It was at this convention that Willis H. Tennant of Mayville made his first appearance as a canal advocate and was welcomed by all those who understood that he represented a county wherein anti-canal sentiment was supposed to predominate. He made a forceful and convincing speech from the standpoint of a farmer, which elicited commendation from the delegates from various parts of the State. Mr. Clinton and Mr. Schwab also made strong and convincing addresses during the sessions of the convention.

The most serious problem under consideration at that convention was the form of endorsement that ought to be given to the canal project as recommended by the Roosevelt commission. The Canal committee was headed by George Clinton of Buffalo, and there were associated with him Major Thomas W. Symons, John Laughlin, George H. Raymond, and myself, from Buffalo; George B. Sloan, from Oswego; Henry B. Hebert, Gustav H. Schwab, Abel E. Blackmar, and Franklin Edson of New York; Willis H. Tennant of Mayville, Cornelius B. Kloff of Staten Island, and others. The committee consisted of twenty-five members selected from all parts of the State.

To this committee were referred all the resolutions in any way affecting the canal question. When it went into session all these matters were taken into consideration, but the most important question was the report of the Roosevelt commission embodying the recommendations as to the feasibility of various routes as well as the cost by sections and what action it was wise for the convention to take in relation to that report in advance of the surveys, plans, and estimates authorized to be made under the survey bill. It was a delicate matter to decide definitely before this information was obtained. Much time was given to the consideration of all these matters and in formulating its report. The committee finally agreed upon and reported the following resolutions, which, notwithstanding the opposition of John I. Platt, were, with substantial unanimity adopted by the con

vention:

"We recognize that for three-quarters of a century the canal system of the State has been the principal factor in securing and promoting our commercial prosperity. The chief results have been the up-building of industrial and commercial centers along the lines of the canals and making New York City the commercial metropolis of the Western Hemisphere.

"These great centers of population have furnished markets for agricultural products of the State. The continued growth and prosperity of these industrial centers are, therefore, vitally important to our agricultural interests.

"While affording cheap transportation for products raised and consumed by our people, the canals have kept down railway freight rates on local traffic in all parts of the State.

"While the railroads have minimized their operating expenses and laid out vast sums of money in multiplying their carrying capacity, no improvements have been made in canal facilities for nearly forty years. They have become inadequate to the requirements of our State commerce.

"The vast canal tonnage that gave New York its supremacy is largely diverted to rival routes. One of these is a 14-foot canal completed this year from the Great Lakes to the seaboard via the St. Lawrence river to Montreal.

"The interests of the great trunk lines prevent their protecting the commerce of this State. By agreements between them establishing differential rates a large portion of the commerce naturally tributary to New York has been taken from us. An improved canal will be an effective remedy.

"The experience of the world has shown that natural or adequate artificial water routes furnish today the cheapest possible transportation.

"The greatest centers of manufacturing prosperity are found where raw materials and manufactured articles can be moved to and from the factory at the lowest rates.

"An increase of manufacturing industries within the borders of the State of New York will of necessity benefit the farmer, the wage-earner and the merchant, as well as the manufacturer.

"Your committee, therefore, recommends the adoption of the following:

"Resolved, That the future prosperity of the entire State requires the improvement and enlargement of its canals in a manner commensurate with the demands of commerce and to a capacity sufficient to compete with all rival routes."

The recitals in this report set forth clearly indisputable facts showing what the canals had done and the importance of their improvement. The resolution following is a broad declaration in support of such improvement in a manner commensurate with the demands of commerce without specifically limiting the improvement to that recommended by the Roosevelt commission, the feasibility and cost of which being still problematical.

In commenting on the work of the convention after its conclusion, Mr. Howard J. Smith, one of the Buffalo delegates and a well-known authority on transportation questions, said:

"The feature of the convention was the unanimity of sentiment in favor of canal improvement. The report of the State Canal Committee made last January has been in the people's hands a sufficient length of time to be thoroughly understood and the great majority of delegates were united in favoring the general plan recommended by that report. . . . After the survey is completed we shall know the cost of the thousand ton barge canal and if that cost is not too high, a convention to be called next January will undoubtedly declare in favor of such canal. The Buffalo delegation are fortunate in having three leaders of canal sentiment among its number-George Clinton, Major Thomas W. Symons and Henry W. Hill-who have done and are doing as much work for the canal as any three men in the State, and the strong position they hold make the influence of Buffalo a very positive factor in the convention."

