ANNUAL REPORT—COMMERCE. 
87 
From this statement it appears that the receipts and cost of 
transportation hy rail are each about three times as great as by 
canal^ and ahout eight times as great as by river. 
‘‘ From the auditor’s report for 1866, it appears that the tons 
moved per mile in New York, on the Central and Erie rail¬ 
roads for that year were 809.561,319, and on the canals 1,012,- 
448,034, yet the railroad receipts amounted to $20,282,943 and 
the canal receipts to only $10,160,651, making the charges by 
rail nearly three times as great as by canal. 
“ In the ten years, 1854 to 1864 inclusive, the total number 
of tons moved one mile by the Central railroad was 2,132,- 
073,612, by the Erie railroad 2,587,274,914, and by the New 
York canals 8,175,803,065 ; and the average charges of the 
Central were 2 6-10, the Erie 2 22-100, and the canals 91-100 
cents per ton per mile, making the average charges by rail 
nearly three times (2 2-3) as great as by canal. 
“ Had the freights which were carried by canal for the ten 
years referred to, been carried by rail the additional freight 
charges would have amounted to $122,637,045.97 ; add to this 
that portion of canal receipts which was applied to the extin¬ 
guishment of the canal debt—a sum which, it will be remem¬ 
bered, is quite three-fourths of the total receipts from tolls 
and which, after paying in full the cost of repairs and manage¬ 
ment is $73,184,640, and of which sum it is estimated that 
$56,000,000 was paid in the ten years referred to, and it then 
follows that, in addition to the reduction of railroad freights, 
a benefit, probably the greatest rendered, and in addition to 
the appreciation of real estate on the line of the canals, at 
New York city, and at the west, the canals have in the ten 
years referred to, saved the public $178,637,045.97 or $17,. 
850,000 annually. 
“ It is estimated by Governor Fenton and the state engineer 
of New York that by adapting the Erie or New York canals 
to the use of steam, the cost of transportation will be reduced 
at least fifty per centum. 
“ The improvement of the Wisconsin, as proposed by Gen 
Warren, partakes of the nature of both river and canal im- 
