The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-04-06
Sale 0f the Futile Works.

question of great moment-a question
in which every citizen of the state is in
terested. At an early period-twelve or
more years ago-the mismanagement Of
the state officers connected with them, at
tracted public attention to the subject,
and in many sections of the state not i'm
benefited by them, meetings
were called and resolutions in favor OF
selling them passed. The rapid increase
of the public debt-the inability of the
state, for short period, TO pay the in
terest on it, seriously alarmed the people
and we very well remember that IL
Cumberland county formidable party,
assuming the name of Anti-Tax Party,
sprung up, the object of which was to
force sale by refusing to pay all state
taxes until the works were disposed Of
Nearly the same spirit, and to far
greater extent, prevails now. The state
works, as Gney have been managed, and
as they are likely to be managed, are
source of annoyance and expense-they
corrupt the public morals and increase
the state debt. Who, then, will wonder
at the feeling in favor of selling them to
individuals or companies. Experience
has clearly proved that the state cannot
manage them with hproft-nay, that under
state control they are pecuniary loss
and a source of corruption. Let us,
therefore disnose Of them. We say this
after mature reflection. Up to this time
we have expressed no opinion on the
question, hoping that something might
occur to satisfy US that they might be
profitable retained. But nothing has thus
far transpired so to satisfy US, and on ev-
cry hand, We perceive growing feeling
in favor of getting rid of them upon al
most any terms, rather than run the risk
Of keeping them any longer. As early as
.I64l more than twenty thousand major
ty of the popular vote was cast IN favor
of the sale-20ar, if vote were taken,
that IN aiority would be more than quad
rupled. The reason for this is obvious.
The people have become convinced, by
long and severe trials and experience, that
state management is but another name
for robbery, and that under any system
of state control, likely to be invented, the
commonwealth must be plundged deepe:
and deeper into debt Any one who
looks at the figures, as given by the state
officers themselves, must be convinced
that so long as we retain the public works
so long must We be a tax-ridden and op-
pressed people. 1t is alleged that the Of
| ice of Canal Commissioner is worth, for
the term, 100000, or more, depending
upon the smartness and depravity of the
! incumbent-au from the fact that sc
many seek for it to whom the mere honor
and salary could be no temptation, we
are inclined to believe that the allega
ton is correct. Such sum, or any sum
| beyond the mere salary, can be made BY
no other than dishonest means-and /
the board, the head of the whole machine
ry, is corrupt, what can we expect bu
corruption in all the subordinates? 1t il
acknowledged that on the Allegheny
Portage in the term of single year, We
believe, the commonwealth has been rob
bed of S4O,0 O,000-perhaps double or treble
that amount would not reach the sum ac
tually stolen; on the Columbia road, thc
Collectors office at Philadelphia has beer
guilty or peculation; these things are &C
nowledgcd-they are known to the ca
nal board-and yet, although month:
have elapsed since the facts became pub
lie, and since the attention Of the boarC
has heen drawn to them, nothing that VIZ
are aware of has been done to ferret ou
and punish the robbers. Thus has th'
system Of state management ever worked
and thus viii it ever work. 1t is corrup
in its head and in all its members, anC
there can be no rational hope entertained
that it ever will be otherwise. This, a
least is the general impression, and this
impression leads to strong desire, OF
the part of the people, to dispose of state
| improvements. Bat the figures are, after
all the indices to direct the public minC
to the course proper to be pursued in re
lation to the public works. Their actua
cost has been S32 ,542, ,267. 7.77-the lHtercs
paid on the same has been $50, 5,l57, ,796.
l3-the expense of conducting them hai
been nineteen and a half millions, anc
the entire revenue only S25, ,342, ,O2O.H.-
The total cost Of the state works to the
present time, las been in round numbers
say 500, 100000, and al we can show tc
meet this is a revenue Of less than S26,
100000. When We add that now appro
priations are asked, amounting to over
$4,000, 900, the public may judge fOl
themselves, whether, under such manage.
ment of affairs as we have had, and as
VIC are likely to have, the interests of the
people would be best promoted by retain
ing or disposing Of the works. For oul
own part, having nothing but the public
interest in view, we say sell them and il
you cannot sell them give them away-dc
anything but keep them longcr.-Ha,rls.
bnUg Union.
VEHICLE DRIVEN BY COMPRESSED
! AIR.-The C0H1mercjal Bulletin of Avig
non, France, announces the arrival in that