give
this section and the entire South cheaper
freight rstes 10 the cities of q large section
of the Atlantic Coast, and through the
Ere canal bring the South TO direct water
connection with the Great lakes and
Canada.
Unless such s link as the contemplated
cut through Eew Jersey isfmade, our IN
forrnant declares that the big purpose of
deepening the Chesapeake & Delaware
canal viii be lost
II II obvious, by referring TO the map,
that this waterway from Bordentown, on
the Delaware river below Trenton, to
South Amboy and eventually the Great
Lakes by way OF the Erie canal, would 60
very long way towards solving the freight
problem, both ss to congestion and rates,
and that cheap freights 20 markets for the
manufactured product and for the bring
ing Of raw material, would tremendously
increase the industrial importance Of this
and all other sections touched by these
waterways. II would enable Wilmington,
with other cities, TO realize fully upon her
splendid opportunities that have been al
most neglected in the past. Her shipment
facilities would be unsurpassed with the
Of the canal system and
the development of our port and dock
facilities, now under way. The proposition
I,F - or
lantic City, and in view of its Importance,
our delegation may be expected to firmly
stand by any movement for its encourage
nent.
The former opposition Of the steam rail-
roads, which was sufficiently powerful In |
several notable instances to entirely de- |
ssroy the business of inland waterways, |
after the manner of its disposal of the |
Delaware and Raritan canal, is not likely |
10 be encountered any more. The rail- |
roads already are congested with freight |
business, and as the country increases in
population. they will be unable to proper
y accommodate the local business, on ac-
'ount Of the pressure OF long-distance ship |
nents Then the canal will come in as not |
,nly convenient, but an essential agency
4 local service. With large part of the
,ountry as densely populated as some
European countries are, these inland
waterways would be as useful and profit |
bile here as they are there, and it is not |
that many Of them viii be con-
trueted.