Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-12-12
Tho Public Works.

Tho Public Works.
The receipts and expenditures Of the Pub
lie Works have been published by the Colum-
bus papers at the end of each quarter for the
first three quarters, therefore it can not be
regarded as irregular for US to publish the
results of the fiscal year ending November
10. The receipts from all sources of revenue
on the Public Works ere 1913, ,769. The ex-
penditures for all purposes, strictly chargeable
TO the past year. were $4o5, ,65s, leaving de-
ficit for the year of $9l, ,sS9. Besides this,
there were $4,000 paid during the year for
Lewistown Reservoir lands, out of an appro-
priation made in 1858; but as these deferred
items occur every year, and as means were
just as necessary to relieve the unfavorable
exhibit in 1853 as now, the only way to show
the actual cost of the Public Works is to in
ciude the actual expenditures.
The Legislature appropriated $4,000 to
the Public Works. limiting the remaining
expenditures TO the receipts. This would
leave deficiency of $67Ss9 in the strictly
current expenditures for the year, which we
suppose may be called unauthorized ex-
penditure.
This defcitand considerable more, amount
ing in all to Sll2S55 81 is outstanding in
the shape of checks of the Board upon the
Treasury. The actual difference between
the receipts and expenditures of the Public
Works for the year will be seen by these
items to be $lO4 4s9, which is the sum the
management of this luxury costs the State
in year. AS the Public Works could have
been disposed of at any time during the last
three years for premium of from $25 900 to
$40 900 year, that may fairly be added to
this deficit, as the cost Of this political
machine.
When there was an unauthorized expeud-
iture of about $4,000, in 1853 to save the
total loss of navigation on some of the canals
for an entire season, the Democrats in the
Legislature tried to hold the executive Off.
GERS of the State liable for it, and resisted
the appropriation to the extent of their
power. They pretended, however, that it
was only to save the independent treasury
law from violation, and that if the Board of
Public Works had violated only the Cousti-
tuition by incurring an unauthorized debt,
they would have appropriated for it will
ipgly. Of course, nothing but nice regard
for the public service was perceptible in this.
This expenditure is now in the shape of an
unauthorized debt. We suppose that $67,-
$3.50 of it is contrary to the appropriation
law of the last session. That, of course,
will make the Democrats only the more
willing to pay it. Perhaps they will charge
the Board with the responsibility for this
unauthorized expenditure. But any one
who will reflect upon the subject will see
that this appropriation law was an absGrdity;
for to observe it strictly would have aban-
doned the canals last spring.
The law appropriated only $4,000 and
the receipts; but the heaviest repairs are re-
quired In the Spring, and to put the canals
in order for the seasons business required
an expenditure of one or two hundred thou
sand dollars before receipts from tolls fairly
began. Not to make the Spring repairs, was
virtually to abandon the canals. Here the
question at the start was, to disregard the
law, or sacrifice the public interest. The
amount actually expended for the quarter
ending May 10, which was the first quarter
under this appropriation, was 500, 7S9, while
the receipts for the same time were buI
$4l,443 90.
Here was a deficiency of $52,346, from
which deducting the specific appropriation
1000, leaves a deficit of $2s,346. Thi
wasa direct violation of the law. But i
shows that the law was made to be violated
Nobody supposes that the Board should have
abandoned the canals; but that or the viola
tion Of the law was unavoidable. TIL,
heaviest repairs always have to be made il
advance of the seasons business, and tn
law If il had any intelligent purpose, mean
that the Board were to do what the publ
service required, trusting to future receipt
to make up the expenditures.
But this is only necessary feature of tn
policy which holds the canals in the Stat
management, while it dare not make the ap
preparations that are known to be requires
to keep them in efficient condition. Fo
that policy the Republican party is responsi
bic, therefore it must endure the CONSCIENCE
of its results. The deficit of the Publ
Works for the last five years is $397, ,467 8;
In the meantime the constant requisitions
the Board for the repair or reconstruction
unsafe structures, which have not bee
granted by the Legislature, and the absorI
ton of the appropriations in following u
floods, and 10 repairing what are called el
traordinary casualties, but which have b,
come regular occurrences, will show plainl
enough, to an observer of the annual repor
Of the Board, that the Public Works a.
rapidly deteriorating. The deficit regularl
increases, and it has now become load thi
will sink any party that persists in keepiu
itupon the State.
We have before expressed our views as
the advantage which would result to Il
canals themselves, and to every interest col
nectedwith them, frOm the transfer of the
management to private interests and ente
prise.
GKHBRAL WALKER's REMAINS NOT TO
REhovED.-The Mobile Register, Of the A