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ST. MARY’S FALLS CANAL DISCUSSION OF STATISTICS. ESTIMATED VALUE OF FREIGHT, BY ITEMS, THROUGH ST. MARY’S FALLS CANAL, MICHIGAN. ITEMS. Designation.| 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. 1891. | 1892. 1893. 1894. Clo}: leer ee ae ae en Net.tons, .9O0 $ .70 $ .47: $ .45 $ .43 $ .41 $ .40 $ .40 PI OUI io ce vc a vk Barrels. ; oo 17% .18 513 15 16% satly 14 Wheaten Voce stce Bushels. 03% .04 .03 .04 6-10 .03 6-10 .02 8-10 023% Grates Gt re eo: ue .07 \ Z } 034% .02 \ 03% \ 0334 \ 0234 \ 02% (Clos EA Pane a ener a 04% .03 ‘ Manufactured iron....| Net tons. 2.35 1.80 2.10 1.34 2.50 2.15 2.00 -90 SPigearony : oo! G2-os ts \ 1.30 L.45 1.35 1.17 133 1.30 I.15 BOO eee eck ee hy Barrels: -18 .16 .18 15 18 15 ere Er Woppete <i. Net tons. 2.60 2.35 2.25 2.38 2.00 1.40 1.75 1.95 me AEONsOre: <2 Ais a 175 1.28 T.14 1.10 .98 1.00. .80 -70 umber i hei Ok: M. ft. B. M.| 4.00 2.80 2.70 2.38 2.70 2.95 2.35 1.90 POUVEL OLE. cle h ee Net tons. 3,00 1.90 1.90 2.25 225 2.25 2.25 2.25 - Building stone........ es TTS 2.05 2.02 2.00 2.00 1.67 1,36! 1.28 Unclassified freight... . f 4.00 3.00 3.00 2.75 3.58 3.60 3.00 2.75 NEW YORK STATE CANALS. THE MARINE RECORD has just received the following cominunication which we are pleased to publish, not only from a record standpoint, but also that our readers may for- _- ward an expression of opinion according to the yiews which _ they may hold, and this too, individually, or collectively, irrespective of what the RECoRD may or has said regarding the question. ie COMMITTEE ON CANALS, Sees 11 Broadway, NEw YorxK’* To the Editor of the Marine Record: 3 _ Sir:—The Governor of New York has requested this com- mittee to report to him before the next meeting of the Legis- lature, what is best to be done about the canals. Briefly, the facts in the case are as follows: From 1817 to the end of 1882, when the tolls on the canals were abolished, the State had paid out for construction and enlargement of the canals the sum of $78,685,580, and for _ superintendence and ordi: ary repairs the sum of $48,399,286, and had received in tolls and other revenues the sum of $135,418,325, leaving a net balance of income over outgo of $8,333,457. The profit on the Erie canal at that time was | more than $42,000,000 over and above the cost of construc- _ tion and maintenance, in acdition to the indisputable bene- fits in the past to the commerce and prosperity of the State of New York. Since the tolls were abolished in 1882, the average annual cost for operation, repairs and maintenance (excluding interest charges) has been about $1,034,000, of which $802,000 has been paid from the ordinary repair fund, - and $232,000 from the extraordinary repair fund. The tonnage on the canals has steadily diminished from 6,673,370 tons in 1872 to 3,360,063 tons in 1898. Until within the last few years the diminution has been chiefly on the smaller canals. The Erie canal which carried 3,500,000 tons in 1871 had 3,235,000 tons in 1893; and the Champlain canal which had 1,100,000 tons in 1871 carried 1,020,000 tons in 1892. Since 1893, owing to the improvements on the rail- roads and the reduction of rail rates and the lack of improve- ments on the canals, the tonnage on these canals