The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-05-06

termination to make these Works mere buzzard
roos,s for political favorites, where they can rest
in easy security and feed fat upon the substance
OF the people.
The bill violates tho clear provisions ofthe Con-
stituton. which declares that $50 long as this
State shall have public works which require super
intendence, there shall be O Board of Public
Works, to consist of three me nbers. who shall
be elected by the people, y who shall hold
their offices for three years" &c. The constitu-
also provides that "the powers aud duties OF said
Board of Public Works and its several members
and their compensation shall be such as now are
or may be prescribed by law" 1t is clear tina
the constitution intended the Public Works
should be under the superintendent of Board
not of one man. but of Board of three. This
new law violates that provision, for it says thai
one half of the Public Works shall he under the
superintendent Of one man, Mr.. Backus, and the
other half subdivided, shall be under tho superin
tendeuce Of Mr.. Conover, and Mr.. Waddle, re-
specuvely, each acting independent Of the Board
of Public Works." 1t may therefore, be snid
that no part of our Public Works is now under
the superintendent of Board, contemplated
by and provided for in the constitution. But II
may be said that each member is acting Gs
Board the answer to that is, that there is now
three Boards of Public Works The constitution
authorizes only one
II the principle of this new law is in accord
ance with the Constitution, then it is competent
for the Legislature at its next session to limit the
duties of Mr. Conover to the Lewistown Reser-
voir, and MIR. Waddle to the Lancaster Side Gut
or 10 some other Insignificant portion OF the Public
Works and give to MIR. Backus with full power
to appoint the Engineers, Collectors S<c.,) the
entire lines Of our canals. Did the Constitution
contemplate any such partition as this when it
created a Board. and put the superintendent OF
the Public Works in its charge We think not,
By this new law the Public Works are cut up
into three independent divisions and they are US
follows:
Div. No. l. under charge of Mr. Backus, $40 miles
| Div. No 2, ." Mr.. adde, PA miles
Div. No. 3, Mr.. Conover,- Isl miles
Mr. Backus on his division has the appointment
of 10 Collectors 3 Inspectors, 2 Weighmasters. 3
Deputy Weghmas ers IL in alI. There is a
| Weighmaster aud Deputy Weighmaster at Cieve
land and ut Toledo IN addition to the Inspector.
| Mr.. Waddle has the appointment of 9 Collectors
and Inspectors IL in all.
| Mr. Conover has the appointment OF Collec-
tors and Inspectors y in all.
| These figures show that Mr.. Backus has the
lions share, or nearly one-half OF the whole, al
though he is the youngest member Of the Board
| 1t is curious to see the adroit maneuvering
| by which this was brought about. Mr. Backus'
Division is declared to consist Of the Miami
and Erie Canal from tho Indiana Stale line in
Guiding the Junction, to Lake Erie. The Ohio
Canal, from Cleveland to the Lower Lock in
Lockville including the totpn Of Carroll, and the
| Western Reserve and Maumee Road. The town
of Carroll which is included in Mr.. Backuss divis-
ion by special clause has an office holder in it,
| 1t naturally should have been included in Mr.
| Waddle's division. SO with respect 10 Mr. Como.
ver's division, which consists of the Miami and
Erie Canal from Cincinnati to the south line of the
uAlage of junction IN PaaIding county Now
we ask, why was Mr.. Conover stopped short at
the south line OF the village OF Junction. and not
permitted TO 60 into the town 10 the Junction.
which is the natural termination of his division |?
Simply because there is an Office holder in the vii
lage and if Mr. Conovefs division extended to
he Junction, he would, under the provisions OF
! this law have the appointment oil him. Mr.. b ck-
as wanted to have il himslt and therefore he cut
short Mr. Conover's diviIion at the south line Of
the village.
Another curious featun OF this law is the in
crease which it makes in the salaries of certain
Office holders:
| Aggregate amount Of salarits BY new
| hw------.--------...-: --.-------- s2e,45o 90
| Aggregate amount of salarhs by old
4 law -.-4. -.-------- S55,393 80
| Increase by new law. y. .-l $3,O56 "a
We subm. whether it we're just to the people
when our public works ara burthen upon The
treasury to the amount of $4,000 year-when
the treasury is empty. and the Legislature had to
pass bill to borrow 500 00 to pay current ex-
penses and meet just demands thai the salaries OF
canal officers should be raised more than three
thousand dolarsa year. when the increase was not
asked for, and when plenty OF good men were
| ready to take the offices al the old salaries.
| This is not all. 1t appears that this increass,
like the handle Of jug, is all one side, or pretty
much So; Mr.. Backus, as usual, has the lion
share.
Increase Of salaries Ba ,kus's Division S2663 Ii
| Increase of salaries Conover's Division SIG 90
Decrease Of salaries on Waddles Division l22 so
So it appears that while the Collectors and In
spectors OH Mr.. Waddle's division have their pay
cut down in the aggregate Sl22 so. the favored
ones on Mr. BackuS division have theirs advanced
in the aggregate, $2,663 IA.
| LIE us select few of the favored spots. AT
Cleveland the duties which were performed by
the Republican Collector for S736.l7. his Demo
cratic successor is To receive FouRTEEN HUNDRED
DoLLARsl At Toledo, the Republican CoIiec o,
was paid SS0o.52 year. the new DeMocrauC
Collector is to receive Sl,400 and the pay OF
Inspectors at that same favored spot is raised from
1882, To the snug liItle sum Of 81 .550 At Def
ance, the pay is raised from 1852, under Repub-
lican rule, TO 81 400 under Democratic rule.
These Collectorships are now the best Offices in
the State A Collectorshp at either Cleveland
Toledo or D7iance. is much better Office than
the Governor of the STATE, or Judge Of the Su-
preme Court. What do our tax payers think o
paving a canal collector. who is employed only
about half his time, fourteen hundred dollars a
years.? 1t may a. well be stated here as at any
other place that the new Collector at Defiance
with his salary OF 81 400 year is a cousin OF
Abner l.. Backus. the newly elected member of
the Board of Public Works. There is no Chris
tian duty more incumbent upon us than to pro.
vide we'll for our families
Among the gentlemen Of the Legislature who
labored hard fir this bin was the chairman of the
COMMITTEES on Pubic Works, Mr.. Jackson. the
member from Henry county Mr.. Backus has moi
forgotten his services and therefore he has ap-
pointed him an Engineer. with a salary of 81 500
year. II is questionable whether this appoint
msnt is not 10 direct violation Of the constitution
II is certainly proceeding in the teeth OF seolioD
IA.L .f L. a @ -