"If that was true when the lockages were 25,000, how much more so is it when the lockages have fallen to 20,800 as in 1884?
"Q. 2. How far does the fact that the lake transportation has almost entirely passed into the hands of railroad people, affect the probability of increasing the business of the canal, in case it should be deepened?
"Q. 3. Can the canal be maintained in the face of the increasing railroad competition?
"A. Total tons of each class of articles which came to the Hudson River from Erie and Champlain Canal:
[From the Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Works upon the trade and tonnage of the Canals for the year 1884, page 100.]
| 1874 | 1884 | |
| Products of the forest | 1,192,681 | 1,097,450 |
| Agriculture | 1,470,872 | 1,054,041 |
| Manufactures | 49,426 | 56,899 |
| Merchandise | 12,905 | 45,538 |
| Other articles | 497,228 | 377,259 |
| Total | 3,223,112 | 2,631,187 |
"Tonnage of the canal, and of the Central and Erie railroads:
[From the Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Works upon trade and tonnage of the Canals for the year 1884, pages 94-95.]