New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-08-30
Trouble with the Canals,


bodies jointly, Of which the following is an ex-
| tract:
Accounts duly certified By the Canal Committeeman,
have been rendered the Auditor for expenditures by
superintendent OF Repairs for the four months cum.
mencIpg Feb and ending on the lst June last
And estimates certified BY the Canal Commissioner
are on hle Tor the months Of June and July where
counts for those two months net rendered Taking
the accounts rendered for the four months aud the
estimates tor the two-six months In all-and compsr.
Dg these elk months With the corresponding elk months
OF the previous year le5l, the result Is follows
EIpendtures by Superintendent, from lst Of February
lst August N 1851 and 1852
Miles 6 mos. mos Excess Psrd
Msthsr sI4s4i7 . 81 seaoss '''''
H Fizhush C.c..sa a,sss los,Oe 1850
Fred. FOlot, C.c..saa sa,na la6@o Q,s5s 50
TOt.l...........sl7 s3ls,Cs, s4IO,s77sl5l,7s5 -
Mr. Follet,s division embraces the OF repairing
the breach In the Mount Morris DAM estimated about
twenty eight thousand dollars (S23 ,000)
Ii Ia by the above that the expenditures Of the
Superintendent for the six months from LEI. of Febru
airy 70 the lat of August are just soou. fifty per cent
than they for the corresponding months last
year, and In the proportions stated above for the diy
lon under each Commissioner.
At the above rate the repairs for the year will
cost 81 ,147 ,li9, or nearly twice much as in
any year before 1913. The next startling increase
has been on the division which inclu les the Erie
Canal from Albany to the Oneida Lake Canal, la
miles, (of which 50 miles enlarged Canal j
the Champain Canal, SO miles; and the Black
River Canal, 80 miles; in all pa miles. While
this division is in miles less than one third Of the
length Of the Canals, the excess OF expenditure
| upon it is nearly two. thirds of the whole ex-
cess. While the average Of the other two
divisions is about SO per cent. last year, the
expenses OF this division average 63 per cent over
| the corresponding six months Of last year.
But the largest increase Of all is on section No.
| / Of the Erie Canal Railway from Albany nine
teen miles west, and on section No. 3, at the
north end of Champlsin Canal. On the former it
has been 100, and on the latter 10 per cent This
is under the charge of Commissioner J. e.
Mather. This Auditor states, as one of the causes
of this increase that timber is paid for at prices
varying from 10 to 100 per cent. above its market
value. But the great fault he chaacterzes as
AN obvious want of economy, extravaganza, and
tasteful and swelling expenditures" And in
consequence Of this, and he loss from the with
drawd Of railroad tolls, the amount that can this
year be applied to the enlargement of the Canals,
instead Of 1872 900, as estimated will be only
| 100000.
WDcu paper was piCSChbON W OHO Ohuut
| Board, Mr.. Fitzhugh moved to have erased from
| it whatever was not pertinent to the charges
| against Smith A. Waterman, the Superintendent
| of Sec. No. l, Erie, and David Bassett, of Sec.
| No. 3, Champlain Complain Canal, but this was
| lost by a tie, Messrs. Church, Chat6eld and
Wright voting in the negative. Mr.. Chatfeld
msyed to turn out those Superintendent, but that
was lost, Messrs. Church, Wright, Cook and Ma
| ther voting in the negative. An order to print
| $4,000 copies Of the Auditors communication
was passed unanimously. Finally, on Friday, after
| repeated efforts, vote was had on a motion Of
fered by Dir. Ftzhugh to bring the Superintend-
| ents before the Board to answer to the charges,
| but it failed by the following vote
| Ayes-Messrs FoIeit, Msiher, Fltzhugh, McAipine
| Nevs-Messrs. Church, Randall, Wright, Cock.
| After this the Board adjourned to Sept. z, ard
| 50 the matter stands. The Eceaing Journal
| comments on the affair as follows:
The Middle Division embraces the several lateral
Canals still having wooden locks Tne cost Of keeping
these trai structures In repair increases with every
year. Tbeincreaae that Division therefore, Is not
90 surprising although, Mr.. Eitzhughs estimates had
not been exceeded by the inexperienced officers under
him. the outlay would have been kept within the limit
II il only fair also to add that onehaf of the increase
on The WesteIn Division has arisen from the heavy out
lay on the Mt. Morris Dam If, however, the Wings
were a. was charged, lavish, reckless and corrupt
In their expenditures last year. we cannot understand
how an increase upon those expenditures OF hfy per
cent can be reconciled with the economy promised
In the event OF the restoration OF the Locofoco party
| to power. - $500
startling and unlocked for On the drst section where
The areest portion of the Increase OF stIy egh per
cent has occurred the Enlargement 10 complete, and
the Canal was supposed to be In the most perfect order
II Is the last section upon which an Increase Oh OK
n IA possible that Commissioner Mather has satisac'
tory explanation at command II So he VIII doubtless
Five II 70 the public Meanwhile those who believed the
following resolution paned by the last Loco oco Stse
Convention will find Themselves exceedingly puzzled
In comparing 1t with the figures communicated oy Tue
Auditor to those who we're 20 rescue the pu0hc money
| from the wasteful hands Of the Whig':
Re,Olred That we have confidence In the Wing man
.senept OF our Canals aud that the expenditure Of public
money has been heretofore lavish reckless s1d corrupt and
tule Of The State Of New yoIt providing FOR the more
speedy Enlargement OF the Enc Canal ana placing mt
nm nose there s an iaseased necessity for effort on the
rt Of Democracy to use their energy to rescue the pub
| speedy completion OF that glorious work
Without desripg Just now 10 combat any OF the po
stisns which the Auditor assumes 10 ~, ,S .uSor
himself will qualify reflection. He says that the
expense for repairs increased while there has been
I dimnution oil business in' - NV So
toll, have fallen Oft but the business has not The re-
duction made last winter In the rates OF toll would
have resulted In far greater falling on In the receps
than 600 If the tunnsse had decreased The fact
that in spite of that reduction, the receipts have ony
fallen OF 10 the named is conclusive that there
| has been no dininution of business We have not
however the of positively Determining TO what
| extent the tunnsge has Increased II the Auditor VIII
ske trouble to foot up the tunnsge we have no doubt
that he will be satisfied that he has done the Canals To-
Justice They should not lie made 10 bear any OF the
odum which properly belongs TO the lsVsh rec xiess
and corrupt servants OF the Stale
| Tho,e who were Induced 20 vote for the Loco-Esco
members of the Canal Board last fall under the delu
-. h, -..nra ulaa raan