New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-09
THE CoMMITTEE's INVESTIGATION.


It Is competed.
THE COMMITTEES INVESTIGATION.
EXAMINATION OF CANAL AUDITOR FRANCIS s.
THAYER-GENEgAL LOOseNEss CHARACTERISTIC
TIE WHOLE SYSTEM OF CANAL MtNAGEMENr-
CERTIFICATES OF CORRECTNESS sworn TO
WITHOUT PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE RESPONSIBLE
nY THRDwN OK THE LOWEST OFFICIALS.
TBT TELEGRAPH 10 THE TRIBUNE
ALBANY, April S.-The Joint Investigating
Committee on Canal Frauds. Senator Cole. Ca rman.
and all the members AMI Messrs. Smith and Pecknam
counsel present. il the OF the Canal Auditor,
A. the Sae-house tins afternoon, AMI began their IN
yestctton into tho frauds OF the Canal Rnt by taxing
the testimony Of Francs :. Thayer Canal Auditor reia-
tive 10 the methods OF business Ia the Canal Depart
neat Mr. Taayer * plaaed the statements already
exrlcriy detailed Ia TKz TRBCNEl relative to the pro-
c,s.es by which the canal WORK is advertised let and
paid for and also explained to some extent tho manner
IN which gslaon BROUGHT occasionally to the aid OF
svarieiOus contractors From the developments made
even thus early the Investigation, constant and fyS
tematc negligence seems 70 have been the chief ari-
butte OF the CIual Board, handed down from
one Board TO another a. part Of The
,vstcm Ike legacy, and accepted by
The d vision and Assistant Engineers as 4 model for
emulation them oy their superior officers Tne CHEF
officials Of the department 10 have developed no
higher aim TO get through the set routine OF bus
DO al the work The system OF graduated responsible
Nv was beautifully developed The Canal DOarG hed
The Commissioners responsible to them; the Commits
souers bel the State Eugneerrcspon 3e to them the
STATE Enncer held Lis Deputy responsible TO him. the
Deputy tn turn he'd the Resident El-noef, who held
the Division Engineer, who 1uaiy held The Assistant
Lug neer responsible for the correctness OF ali the es
mates quantity sheets and article accounts and, al
though each OF these Officers, up TO and including
the State Endneer, individually certified on his
oath 10 the correctness OF tao IIaI accounts
which were the chief warrants for most OF tho pay
nents 0. the immense for extraordinary repairs
Yet not one of them except the Assistant Engineer IN
the majority of cases, the work or made an
estimate. E,ch took the certificate of the officer
mex; below hun as sufficient ground for his sworn
certificate, and the pile OF attestatOns and cerfca
tons only reached hard pan. AMI had basis OF per
sonal knowledge for foundation at tie Assistant
Engineer How much OF bis swearing was done usually
on the informal OF the contractor Was not
developed by Mr.. Th3yer's testimony.
MI Thaver tled that when there arises any neccs
ttv for extraordinary repairs the attention OF the Leg
,.lature is called matter by the Canal Comln5
sioners. more OF them going before the Canal
Committee and representing the fact The necessary .D
propriation Is sometimes inserted IN the supply or
APPROXIMATION bill by the Committee and sometimes it
IL rejected Items thus rejected frequently inserted
IN the bill aferward when in Committee Of the Whole.
The member from a district frequently asks that
IN ite work in his district he inserted and IN this
way a great deal OF work - ordered with which the
Canal Commissioners had nothiag to do. All work on
extraordinary repairs must be authorized by the Legs
lature When the work 10 so ordered, estimates, with
maps aud plane are made by the engineer tlry ensi-
recrl who submits them TO the Division AMI State En-
einecrs who submit them 70 the Canal Board.
Isray these estimates are made by tho engineers OF
me division on which the WORK is 70 be done. The
Canal Board thon approve these estimates and
plans and the Canal Commissioners advertise
tie wo.k 20 be done-llthOugh, in many iu-
stances the Commissioner In charge OF the
division aevertises for the BIDS alone when bids are
advertised for, the plans and estimates on "hich TIE
bids are 10 made Kept for the convenience OF DID
ders In the Canal COMMISSIONER Cfce, and III tie AUDI
tors Tooms The bids all handed TO the Clerk OF the
Canal Commissioners. who open them at regular
meeting and award contracts TO the lowest iders
The OF the bids are figured no and the lowest
bidder according 10 these totals, gees the award. Wit
less cil not know what became OF the unsuccessful
Ids Tie Canal Board does not award the contracts
The Resident and DIVISION Engineers are all ap-
pointed by the State Engineer and the three
Canal Commissioners. These each have IL mum
Der OF assistants who appointed by the
STATE Eugaaeer aud tie Commissioners IN charge
Of the DIVISION for which they are appointed
Tie STATE Engineer has deputy who is appointed by
himself. There this year about 20 Assistant Eng
neers including roo men, beartrs &c. on account
81 the extra surveying required by the resurVey OF the
Champlain Canal. when the contractor has entered
mon LIS WORK and lis first month is finished he obtains
the monthly estimates OF the work from the englneern
charge usually an assistant engineer He submits these
"a the Division Engineer who makes a return OF them
10 Auditors office and upon their certificates the
monthly due Is paid the contractor, Is per cent
beng kept back, for which the Canal Commission
ers issue their certificates. The certificate, along
with the monthly estimates, Is retained In the
,fq.a I'm and
hioner in charge both swear TO the correct
hess OF the estimate. II seems impossible tha'
The Division Engineer or the Commissioner can Eno"
positively that the estimate Is correct They cannot 10
than approximate &C. because the work IS covered
w the time the estimate reaches them AMI they
could only make superficial observation Of II. WIN
all the swearing and certifeatiOn one knows posi-
lively about the correctness Of the estimate except fbe
subordinate engineer who originally makes II. and the
mao who does tue work, although tie Division Engt
Ieer makes certificate that he has personally examined