Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-03-29

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: ate $3lA0OO for The superintendance and 70
. pair ofthe Public Works. This the Hous
amended BY appendinga provision TO leas
them in May to the highest bidder. This th'
Senate disagreed to, and the House finally re
ceded. Thechiefreason against leasing SEEM
to have been tfs brief time which the Gene
raj Assembly had to consider the measure
on account of its having been introduced &c
late in the session. As this in effect comedies
the merits Of The measure, the natural ques-
ton is, why was Il not introduced earlier
The actual performance of the Legislature
fails to show measures Of such pressing ne
cessity as to rule out one which proposed a
saving to the State Of not less thaa 100000
a year, and probably the rescue Of the canals
from their rapid decline. The canals have
not come into existence this year. The
measure to lease was Agitated and passed in
the last Legislature and really members who
discoursed so wisely of questions Of State
when they were on the stump, and who con-
vinced their constituents that they had the
whole State Government at their finger ends,
could not have been novices on this impor-
tant question.
Why then was this measure introduced so
late in the session, and why could not this
reform-legislature find time to attend to the
greatest question of the State2 The time
devoted to bills to punish the people of Ohio
for organizing military expeditions to invade
Virginia, based on the idea that our people
have a perpetual itching for that pastime
would have sufiiced to digest the lease meas
ure. So also would that devoted TO many
other measures Of not 1.-THE of the import
ance. There are other reasons which had a
very conservative effect on the Legislature,
and which inclined them to spend their time
in retrenching the mint rue and cummin,
while they neglected weightier matters until
it was too hate TO begin to think about them.
A Republican member of the Board retired
during the session, and another Republican
succeeded him. When Amurath succeeded
Amurath, it was not more fatal to his broth
ers, than one Republicanmember' succession
Of another was expected to be to the Repub-
lican incumbents on the Canal. Besides
the Public Works were to be regulated" as
iteis termed, by the Legislature, and it was
expected by large class of patriots on the
Canals that the Democratic member of the
Board would be regulated out of the appoint
ment of his own subordinates, if not out of
any supervision of the Public Works.
These special providences gave every canal
member of the Legislature at least dozen
applicants for appointments on the public
works hanging to his coat tail. To expect
them to 60 for measure which would cut
off the hopes of these would be asking too
much of legislative nature. These applicants
also represented public opinion at the Cap
ital, which was unanimously against leasing
Why, the policy would be ruinous to the
canals, and especially to the Republican
party; and with so many disappointed can
didates, who, by a wonderful coincidence,
were all active working Republicans, could
any member of the Legislature expect a re-
election2 Of course not. So before they
could make up their minds to consider it. ii
was too late.
The result is that instead of introducing
the energy, economy, and business enterprise
Of private management into the canals, get
ting rid ofthe disturbing political element Of
their numerous officers and employees, and re-
ceiving q net revenue from them of forty or
fifty thousand dollars, the State has ap-
propriated all the revenues and TWENTY-FIVE
thousand dollars more, to keep them in State
management. We say "a net revenue of
forty or fifty thousand dollars" because there
was good evidence that they could have been
leased for that, last year, and, the probability
is they could now. This shows loss to the
State Of $s5,OOO or $75,OOO a sum not easily
saved by retrenehing on State salaries and
printing, especially by Legislature 80 SEN
sitiTe about its own pay.
But if this were the worst it might be en-
dured, in consideration Of the great benefits
which were promised the State by the election
Of this Legislature; but this provision for
their repair is only slight break on the rapid
decline Of the canals. The Board of Public
Works asked Of the Legislature $344,000 to
make the necessary repairs for year, and
that amount was provided in the Senate bill.
II must be granted that the Board understand
the condition of the canals better than mem
bers of the Legislature can. They either
needed this amount, or they attempted to
plunder the State. As their integrity is no
where questioned, their requisition is conclu-
sive that they needed the 1914, 900 for actual
repairs and superintendance. The appropria-
tion actually made, will, if the revenues are
equal TO those Of last year, amount TO $246,-
lat, or nearly hundred thousand short of
the amount needed for efficient repairs.
Furthermore, last year the revenues of the
Public Works declined SEQ, $50 from the year
1858; and that year declined $3l, TAG, from
1851; and the year 1857 declined SEQ 6s5 from
the previous year; and so on. .
This spring there has been no money in the
Treasury to put the canals in order for the
spring trade, and that Is now actively moving
while the canals are closed: and with nothing
but the revenues to depend on, and losing
those by the ill-condition Of the canals, while
the heavy products ofthe country are actively
going forward, it is probable that the progress
sive reduction in revenue will still continue,
so that 5000, 900 is all that can reasonably be
calculated on in addition to the appropria-
ton Of $24, 900, so that there is q probable de-
fciency Of $l22 900 from what the Board re-
II a hi l. -