New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-01-11
Tslg CANAL AUD,TOR's REPORT.

THE CANAL ACDsTGR'S REPORT
Mr.. Benton his done service 10 the Cana
Department and to the State By his clear, forci
BILE and temperate statement of the disastrous
influences which check the prosperity Of ou
canals. Reckless expenditure in extlaordinGr,
repairs, and generally under the prevailing con
tract system; misappropriation of the cana
revenues to objects which are neither legal not
beneficial; and the settled hostility ofrlyal rail
road interests to which the State has surrendered
her rights, and over which she has resigned No
small part OF her control-the,e are the obsta
clcs against which the canal system of y, " IOfs
struggles.
That in spitc Of rrcm al Che canals 90 stil
contribute abund to her prosperity, iscaust
f,r wonder even n.ote than for gratitude.
IN, act of 1862. which declared tue canal
completed. either ought never 70 have been
passed, or ought to have omitted the provision
by which the Canal Commissioners and Cana
Board were empowered TO make extraordl-
nary repairs." Tor il is evident enough that,
under cover Of hat phrase, it was intended real
IL tolcave an opening iordoirg what The act re-
garded rs already done-compietin the cana'f.
And il ought 20 have been G, dent at the time
what is too abnndantly evident Dow-that
such method Of finishing them would be more
open 10 frauds and extravaganza aud more
costly in the end than TO have executed IN good
faith tho contracts then existing. The sum OF
$500 900 has since been appropriated to thls
end, and Mr. Benton is beyond question right
in alleging that it. large excess over the neces-
AIRY expenditure OF the old contracts ia charge
able to the Legislature, which passed tie act.
Not directly connected with this topic, but
suggested by it, is the matter Of " ordinary re-
pairs" wherein a different lut not less Aaerant
abuse is pointed out. These contracts" says
III. Benton, "alc framed with the intention Of
covering every item Of work to be done on a
superintendent canal section that can hy any
reasonable and fair legal construction be en-
bracrd within the term ordinary repairs o. o
completed canal, except in special cnsea." Not
witlstanding which there are annually charged
20 account OF ordinary repairs $500, 900 more
than Is paid 10 contractors Tor such repairs,
which is about 100 per cent On the original con-
tracts. That is to say, the repairing Of The ca
mails ia contracted TO be done FOR $30s, TO-, and
under the officers now charged by law with the
duty of supervising their execution, does in fact
cost over 5000 900. Is it remarkable that the
canal finances exhibit occasional symptoms OF
arrangement
The relations between The canals, which are
he property of The State, and the railroads
which seem TO regard both the canals ANA thc
state a. heir property--are only too well known.
The Central, under It's present management,
aspiree no. merely 10 control the policy Oh the
state Government u reference 10 the canals,
but to direct also the politics and policy OF Tie
whole State in much broader relations. That
It's gigantic power 10 unscrupuiously used to
the imporerishment Of the State finances and
the diminution OF the canal revenue, does not
make It in the least probable that either
will be speedily emancipated from It's con-
troll. Yet familiar as this tyranny is
grown, some of Mr. BcntOn's figures may
even nov attract attention, and will perhaps, II
they can DO nothing more excite on indolent
surprise For instance, from 1888 70 1869 in
elusive, the freight traffic on the Central and
Erie Railroads increased from 99l, 039 to
30l0,3 tuna, and their freight receipts from
1886, GA to ,ei6. During tho same
period Of ten years the freight traffic on the ca
mails increased only from d,2i5, s53 to J,595, 7o5
tuns, and this increase of I,350,932 tuns is less
than the increased tunnage delivered at tide
water from the Western States within three
years. Hence tho losses sustained by the Gu
mails.
Agoin, tabular statement IN Mr.. Bentons
report shows that if railroad rates had been
paid on Is, 53S, $40 tuns carried in four years ON
the canals, their revenues would have been
$50, 027, 32s and that il the railroads hal
charged only canal rates on tho 1872, it7 tuns
which they carried, their receipts would have
been but Sl4, ~, 66s, instead of $50, $50, 81s.
The cost of moving freight Oh the railways was
l57 per cent greater than on the canals.
1t appears further that while the traffic which
might have been reserved for the canals mas thus
been diverted to the railways, the canal reyo-
nues have been 81, 800, 900 less than the consti.
tutono charges upon them, and that taxes to
the amount of S5,57l,755 81 have been levied
upon !he people IN order t9g x the dsieien'