New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-21
ALBANY.
IRREGULARITIES OF CANAL MANAGEMENT

IRREGULARITIES OF CANAL MANAGEMENT
THE CANAL BOARD ALTERING CONTRACTS WITHOUT
CALLING FOR BIDS, AND IN VIOLATION OF LAW.
ITROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF rHE TRIBUNBJ
ALBANY, May 20.-One of the chief indictments
against the Canal Board during the thorough discus
sion of canal affairs carried during the last two
months has been that that Board by arbitrary reso
buttons and awards altered the prices or dimensions
Of contracts and virtually let work in violation OF
law without calling for bids 1t Will be surprise
to meany learn that the Board has been guilty OF
lust such transaction within week. The facts
will be of interest.
In the Extraordinary Repairs bin of May Q, 1874.
there was an appropriation of $4,000 for the re-
noval of bench walls and the substitution of slope
walls on the Erie Canal Oct. 2, 1874, Commissioner
Stroud presented to the Canal Board detailed esti
mate of the cost of removing bench walls and sub
shutting slope walls on Rome and Jordan Levels
the latter now contract belonging TO Horace Can
dee and Z. B. Van Dusen-pacing the cost at
500, $40, and offered the following resolution:
Resolped That the sum Of $4,000 of the appropria
ton OF S560oO0, authorized by Chapter 399 Laws OF
slope walls the Erie Canal be set apart for the re-
Jordan Level Of the Erie Canal.
Mr. Raines moved to lay upon the table, which
was lost
The contract was let under this resolution and on
the 10Th day of May, 1875 the last meeting of the
Canal Board, Commissioner Stroud offered a resolu-
tion setting apart from thus appropriation of $113,
600 the sum of So 900 for the construction of YER
teal walls in place of slope walls In places where
the of the State required such changes THIS
action was taken in pursuance to Chapter 30,
Laws of 1879 this day approved by the Governor
This act had only reached the Secretary of States
office that day was not read by the Canal Board, and
was violated by the very resolution which 1t was
said TO authorize. Messrs. DOrshemer, Hopkins
Thayer Stroud Jackson and Sweet voted for the
resolution Mr. WiIlers voting in the negative, and
Mr.. RaInes declining to vote.
The act referred to did authorize the building of
vertical walls wherever, in the prosecution OF the
work the past Winter excavation has been made
for the construction of vertical walls, but II also eX
pressly states that no provision of this act shall be
construed rs approving adopting. OF legallzng any
action Of the Canal Board, Canal Commissioners or
Contracting Board which was unauthorized, OF not
in conformity with law, when the act was done
The excavation for this vertical wall had already
been done and was therefore done in violation OF
law The work had been partially completed, while
this law merely legaized such acts in future Under
this second resolution Of the Canal Board, ordering
$4,000 werth OF vertical wall, no plans or
estimates we're submitted, and the work
has not been readvertised or relet. The
work has been done, l am informed, as extra
work under the original contract, ana tllis III uhe
face of the opinion of the AttOrneyGenera, trans
United to the Board April 2S III which he says that
any change of plan which would materially
enhance OF diminish the aggregate expense OF the
work under contract, OF that would materially
change the character OF expense of the materials
necessary to be used in its construction would
within the spirit and design of the seventh article OF
the Constitution require TO be readvertrsed and re-
let Otherwise the provision in said article requiring
ali work to be let to the lowest bidder might be
evaded."
Thus it will be seen that within two months after
Gov Tilden's and THE TRIBUNE's exposures of canal
mismanagement and fraud the Canal Board have
been guilty of of those acts of loose adInlnlstra
ton which much of that acknowledgement and fraud
IN times past was made possible.