Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-02-03
Report of the Canal Board.


Report of the Canal Board.
wo have glanced over the annual Reports, for
the year 1853, of the Canal Commissioners, and
Of the Superintendants of the Columbia and Al
Legheny Portage Rail Roads they are of course
interesting Documents, and contain much valu-
able information it is our intention TO copy
from each of these reports, those portions likely
so be of more special interest to our readers.
A passage in the Report of the Canal Board,
is somewhat startling, and in our opinion calls
for immediate notice at our hands-we refer to
their discussion of the Allegheny Portage Road
portion of which we extract:
ALLEGHENY PORTAGE RAILROAD.
BY reference to the report ofthe Superintendent
Of the Allegheny Portage Railroad it will be seen
that the expenses of working the road, including
motive power and repairs, for the fiscal year
which has just closed, amounted to the enormous
sum of four hundred and ninety-two thousand
five hundred and fifty-twO dollars. The reported
expenses on this road for the year 1852, was four
hundred and two thousand one hundred and
ninety-fiye dollars. To this, however, must be
added fifty-four thousand three hundred and
thirty-three dollars which had not been reported
by the former superintendent but has since been
discovered and reported by the officer new in
charge of the road thus making q gross sum of
four hundred and fifty-six thousand three hun
dred and twenty-eight dollars as the expenses of
1882, being an excess IN 1858, over that of 1852
of thirty-six thousand two hundred and twenty
four dollars. Could the Board assume that the
amount expended in 1852 was all legitimate
there would be but little difficulty in dcInonstra-
ting that this excess was but the natural result
Of the increased travel and tonnage. But was
the expenditure of 1852 all proper! This is the
problem. Although the Board have not been
able to detect any fraud, yet, from the very
less manner in which business has hitherto been
transacted there, 1t is readily perceived how easy
1t might be to practice extensive frauds and at
the same time the officer in charge of the road be
Innocent of any corrupt motive. Take the arti-
Gle of wood for example, and it cannot be doubt
cd but that the State has been imposed upon TO a
large amount, notwithstanding the payments
have generally been made upon the certificates of
OF the inspector appointed for that purpose; the
only exception to this rule being few thousand
cords which were taken up by other officers of
the road, in the absence of the inspector The
conclusion therefore is irresistible, that either
fraudulent certificates must have been issued, or
the officers deceived by the parties furnishing the
wood The Board incline TO the latter opinion.
Who can believe that seventy thousand three
hundred and fifty dollars worth of wood could be
consumed IN the transportation of given amount
OF tonnage and number of passengers, over thr-
ty-six miles of this road, when it required but
slxty-seYen thousand six hundred and eighty
SlSuL OOaEs worm 10 transport, At least an equal
amount, over eighty-one miles Of the Philadel-
phia and Columbia road The proposition is
absurd
Without being able, therefore, to fix upon any
parties specific charge of fraud in this respect,
yet regard for truth and candor constrains The
Board to express the opinion, that at least forty
thousand dollars have been paid out for wood
within the two past years, for which not one dol
lars adTantage has accrued to the Common
wealth.
Besides this. the superintendent assures the
Board, verbally, that he can show, by the most
indubItabe evidence, that he paid out on bills Of
wood, lumber, oil and other material, connected
with the motive power and repair departments,
at least sixty thousand dollars which properly
belonged to the expenditure of 1882 as they had
been actually used in that year. but which he re-
ported IN his expenses of 1858. From the repre-
sentations made, and the evidence adduced, the
Board incline to credit the statement If this be
so. why then tits clear that the expenses of
1852. instead OF being less, were much greater
than 1853.
1t has long been the fashion to denounce the
Portage Road, and everything connected with it
this has been favorite theme with disappointed
and worn out politicians efforts have been I'M
coasngiy made to disgrace, or injure the reputa-
tion of every officer under whose charge the road
Of hate years has been placed; they have been
o. VII. iIduus even WIFI
these stories have been repeated, the changes
have been rung SO many ways, that public inter
est in them was beginning to wane-the excite
ment was dying away, until the Canal Board Of
Pennsylvania have seen fit TO sing a new song
10 an old tune. aud fairly turn the tables, by
charging whole community with fraud
We would look upon the matter as the richest
joke that has come to our knowledge, were it not
that the charge is preferred IN all seriousness,
and with specious pomp of Logic, calculated to
provoke other feelings than those of mirth.
In the extract copied above, the Board make
no specific charge against any individuals, but
what they say amounts to general charge
against those persons engaged in furnishing wood
TO the Commonwealth Now large number
OF citizens in the most pof,lloas township N our