Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1857-06-19
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SALE Oh THO MAIN LINE.
LETTER No. 2,
MODE OF GAINING THE NECES.
SARY FACTS-REASONS WHY
THE CANAL COMMISSION
ERS' REPORTS ARE
IMPERFECT AND
UNRELIABLE.

| AN to prove, particularly, that til
Main Line is not sustaining itself, but ha
exhausted, and is exhausting, the proceed
of the taxation from the people.
There is but Que method in which tbi
proof can be obtained. 1t is by referenc.
to the Reports of the Accounting Depart.
ment of the Government. 1t is by gather.
ing from those Reports statement of all
the moneys received from the Main Line
for term Of years, and all paid out upon
1t. say all the receipts from, and all the
payments upon it. Nothing less will be
the truth.
The Canal Commissioners do not take
this view of the subject; and hence the
partial, unfaithful and unsatisfactory ma
ture of their reports. They include in
their account all the receipts from the
Mair Line; but they do not include all
'he payments upon it. On the contrary.
they studiously exclude from their state
ment an account of all moneys paid, to 9th.
er purposes than those they choose to con-
slider proper 10 be charged to the Line
In the exercise eff this discretion, they have
excluded all payments for damages caused
in the transaction Of business for all "pew
work, whether upon the track oc the Co
lumbia Road, on the New Portage Rail
road, on the Dopots or Machinery of the
Roads. or on The Reservoirs bslono;pc to
the Canal; for tee expenses of themselves
aud their office, until 1859 for repairs of
farn and road bridges: for ALI ''old debts
paid ia years subsequent to those in which
they were contracted: until recently, fer
nuwloeomotivcs; and for improving or re-
building bridges. and Offices for the trans
action Of business. 1t req3.ires no evidence
TO pyoue that statement made upon such
principles could not givoa fair representa-
tion of the facts. TO secure this, euery
aiem Of receipt or erpendIt3rP must be IN
ciuded--and not merely these which suit
previously planned purpose. And these
items can be found only an the reports of
the Auditor General of tue Commonwealth.
This officer nudits all the accounts of the
State officers an the Public Works, and
publishes every year, at the closc Of hls re-
port, statement considerably in detail Of
the account IT fhe Canal Commissioners
,On one side Of the account the auditor
General represents 4he money paid by the
State Treasurer to these officers; and on
The other, enters she general purposes to
which the asnounts are applicl This ac-
count is as complete one as the present
mode of keeping 'the books will present:
but lacks very much in fulmess and detail.
iBy comparing it with the other reports, it
Iis practicable, however. to gather an accu-
rate idea Of the state of the case. This |
propose to do hereafter, with regard to sew
,eral years, that the public may see what the
Main Liue has actually accomplished, as
,contrasted with what the Canal Board has
claimed for it.
To illustrate the difference 10 results
caused by the difference in the method of
making up the statements referred to, it
may be mentioned that since 1851, the fol-
loving amounts have been paid on certain
Of the items of which no account has been
taken by the Canal Board;
DAMAGES paid, SlS1,185 40
Pay of Canal Commits
sioneI and expenses
If of;ee 4i,7S6 %
Old debts, 52o,l5S Al
Iumbia Railroad, l,l69,SO7 81
New locomotives, 154,6S6 80
S2,o70,S Il