New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-08

derive dishonOra able profit from lending tho
funds TO the banks in their vicinity. We need
not stop for further comment on this.
Ill IL ia known, and has been openly
charged Ivy men Of no less standing than Sen
ator COnkling, that the State is Outrageously
robbed in the charges made against the Treas
ury for the support of the State prisons and
the convicts confined therein. This, it was
alleged, was an abuse OF Tammany rule which
the Republican party was destined to reform.
But the report of the Controller shows that
the expenditures for the State prisons have
been greater for the twelve months ended
Sept. 3d. 18;3 than for either OF the three
years 1870, 1871, and 1879. The expenditures
on this account were $1,O00,693, and the re-
ceipts only 3354,197, to which may be added
claims due for lime and iron sold to the
amount of ss6,S90:
Nv. H appears to be the practice whenever q
new building Is to be erected to start on a
plan which will compel an expenditure of four
or five times the sum to which the entire cost
of the structure ia limited by the authorizing
act. A lagrant instance of this is the new
Capitol building. The original estimate and
limit TO the cost of this edifce was four
million dollars Nearly five million dollars
have already been drawn from the Treasury
and expended on 1t, and the external walls
have been carried only to the hight OF the
first story! In the Governors Message 1t IA
o,Liui.,tod That ten million dollars more will
be required to complete it. and over six mil
lions more to finish the insane a4sylums at
Buffalo, Poughkeepsie, and MdHetown, and
the refOrmatOry at Elmira.
V. Another vast field for robbers of the
Treasury is believed to lie in the prosecution
of claims for damages before the Legislature
and the Canal Appraisers. Claims to the
amount of millions are already in existence,
not counting the millions already paid. The
Auditor of the Canal Department has some
very suggestive comments on this species of
" statesmanship," as Tweed would call it.
vi. The Quarantine establishment appears
to us to DO maintained in style needlessly
magnificent. Its total cost to the State has
been over Sl,7OO,OOO for the last six years,
against little less than 100000 for the six
years next preceding. The Controller tells us
that hereafter great reduction of expenditure
may be looked for under this head, which we
trust will prove to be the fact.
VII. The cost of the Legislature and the
public printing has been $4,000, which is
probably the full intrinsic value. There is
still room for great retrenchment in this item
of expenditure. Much useless printing might
well be dispensed with. Among the items of
expenditure, coming under the head Of legis-
lative, wo notice the payment of 1878 for
"Engrossing and framing resolutions compli-
"mentary to" former President of the Sen
ate. The appropriation of such sum for
such a purpose is suggestive of the degree to
which the habit of regarding the public money
as personal property has grown upon our leg
islators There are several other little pay
ments of a like character entered on the
Controllers books.
VIII. With the exception of the canals, we
have Now touched on most of the important
matters considered by the Controller. Upon.
the canals there is but little to be said The
enormous expenditures in connection with
their maintenance have been slightly reduced,
.i.....,,I. ..s. --e~..,s' ~--''y
be demanded The much -talked-Of canal debt
may be easily paid off in seven or eight years
from the surplus revenues, and 1t Is proper
that it should be, 80 long as the people are
compelled to pay still greater amount each
wear i'm taxes for the cost of " new work and
" extraordinary repairs" and awards of dam
ages by the Canal Appraisers. Leaving out
of the account entirely the item of interest on
the capital of S5OOOO,OOO which the State has
invested in the canals, the expenditures on
account of these works still exceed the re-
ceipts, and any further reduction of tolls is
equivalent to the payment of bounty from
the Treasury to the individuals using the canals
or dealing in the produce carried thereon.