New-York tribune., 1921-09-23
Oppose Use of
u. S. Funds for
Canada's Canal
Hudson Valley Committee
Meets Here to Open Cam
paign Against Government
Aiding ST. Lawrence Plan
Holds Farmers Are Misled
ID e clares ST. 800, 600, 900
Cost Would Infict 80 Per
Cent Burden ON This State

declaring that construction of the
proposed st. Lawrence Ship Canal
would result merely in bringing pros
perity to Canadian cities at the expense
of those of the United States, the exec
utive committee of a conference or
ganized by the Hudson Valley FEEDER
ated Chamber of Commerce to fight gov
ernment participation in the project
yesterday began a campign to organ
lze national opposition to plans that
this nation share in it's cost.
Following meeting held at the
Union League Club, the committee
members issued declaration that the
canal, if constructed, will lie chiefly
in Canadian territory, that farmers Of
the Middle West have been misled into
believing that it would permit deep sea
vessels to load at Great Lakes ports,
and that the New York Barge Canal is
ample for the present transportation
needs concerned "and can be expanded
indefinitely"
The cost of construction, it is esti-
mated, would be at least $1,000, 900, 900,
exclusive Of the deepening of port
harbors, and with the citizens of New
York State paying about 80 per cent of
the appropriation of Federal funds.
Such an enterprise, if undertaken,
should be undertaken entirely by the
Canadian government or financed by
the funds of private interests, the coin
mittee believes.
Wrong Impression Prevails
sit is our intention to launch an ed
ucational movement designed to ac-
quaint the rest of the nation with the
transportation facilities, by water and
rail, and the resources and attractive
ness of the state, and to allay the
prejudice which exists at present in
the Middle West against New York,
especially against New York City.
"It is pointed out that two-thirds OF
this canal if and when it is con-
structed, will lie in Canadian terrific. y,
and that one-third of it will be on the
border between the two countries.
Farmers in the Middle West and the
business interests in cities like Du
luth, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and
even Rochester and Oswego in New
York State, have been misled into an
impression that deep sea vessels can
load and unload at Great Lakes ports,
and that consequently products of the
farm and factory can be shipped direct
to all parts of the world at low cost
and much profit.
at is said that the strongest advo-
Gates of the canal are the farmers of
the Middle West. This class has been
LED to believe that through the St.
Lawrence Canal their grain could be
exported several cents cheaper than
through present channels. But if Mon
treal or some other Canadian city be-
comes the export point for American
farm products and Liverpool continues
to be the great import city the car
riers can make the price of grain re-
gardless of the farmer.
Exploration To Be Made
1--WE have no fight with any section
of the United States or with any other
country over the construction of any
means to facilitate transportation and
thus encourage production and trade.
But we believe that the Hudson River
and the New York State Barge canals
will continue to be what they always
have been, the natural and most eco
nomical channels of trade both East
and West.
We are organizing every interest in
this state not for selfish sectional ad-
vancement or with the fear that the
st. Lawrence Canal would drag bust
ness away from the state, but because
we want to help in the work of bring
ing US back to prosperity"
AS an early step in the campaign, the
conference plans in October to act as
congressman and governors of several
states for weeks exploration of the
barge canal and other waterways of
the state