| 1874 | 1884 | |
| New York Canals | 5,804,588 | 5,009,488 |
| New York Central R. R. | 6,114,678 | 10,212,418 |
| Erie Railway | 6,364,276 | [35]16,219,598 |
| 18,283,542 | 31,441,504 |
"The railroads have competed successfully with the Erie Canal, and have carried off all the increase in the tonnage. Notwithstanding the State has ceased to charge tolls, and has imposed an annual tax of $700,000 upon the taxpayers to maintain the canals. The Erie Canal has failed to keep up its business. It holds on to a portion of the lumber, and of the grain.
"There seems to be no probability that the Erie Canal will regain any portion of the business it has lost.
"None of the grand schemes by which it is proposed to enlarge or improve it can, to any appreciable extent, cheapen the transportation. They will simply waste the money of the taxpayer, and revive the system of contracting, jobbery, and fraud.
"The advantage of lengthening the locks so as to pass two boats at once, when there is plenty of time to pass four times the boats which the tonnage requires, is doubtful, and is at least inconsiderable. It can only pretend to save five minutes in a lockage, if, in fact, it will save any time.
"Unless some effectual expedient be adopted to prevent the waste of water in locking through a single boat, it would consume three times as much water in the long lock as in the short lock. I understand that the superintendent thinks that ruinous mischief can be avoided, but I have had no means of testing how the thing would work in practice.
"In 1867, when I examined the subject, I found that on the Delaware and Raritan they used boats of about the same dimensions as the boats in use on the Erie, notwithstanding the locks were capable of passing two boats at a time.
"I send my Message of 1875; my speech in the Constitutional Convention in 1867, which contains a fuller discussion of the subject. I send, also, the last report of the Superintendent of Public Works on the canals.
"The statistical tables are so changed from the ancient forms that it is difficult to get the materials for a satisfactory comparison of the present with the former business.
"A certain portion of the business naturally belongs to the railroads. The principles which govern this division are set forth in the beginning of my speech in 1867. The business would naturally be divided, and the share of the railroads would be increased as the network of the railroads is perfected, and more and more points are touched.