New-York tribune., 1873-04-08
CANAL EXTRAVAGANCE.
THE STATE TREASURER REPLIES.

ENGINEER AND ComMIssIoNERs WHO ARE RE-
sPoNsIBLE FOR TnE BxTRAvAGANCE-CLAiMs
PAID FOR DAMAGES EXCEEDING ENTIRE VALUE
OF PROPERTY.
The following are remarks Of the Hon. Thomas
Raines State Treasurer, before the Canal Com
mttee of the Legislature, April g. lS73 in reply to
the State Engineer and Commissioners Barkley'
Wright, and Fay:
without pausng TO consider the many false PERSONA
ausons contained the addresses OF the State Ehgl
neer and Canal Commissioners Barkley and Wright anu
reminding these gentlemen that ct u qoque Is not an
acceptable defense TO the charges OF extravagant OK
pendture Of canal moneys the past and exorpitant
demands for the future. which not /, but the oica'
records OF the State present against them beg leave
continue the discussion OF the proper issues OF TINS con
troversy
IL ia not denied that since 1868 there nave pee"
enormous and constantly increasing expenditures upon
tho canals, the amount expended from january l.
1870 to January 1872. being more than 100000 ior
ordinary repairs and collection OF tolls, besides large
amounts for extraordinary repairs 1t s not denedth
from the result OF these expenditures the canals were On
the first day of January 1872 in better eonditon tnau
at any time for fifteen years" IL is not dehou
that upon these canals then in better cohuitioh
than at any time for 10 years, they ex-
pended for the calendar 1872 sS55oo for ordinary
repairs and collection Of tolls An amount which, pre-
vious TO 1870 was never equaled except during the sca
wear 1865 when during the last year OF the adnihsr|
ton of the same State Engineer who Is noWn once,
there was expended for the same purposes the sum Vi
Al 900 having increased from 73OOO In 1862 TO that
amoun IN 1865 II denied that the expenditure
for ordinary repairs upon each division for tho calendar
year was AS stated C.. Eastern division, S27OoO MID
die division, $lG6OOO; Western division, $4S'ooo'
Tho Commissioner of the Eastern dlVlsion'
however claims deduction, but after carefully com
pairing the figures find the exact amount to be N2o'
s7s 49, IL is not denied that the aggregate expenditure
for the calendar wear was se,156OOO and upward as
stated without awards OF appraisers interest on the
canal debt &c 1t is not denied that the expenditures
for the calendar year 1872 for ordinary and exraord
nary repairs and collection OF tolls was s2sSoO as
stated 1t not denied that the amount OF appropra
tion recommended by them TO the Legislature OF l"A
for the fiscal year commencing October L. 1872 for ord
nary and extraordinary repairs was about sJ'Voo 10
stated 1t rs not denied that the amount OF appro-
prafions which they have this year recommended 10 the
Legislature for the fiscal year commencing oct l. 1919,
"a and upwards stated. and they are wen
aware that Canal appraisers have reported faVof@
by upon 100000 OF claims for damages for which appro
priations will be demanded 1t is not denied that the
average cost OF repairs per mile was correctly stated
1870 10 1865 ... sls3 1868 TO 1872. ........tl4B
1854 TO 1865 ... l223 Fiscal year Is72... l,7l2
Mr. Wright endeavors TO explain this gradual increase
of figures as follows
FIRST In three out 9th. ysrs the Re Owego and Caynga
@ am being improved and liberal eIp,ndd annually
upon al sss w is .aorSe large Soua.
otherwise must have been as rep, contracts 'e'e " '
During the neIt four years pce rose and & se S, m
'5 55 DarHS the last four years viz from 1872 took place
m Involving heavy expenditures restore ueh sections as had
been 9sssed dm O y. % sd S, b. allow
permanent improveme1bi several usaou ocAh anu
eTtra allowance By the Legislature.
AN ENLARGEMENT THAT SEEMS TO DE CONTINUOUS.
He does not discover that his own statement returns
again TO plague him. The enlargement was declared
complete on 30h day Of September 1884, so that To
the fiscal year 1863 when the cost was $500 per
mile his statement does not apply. The entire amount
expended In for ordinary and extraordinary repairs
and every purpose including the enlargement, was
g. an amount less by siOo3n than the cost OF Or
dnary repairs and collection OF tolls for the canal in the
calendar year l2 The succeeding years were years OF
high prices gold at its highest premium large allow
ances on existing contracts &C. and also time (Which
he fails TO state) Of known cousOn between State Off
GERS and contracors time Of fraud, exposed by the
Legislature OF 1861 and yet the average cost per mile OF
repairs was only ,223 The next four years, he says
was period of transition" 1t was, indeedl Repairs
averaged 81 426 per mile
We had surmounted all these great difficulties e.,
scarcity OF labor caused by the drain OF men for the war;
and consequently high wages, high premium on gold,
and consequent unusual cost OF materials. equitable
the contract TO the superintendent system, heavy
pendtures on contractors sections heavy payments for
materials and tools allowances for permanent improve
ments disastrous breaks and extra allowances by the
legislature and the effect Of all this or some other cause
is evident in the tremendous expenditures previous to
jan 1872. And will the late Commissioner tell us
by what process OF reasoning he is able to explain and
Justify the expenditure for repairs Of about $4,000 per
mile the calendar year 1872 when few or none OF these
disturbing elements were PRESENT.
THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE EASTERN AND WESTERN
DIVISIONS
It is admitted by tho Commissioner OF the Eastern
Division although he had stated to the Legislature and
public, through the columns OF the public press, that
there remained s57 900 Of his appropriation for the last
half OF the fiscal year. that IL exhausted as satedb
yet the charges with incorporating him. and
proceeds TO show how by mysterious process some
body else had exhausted 1t for him. The admitted facts
sufficient for my purpose. This same gentleman
states that the surplus revenues OF last year were
81 10000. Where theyi surplus what II
was surplus over ordinary repairs and collection Of
tollsa technical surplus more than expended in
extraordinary repairs.
The Commissioner OF the Western Division admits the
responsibility of himself and associates for appropria-
tons except those which added by the Legislature
satisfy the demands OF localities. He denies that they
responsible for the retention Of the fraudulent con-
tracts, and says only five OF them remained 1t was
such little steal The law says the Canal Board has
power TO cancel the recommendation OF the Com
missiOners He is aware that these contracts would
have been instantly Cancelled had It been within the
power Of the Board. 1t the all-important recon-
mendaton OF the Commissioners. which my resolution
called for, and which, withheld by them, rendered
powerless the remainder OF the Board. He states
that / did him an injustice by omitung the
OF the preamble after quoting his
remarks which the dilapdated condition OF the canals
is given the of the heavy expenditures OF 1870
and 1871. Win the Commissioner explain how the
duced rates OF tO TO which the remainder OF the pre-
ambe refers affected the condition Of the prism Of the
canals so long he and his associates continued their
enormous expendturesi He says that the quotation