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May, 1925 the state constitution, navigation of the canals is free, no charge being made for passage through the locks. The constitu- tion also provides that the canals shall not be sold, leased, or otherwise disposed of, but must remain the property of the state forever. Appropriations to meet the cost of maintenance and operations are made yearly from the state treasury. Under the law, the state cannot be held liable for damages sustained while navi- gating the canals. Floating Equipment Obsolete The present floating equipment on the canal can be classified. about as fol- lows: There are 700 barges, each barge being between 300 and 500 net tons deadweight capacity on canal draft. The draft of these barges are 8 and 10 feet respectively. Included in this number there are nearly a hundred decked barges and lighters, of the regular New York harbor type, in fact they are harbor boxes. To handle these barges, there are about 90 tugs, but about 85 per cent of these are either too small or too old, or of wood construction, coal burning and expensive to operate, and can not poperly take care of a fleet of barges, due to their being under powered. At least 60 per cent of these tugs see practically no service. The other 15 per cent are larger steam tugs or new diesel tugs, and most of these are from New York harbor. The canal therefore, as a whole, has’ practically no efficient, mod- ern, economical traction power. In other words there is a fine track and road bed, but no modern engines. There are, however, a few good diesel tugs in op- eration, and each year new ones find their place on the canal. These are showing good earnings even in towing antiquated equipment. A diesel tug can show to its greatest advantage, on the canal system, due to the high price of coal along the way, the time required to load coal, and in the smaller crew required. The canal is a water highway built by the state for everybody to use, toll free, but if capital and the public do not get behind it, and place upon it, floating equipment, modern and economj- cal in type, it will never fully and effi- ciently serve the purpose for which it was constructed and the project itself will continue to be the subject of un- just criticism. Barges and steamboats of Noah’s ark type, can hardly be ex- Pecter to meet the needs of modern transportation. With but few excep- tions, all of the 700 barges are of this type of construction with full bows, and square sterns, practically boxes in shape. and water that is not shoved in front of them is dragged behind them. This type of design is not suited for speed and handling in close quarters. When MARINE REVIEW the current catches a barge and drives it head on to a concrete lock bull nose, one of two things happens, a leak is start- ed, and the cargo is damaged, or the barge sinks with a total loss of cargo. The flat and full bow, will not sheer off from a bull nose or dock, when the barge approaches head on, as it must do, in making a lock. This type of con- struction permits of a maximum speed of 2% to 3 miles per hour, at a greater speed effective steering is impossible. A speed of at least 5 or 6 miles per hour ought to be obtained, and can be with modern equipment. Instead of making from 5 to 7 round trips per season 191 shipment by canal was not profitable these vessels would not be _ operating upon it. The boats of the McDougal Terminal Warehouse Co. are the “Twin Cities” and the “Twin Ports.” They have die- sel-electric drive and are 258 feet in length and 42 feet beam. They operate between Duluth, Minn. and Atlantic coast ports, on a 7 to 9-day schedule during the lake season, and on the coast during the winter months. As a compari- son, these vessels will run from Duluth to New York City, in the same length of time, and sometimes in less time, than it takes a canal fleet of old barges mw sk om none ast NTR, NEW YORK STATE BARGE (Oi ENG: CANAL TERMINAL PIER 6 EAST RIVER, NEW YORK FREE TO ALL SHIPPERS FOR THE RECEIPT AND DELIVERY OF CANAL CARGOES as is generally the average of such equip- ment, from 12 to 15 trips should be made per season. There are five semi-diesel motorships on the canal owned by the Interwater- ways Line. These were the first large motorships on the new canal, and since their inception, improvements have been made in other new motorships recently built for canal trade. The most modern equipment in motor- ships on the canal are those of the Standard Oil Co., and the McDougal Terminal Warehouse Co., the first of the Standard Oil tankers were self-propelled vessels 30 feet by 150 feet. About 15 of this type were built. Within the last two years larger diesel engined tankers have been constructed which are 254 feet, in length and 37 feet 6 inches in beam. Ten of this class have been constructed, and it is understood that more are contemplated. On each cargo of oil delivered, thousands of dollars is saved in railroad freight charges. If ‘in the box type of barge. and steam tug, to go from Buffalo to New York City. Modern equipment for the canal need not be confined chiefly to self propelled motorships. Modern self unloading barges of various types, packet boats and diesel tugs are needed, each to fit their respective trades. There is not one self unloading barge operating on the canal. With the exception of the vessels previously mentioned practically no modern craft operate on the canal. Under such conditions is it any wonder that the canal does not move the ton- nage it should. The criticism has been made that canal cargo losses have been heavy. That is true in some cases for cargoes carried On the other hand if a check is made on cargoes carried in the latest steel métorships, it will be found that practically no cargo losses have occurred. As in all other lines of transportation, time is required to develop the proper type of carrier.