The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-12-14

lave lad several interviews
IN those employed in the management of
the canal, who have supposed themselves
embraced in the eensures east by US upon
its administration After listening to their
statements and explanations, We find moth
ing 10 retract but much to add to our
former complaints. Che principal facts
charged are admitted TO be true, and the
reasons given for the wretched state of the
canal appear, to practical men, very unsatis-
factory. The canal treasury is now empty;
the season of navigation has closed at the
North, and there is NO accruing revenue
and there will be no funds on hand to re-
pair and open the canal in the Spring, ex-
cept what may be obtained from the sales
of land during the winter As long as this
resource lasts-which cannot be a great while
the canal may be kept from utter dilapi-
dation, for so long as there is any show Of
business upon any portion Of it, il will af-
ford o pretence for its officers to draw their
support from its treasury, From the oyi-
ligence against Messrs. Ball and Osborne,
appear not to have been made without just
grounds A large share ofsthe difficulties
on this end of the line, it appears by the
testimony of good men, are 10 be attributed
to their neglect. The only means, we see,
of thoroughly reforming the administration
of the canal, is by an appeal to the bond
holders, who have the appointment of two
Trustees, who have the power OF selecting
all the subordinates. The State Trustee
can sometimes check abuses and cause the
adoption of proper measures by protests
and threats of exposure if suitable per-
son be selected by the Legislature, he may
bring about a reform by showing to the
bond-holders the fact that the decline of
business on the canal has been caused more
by the enlpable neglect and mismsnagTnent
Of their own agents, than by the conpeti
ton of rival lines of transportation.
The expenditures on the canal in the past
year have exceeded the receipts about$l55,-
600. The managers say it viii require, in
future, from $4,000 to $50, 900, annually,
besides its revenues, to sustain the work.
This amount, they say, they expect the Leg
islature will finally grant them, rather than
that the canal should go to total ruin They
were in hopes that the people along the line,
who are deeply interested in the preserva-
ton of the canal, would unite with the
Trustees and petition the Legislature for.an
annual grant and instead of assailing them,
they intimate that the people of Evansville
would advance their own interests by unit
ing in the measure The people of the
Pocket-in our opinion--will ask for no
grants to the present canal administration,
even to prevent the canal being closed for
funds placed in such hands would be vast
ed to prolongsits present wretched condition
to let it sink into ruin at last
If no appropriations can be obtained from
the State, it is threatened that the revenues
from the lands and tolls will be appropriate
ed to sustaining such portionsof the canal as
pay the largest revenue These being atthe
North, the Southern section, from Terro
Haute to Evansville, which paid $1,000 IN
tolls in 1857, and viii pay less in 1858, must
be abandoned, they say.