has also diminished; in 1898 the Erie canal carrying 2,300,000 tons and the Champlain canal about 800,000 tons. In 1895 the Legislature authorized and the people by vote approved, the expenditure of $9,000,000 for increasing the depth of the Erie and Oswego canals from seven to nine feet in the canal bed and eight feet in the masonry structures, and two feet less in the Champlain canal. The appropria- tion is exhausted, and the work is stopped. The commis- sion appointed last year by Governor Black, consisting of George Clinton, Franklin Edson, Smith M, Weed, Darwin R. James, Frank Brainard, A. Foster Hipgins and William McKchron, has reported that 36 per cent. vf the work is completed and 64 per cent. is yet to be ‘done, and that to complete this project, including suitable modern locks at Cohoes, Little Falls, Newark and Lockport, will cost ap- proximately $15,000,000. It is no part of our duty to state the reasons why this enlargement will cost so much more than originally estimated. These were fully stated in the report of the committee above named, which was published in August last. Our task is to study the question in the light of existing facts, and recommend to the Governor the best course to pursue under the circumstances as he found them on taking office. We shall endeavor to obtain and present in an intelligible form, the necessary statistics of commerce and freight rates, in order to form an intelligent FREIGHT RATES FOR WATER TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM LAKE SUPERIOR. } 1895 1896 $ .37 $ .32 14 II .04 4-10 .02% .04 5-10 \ 024% 1.50 1.40 1.05 1.05 .13 +15 1.66 1.95 .82 .82 2.00 1.80 2.33 2.33 I.20 1.50 2.50 2.30 : | 180% 1897. 1898. ITEMS. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. 18gI. 1892. 1893. 1894. 1895. 1896. 1897. 189 eo a 2 s ! 61.0 Coal (hard and soft). ../$ 4,735,454 |$ 7,367,644 |$ 5,702,190 | $ 7,619,238 $ 8,776,362 eee ee eerie see aes ern Pt cad 73 PAGE Se ea 7,863,675 | 10,953,625 | 11,143,535 | 16,195,520] 18,900,715 | 21,672, et. 3216.46 0,041,863 47,442.347.25 48,654,143 | 49,871,996. ee 634,590 | 18,224,424 | 15,907,217 | 15,893,022] 38,040,239 | 30,746,085 | 32,611,239] 22,316,469 | 30,041, 5442, i046, 192.60 Be fiers wheat) = ai eee 1981 962 | 2,090,580 2,003,496 T,OII,462 933,346 1,346,993 772,504 4, Be 347 10, 704,747.69 Wee parted cr Manufactured iron...... 3,035,750 2,442,950 1,577,250 eee Toe Zz ee Pee pees pe ae 788 Be sige ee Spee 4176.774.75 Be ei isa Be nOe (| 2004 ira hs St ue 28, ‘461 202,4 178, 136.25 214,086 226, 170.00 . 8 4: 168,250 179,431 234,528 275,740 228,730 2374 439 , 814,240.00 ae eee a6 Seas 5 fe sagtaes @ aab oo 13,838,000 | 12,998,600] 17,506,000| 19,914,600} 21,490,400 23,374,400.00 ee 3 x20 BRokeg Soe 8,741,995 | 3,996,808 | 14,335,492 16,711,688 12,400,744 17,153,962 | 14,050,946 17,027,078 22,332,319 Fe Tos c6eo STS | eee BL ad a2 2,974,068 | 4,326,696 | 5,679,972 514,722 1593,490 | 9,231,192 1593, 1504, sees 1992) 325: , bo ee ae ic and bullion... oO 836 520,579 914,589 527,807 ee ese tes fe He es Ge oc Pee 46,700.00 ilding stone.......... 134,010 410 335,380 479,730 0,800 ; ; ; , , 1388, 760.00 Deas tick Bae es Some tes Sees 18,744,600} 22,277,640 | _ 25,025,580 | 27,548,760] 24,910,800] 27,071,100} 27,798,480 latch bacpe! 