New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-21
THE LEGISLATIVE INVESTIGATION.

THE LEGISLATIVE INVESTIGATION.
TESTIMONY OF ENGINEER PETER HOGAN AND TX
COMMISSIONER W. W. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF
REFORM
ALBANY, April 2O.-The Joint Legislative
Committee resumed their labOrs this afternoon Tue
first witness called Peter Hogan, who testified tat
he an engineer and had been one for - years lie
proceeded az follows did Iny first work On the canal
in 1853, my office being at Amsterdam; was next en-
pIoyed on the Eastern Division from 1883 Ia 1879 was
resident engineer at the time Of the Denison CONTRACT
for removing the slope vail was resident engineer al the
time the preliminary survey was made, MT
Crocker being division engineer at that time While was
in the Office I cav the work about once
month, and looked at 10 as an engineer
would do who interested In the WORK
good work IN every particular but cannot say
that IL complied the specheatUDs IN the contract
yer passed monthly estimate without going ON the
myself and assisting in the mcosureInen- az tne
time was In tho states service the contrHtor "hs
never paid the estimates when the MEASUREMENT.
made the assistant kept the notHs al the tne 1
il being the only lott or taken during my time the
only object Mr. Oliver could have had in taxing the ooos
remember the terms Of the Cantee contract
az MI 1oop@r has testified recoect thu Denison
for building the vertical VOL at uca; the WORK
principle III general decentralization in the canal con
tracts matter OF honest opinion 1t was con-
small portion OF IL could he done at any one time
know of no instance where the state mas Deen detrau
When asked II he had any suspicion Of fraud the wit
of s1commssioncr " Wright o. Geneva was then ex
smtned He testified that he had hren contractor prior
70 500 hut had been Canal Commissioner in 1929
and in 1862 20, n. During these hNe years ne mad
charge Of the Middle Div sOn. which comprises section
of about 800 miles In 1870 the LEGISLATURE abrogaed
the repair the canals. During my nrst term
nSut system as the better Of the two although that
and the system both open tomsny oections
why consider the superintendent system the best s
for specified sum, use all their INGENUITY 10
10 little possible in the matter OF ordinary 70,
pairs Tie objection to the superintendent system IA
that politicians are employed and sgperintsndents ap
These men therefore have little practical e4perence ana
to be Snythns sise All things considered Would
better FOR the Canal Commissioner to have the APP
save politics would invade the canal ~ much as
does under the present system while men better ntted
stands now the power a Commissioner has to discharge
an Incompetent superintendent amounts u absolutely
the committee. Mr. Wright said that the noble army OF
canal Ter NOT ne Png wnrd - Ne anyp
they could with safety all seemed 70 regard the se as
fair game 70 pluck and the petty seag H, wefe ,aer
account OF the manner in which ordinary repairs
wer be n %str Of ore material he did no" think any
loss 10 the state occurred IN the loss ot lumber, etc.
ra e Uess an did nSt think Il was tafen o.
Taking into consideration the commerce OF me country
he did believe in charging the Champlain Canal 10
the of the Erie The Champlan should be enlarged
NJ any canal should but ne did not believe In expanding
anv great OF money any of our canals. The
difference between putting In slope wall and vertical
wall il considerable. vertical wall costs three times as
much as q slope wall A q matter OF utility one wall
would answer well as another vertical walls are
built mostly in the interest VI the contractors.
At the evening session, the examination or extanal
Commissioner Wright was continued. lie stated that
he confident that the appointment OF pay master
would have heard Of cases where the vouchers
had been altered aud knew Of instance where man
BY the name Pcar ut Troy. had been sentenced for
that ofense state Prison. think the appointment OF
subornates should DO left to the superintendent hun
self. and he would leave the letting to
the Canal Commissioners, instead or the
Canal Board. Witness here explained az
length the manner OF letting contracts ana WHAT
be called unbalanced bids by the Old system work was
always 1T lowest bidder and he thought that the
evil OF ping Unbalanced bids resulted some times in
great frauds have known Of contracts having
been surrendered they have always gone at fair prices
do know OF instance where Thought the engineer
had the estimates falsely; the estimates were put
too much the hands OF inc Nperienced persons such
young men who had ether business which prevented
them from attending 10 II, 10 have the work perfect
In regard TO the COndee contract | think
there was chance for the contractor
to come any other way than with heavy loss and
he must when he took the contract he would
lose have had reason to suspect either
contractors engineers OF stealing in any way de-
raudng the State do not Know Of any frauds as far ~
m-asrreInents concerned think the work did not
always up u the specifications in the contract out
have in most fallen short Of What they should De-