New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-10-28

ward from the rural districts, ana the
like. But we need not 60 into
that question. Here is the Census of
1870, taken by sworn officers, which shows
fewer inhabitants than you had voters. We
believe the Census correct; you profess 70
believe it let us have the matter
settled before an impartial tribunal! Why
not Do you believe you can make anybody
think you honest while you refused
CANAL EXPENDITURES md CONTRACTS.
The "By Authority" defense of the ilagitious
increase of Cana expenditures by the Board
now seeking to be reelected, rests on an allie
cation that the Canals "came into Democratic
Glands so filed up, so dilapidated, so unflt
"for use, as to entail an immediate expense to
"pnt them in condition" If this means any
n g. it is that the vast outlay for which
.;., i'a.fd is arriGned was an immediate"
...;-, wi.hoUt which the Canals would
r.r,eiHcd "Imft for use." They
. .r.od technically on the 9th OF
.l.s. lat practically not until the 10th !;
uat delay having been made for effect
in aid of the purpose now on foot, and not on
account Of any insuperable obstacle. 1t IL
undcHiable that by the 10th Of May the canals
were ain condition." and that whatever the
expense, it had then accrued. We would like
to be told what It's amount actually was. No
dilanidated lock could be rebuilt, no tilled-rp
prism excayated, after the water had been let
in: and the Canals having been rescued from
their deplorabe condition and made fit for use
on the day named, all the work necessary to
that end must have been done by that time.
Therefore we ask, what did it cost For that
il the exact measure of the " immediate ex-
"pense,n whatever may be the dimensions of
the subsequent expenditures. Was it 1.-THE OF
the 81 ,403 600 expended by the Board up to the
1st of this month?
We are aware that the repair contracts on
Sections and of the Black River Canal ex-
pired on the Isl of January last, and nat
those sections have since been repaired By
Superintendent. Those contracts required
only @2i,420 for the repairs of an entire year,
While under the Superintendent SS3159 10
had been expended for the same purposes up
10 the 1st of the present month. We know
also that within the six months ending with
September the Supcrintcndents of the three
sections of the Champlain Canal have drawn
and claim to have expended in repairs Sl40,-
992 65; whereas during the last year of Repub-
ican management SG9,9l0 70 sufficed Under
the law passed last Winter to abolish the
Contracting Board and annu repair con-
tracts-a law deceitful in its provi-
sions and infamous in its purpOses-eighteen
contracts for repairs, at the yearly cost of
S3A,744 have been surrendered, and the Sec
tions conGded to the care of Superintendents.
Some of these contracts were abrOgated as late as
the 18th Of April, and none of them earlier than
the list so that only from rs to 40 days inter-
yened between their surrender and the OPEN
ing of the Canals. IF these Superintend-
ents rebuilt any dilapidated structures or
"bottomed outn any filed up prisms, they
must have done it within that short period.
Nor does tho job on the Glens Falls feeder
conflict with this statement seeing it had
no effect on the Erie Canal, and was,
moreover, feat to be ashamed of. By the
close of September, the Superintendents had
drawn and claimed to have expended on these
reclaimed sections S678,457 so. That is, re-
pairs which had been contracted for at the
rate of S344,7H for IL months, the contracts
for which were duly performed, as their own
Commissioners certified every month, cost,
under the purged and improved method, by
Superintendent, SG7S,457 80 in six months, or
at the rate of $1,35G,9l5 per annum.
But the main question, how much of the
whole amount was expended by the 10th of
May, or, in other words, was Immediate
still remains unanswered. We have the au-
thority of a Democratic Canal Commissioner
for affirming that it was only necessary to re-
move an amount of deposit during the Spring
repairs of 1870 equal TO that removed in 1868
and 1869, in order to give navigation not sur
passed in the history of the Canals" And on
authority quite as trustworthy we allege
that it il doubtful whether the Super
intendents removed as much deposit
in 1870 ms the contractors did in
1868. What more have the superintendent
done IN 1870 than the contractors did in 1858
If they have only done az much, whence the
difference in cost with no increase of accom-
modation7 Is labor, are materials, higher now
than then1 Experts assure Us that by no
possibility could any such sums as have been
drawn be used within the time for the pur
poses alleged. The canals are not dredged
when filed with water, but excavatcd when
empty, and then only 'can lock be rebuilt.
Probably not onc-eghth of the vast eypcnfi-
lures IaadG b. tue Canal D0atd Wen, foI the