34,742,880 | 37,389,7 ne me en 2 5 i oe | 6,842 49|$218,235 927 |$233,069,739-85 OI ase seta 8.5 $79,031,757 |$82,156,019 |$83,732,527 |$102,214,948 |$128, 178,208 |$135, 117,267 |$145,436,957 eas 5 $159,575, 129 |$195,146,842 49 : 235 9 ee RESULTS OBTAINED FROM DISCUSSION OF TRAFFIC STATISTICS. ie —— Fpoperace = year T i i i 1 fA i Value of Canadian Carried by Canadia one ae apoio ane Se | meeneeaceeen eae raft Vessels 1887 RG elas Hoa Paluch gies ans 4,458. 544,804 $10,075,153 2.3-10 Mills. 811 4-10 Miles. $17,684,550 $2,089, 400 z Per cent “RSE ea ie ease §5,173,132,972 7,883,077 I.5-10 ‘ 806 4-10 e 20,381,100 she os : es BESOQCR Mili Sis URS ad wh NG 5,940, 646,352 8,634, 247 TeGSTOn eee 790 4-10 25,328,600 15597;000 Lie a MSOORE a Gea anti 7, 207,299,415 9,472,215 | 1.3-10. =“ 797 2-10‘ 27,857,700 1,777) OO Be aoe Gk MQM Aeon arya tahoe Mane 7,292,462,269 9,849,023 1.35-100 ‘‘ 820 4-I0 ‘ .31,947,300 gah seas 4 or [Ress PISS Oe eR a intel A een ary 9, 222,773,938 12,072,851 I.31-100 “ 822 4-10 ‘ 36, 220, 100 2,108,700 3 pier ROT Ai iis Ges eo as 8,980, 310,240 9,957,483 I.I-10 831 10). 39,017,400 2115100 a” eee "8S HI Ss IR ett eta eae sata 10,927,871, 324 10,798, 310.28 99-100. ‘‘ 8211-10 “ 41,124,200 1,959,800 7 Pee se 1 eK Oey Ba rs tr PEER Naame ole 12,502,548,892 14,238, 758.02 I.14-I00 ‘‘ 830 oe 40,858,800 2,037,000 3 he eee SOME el ea uy erat se te ke 13,582,641,886 - 13,511,615.80 99-100 ‘‘ 836 4-10 - 43,006, 200 2,135,300 4 ee SSIS 7 SANG cas Re aon Ve arte ag 15,969,393,576 — 13, 220,099.84 .83-100 ‘ 841 3-10 . 42,375,700 2,001, 400 3 Se AO Ra Te Leas 17,891, 597,030 14,125,896.00 79-100 “* 842 Ste 45,199,800 2,491,900 $, .30 $ .25 +10 10% .OI 7-10 .02 \ .02 Kaz I.40 1.40 I.05 1.05 15 15 1.95 2.00 -65 .60 1.55 1.65 PERE VOM Aa ceahi ' 1.50 I.50 2.30 2.40 It is understood that thi This project would cost judgment, and, in addition, we desire to have the opinion and advice of those who are competent to give them. It seems to us that there are five possible solutions o problem: First: To complete the present project of enlarging the - Erie, Oswego and Champlain canals at a further cost of $15,000,000 (or $24,000,000 in all). The benefits to be de rived from this project are estimated by competent engin neers at a saving of 1.11 cents per bushel of wheat from Buf- falo to New York, or a reduction from the present cost ot 1,8 mill per ton per mile to 1.0 mill per ton per m.le, and a- corresponding reduction in other traffic, on its capacity of © about 15,000,000 tons per annum, present project includes the construction of pneumatic lock at Lockport and Cohoes, the lengthening of all other lock: on the Erie and Oswego canals so as to take in two canal — boats, each 115 feet in length, and these two canals made suitable for boats of a draught of 8 feet. This project pro vides for the Champlain canal draught of 6 feet, anda p sible substitution of slack water navigation on the Hudson river wherever practicable between Fort Edward and Troy in place of the existing canal structure. Second:—To enlarge the present locks on the Erie canal at once to a length of 260 feet, a width of 26 feet and a depth of 11 feet, making them suitable for boats 25 feet wide, 125 feet long, and io feet draught. about $6,000,000. f the