NEW YORK (STATE). 



643 



"The above financial statement," says the 

 superintendent, " will not agree with the prison 

 account reported by the Comptroller. But the 

 discrepancy is apparent, not real. The prison 

 account reported by the prisons embraces the 

 bills carried on the books of the two prisons 

 which are working on State-account industries, 

 plus the amount of stock, material, and ma- 

 chinery on hand for which payment has been 

 made. The Comptroller debits these prisons 

 with the cash advances paid to them, while he 

 does not credit them with the bills receivable 

 on account of products sold, or for the inven- 

 tory of goods on hand. The Comptroller's 

 statement is correct, but is not complete. It is 

 the cash account, not the full balance-sheet." 



The deficit at Auburn was caused wholly by 

 the non-employment of men able to work. 



Railroads. The fourth annual report of the 

 Board of Railroad Commissioners presents in- 

 teresting facts. At the close of the year cov- 

 ered by the last annual report the business de- 

 pression of railroads had about reached its 

 lowest point. The tide then turned, and has 

 been steadily rising since, keeping on a level 

 with the general commercial activity through- 

 out the country. 



Perhaps the most important and significant 

 fact of the year is the largely increased ship- 

 ments by canal. This has been the result of 

 two causes : First, the rise in price of trans- 

 portation by rail, making water competition 

 both possible and profitable ; and, second, the 

 large increase in the quantity of grain shipped 

 to the seaboard. The trunk lines carried but 

 152,297 tons of through freight during the sea- 

 son of navigation in excess of that carried last 

 year, but the increased rates have made it prof- 

 itable. The canals, however, carried 5,292,982 

 tons as compared with 4,731,784 tons in 1885. 

 The Welland Canal carried an increase of 34 

 per cent., a significant fact as affecting the 

 commerce of the United States. A few of the 

 most important results are given, as follow : 



injured. Of the killed, 299 were run down 

 while walking on the track, and the deaths of 

 340 were due to " their own misconduct or in- 

 caution." 



Canals. The total canal tonnage during the 

 season of navigation aggregated 5,293,982 tons, 

 or 562,198 tons more than was carried by the 

 canals last year. The rate of freight increased 

 in a still greater proportion, it having averaged 

 23 of a cent per ton per mile last year, and 

 34 of a cent per ton per mile this year. The 

 business of the New York Central and Erie 

 Railroads, which are competitive to the canals, 

 also increased in quantity and value, but not so 

 much as that of the canals. The canals were 

 opened on May 1, and closed on Dec. 1, 1886. 

 There were no serious breaks on any of the 

 canals during the year. Owing to the absence 

 of any considerable drought during the past 

 season, there was no detention on account of 

 insufficiency in the supply of water to the 

 canals. 



The following table shows the total cost for 

 construction, maintenance, and operation of 

 the several State canals and their total revenues, 

 from their inception to Sept. 30, 1886 : 



In the course of the year, 503 persons were 

 killed on the railroads of the State and 1,138 



This statement of cost does not include the 

 sums paid for interest on canal loans, which 

 have been supplied by surplus canal revenues 

 and taxation. There has been raised by direct 

 taxes for canals, $46,460,327.53; by indirect 

 taxes, $5,721,007.10 ; total, $52,181,333.63. 

 The canal revenues have been applied to gen- 

 eral purposes of the State government to the 

 extent of $18,835,411.94, leaving of State rev- 

 enues applied to canals, $33,330,922.69. Sept. 

 30, 1886, there remained of canal debt, less 

 sinking-fund, $3,253,436.18; leaving net loss 

 through the canals, $36,584,358.87. 



Canal Convention. A convention of friends of 

 the canal system of the State was held at Syra- 

 cuse, on August 25, under the auspices of the 

 Canal Union. The results of the meeting were 

 embodied in the following preamble and reso- 

 lutions : 



Whereas, The people of the State of New York 

 have, by the Constitution adopted by a decisive ma- 

 jority, in 1882, forever prohibited the Legislature of 

 this State from selling, leasing, or otherwise disposing 

 of the Erie Canal, the Oswego Canal, the Champlain 

 Canal, the Cayuga and Seneca Canal, or the Black JRiv- 

 er Canal, and declaring that they shall remain the 

 property of the State and under its management for- 