XXII. PROGRESS UNDER THE STATE'S NEW CANAL POLICY.

The effect of this convention and the publicity given to its resolutions in the press throughout the State, was salutary and tended to keep alive the interest in the one subject which had received more attention than any other during the last century. Many of the interior towns were represented in the convention and united in supporting the resolutions presented by the canal committee. This gave them force throughout the State and in a measure accomplished what Governor Roosevelt had strongly urged in his speech at the canal dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria a few months before.

On the motion of Senator John Laughlin committees were appointed by the convention to appear before the Republican and Democratic State conventions to urge the insertion of a plank in their respective platforms favoring canal improvement. Both conventions so resolved.

Commercial bodies in various parts of the State held meetings to consider locally the general proposition of canal improvement, and among such was the dinner given by the Utica Chamber of Commerce on September 18, 1900, at which Willis H. Tennant of Mayville was the principal speaker. In the course of his interesting address on that occasion he said:

"The question of canal improvement is of course simply a business proposition, which if candidly considered must be viewed as a business man would look at it, were it a private enterprise owned by himself, while possessing the resources of our great State and occupying a position to derive all the benefits that may follow its improvement; or, at the same time suffer whatever loss might follow its abandonment. Its consideration should be free from every prejudice-sectional and otherwise; because, to improve the Erie canal to a practical plane of efficiency, which can not be less than that which will make a water route capable of controlling freight rates between the great inland seas of the Northwest and tide water deep enough to enable the vast inland commerce to be delivered direct to the great ocean freighters, waiting to receive and bear the same away for distribution in the markets of the world, it is conceded will cost millions of dollars."

Speaking of the facilities afforded by railways, in the course of the same address, he said:

"We have also noted the fact that in 1851, almost half a century ago, a first-class railroad was completed from tidewater, near New York city, through the southern part of our State to the shore of Lake Erie, touching at one of its finest harbors—in the city of Dunkirk, in our own county. It was thereby in a position to take the commerce of the seaboard direct to the freight carriers upon the Great Lakes, and exchange the same for their cargoes brought down from the West and carry them to the seaboard with all the inland products of forest, mills and farms in the southern section of our State.

"At that time it was regarded as a masterly stroke of business enterprise, and one that could not fail to be successful. Yet, the city of Dunkirk has never acquired a population greater than 15,000, nor have any great cities along this great through line of railway been built. In fact, only one city having a population as great as 35,000, and only two or three having a population greater than 8,000 or 10,000, are situate upon this great line between Dunkirk and the great harbor of New York. The commerce of the Great Lakes steadily increased; more freight products for inland carriers were offered at the harbors of lower Lake Erie, year by year, for transportation to New York and the seaboard. More and more freight for inland carriers has been offered at New York every year for shipment across our State to the Great Lakes, and the business centers of the West and Northwest. And yet, this great line of railroad making direct connections between these Great Lakes and the principal seaport of our country, has carried but very little of it. Why? Certainly business men building a great railroad for moneymaking purposes would take all the freight offered their road if they had the cars; and as much as possible with the cars at their command. They would surely charge enough for carrying it to make it profitable. And why, then, did this railroad not do a very much larger business? What situation could have been more favorable? There must be a reason for it and we will look farther."

In the month of December, 1900, George H. Raymond of Buffalo presented an argument in relation to the iron and steel traffic over the thousand ton barge canal and the possibilities of ship building in New York Bay, in the course of which he said:

"The canal and river section would be able to make the iron and steel for the world, and around the shores of New York Bay would be built the navies of the world for war or for peace. The possibilities, in this direction, are not dreamed of by the average citizen of the State. These statements are not idle dreams, but are based on a tendency as clear as it is certainly gratifying to the business prospects of the State. . .

"The one thousand ton barge canal plan is the only propositition presented in fifty years that is to the advantage of every interest in the State. By bringing this great iron and steel industry to the State which cannot come in any other way, the laboring man will find more employment, the farmer will find enormously increased demand for his products and closer to his farm."