New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-25


New-York city pays 81 600 900 per year for the canals
and Kings County pays S25O,OOO. The Governor says
that Oue-half Of this money is stolen. While the
people of New-YOrk and Kings are willing to pay
literally for tho support of the canals, they are not
willing TO be taxed heavily when large part OF
the money is stolen.
very important fact shown by the Governors
message-one which is new to all Of u.s. and prob
ably new even to the Canal CommissOners-is that
in the last FIVE years there has been raised by taxa
ton for the canals over aud above the revenues,
$150OO000 Senator Lord has said that the low tolls
are running the canals and have required the raising
Of so much money; but the Governor declares that
the loss from low tolls is not nearly great that
from stealing. The canals should be themselves
self-sustaining; but nearly Sl5,0OO,0O0 has been
wrung from the people to carry them on. What has
become of this money! Behind the private indi-
viduals who have been named as members
of the Canal Ring are the officials, who
must not only have connived at fraud but must
have been active participants in fraud. If we want
to meet the wrong we must not talk of private i'll
Gividuals, but Of the servants of the people, the
men elected by the people, who have participated in
this infamy The guilty men were not alarmed by
the investigation in 1862 and the impeachment of
Commissioner Dorm. The same men were given
power again and again, and we passed bills that
enabled them to carry their schemes of plumber,
and these men came here and got through the most
corrupt jobs.
ROTTEN SYSTEM.
system which has permitted wrong and corrup-
ton to go on in this way must be rotten to the
ter, and should be done away with. His Exceency
the Governor should have great credit for exposing
this system as be has exposed it, In their greed the
IN hav aorria1 On tina 1VStpm I'M n
spent in five years on the lateral canals $2G6l OOO
This money has been wasted and squandered, for
the canals will never be of use, and are to be aban-
doned. The influence Of corrupt men has been so
great that the Legislature and State officers have
not dared to stand against them. For the ChenangO
Canal over $G6O00O has been spent for extension
aud over 100000 spent for extraordinary repairs
that and the Oneida Lake. All this expenditure on
canal that is useless and must be Abandoned Down
in the lower part of the State we can stand little
stealing We expect that TO- perhaps 10 or 20 per
cent, may lie made away with in public works, but
we do most decidedly object to stealing TO the
amount of go per cent such there has been with
the canals. While 80 much was spent on useless
canals, million less was expended on the main
canals, the useful ones, the great highways of
merce necessary to the prosperity of the State.
The Legislature has been to blame for theIcor-
rupt system which has existed. Year after year the
same corrupt demands have been made, and the
same rOttcnness has been pervadIng the Legislature
and reaching all the way down to the division engi-
neers. The State officers are to blame who have
carried out the action taken by the Legislature but
who have gone much further than it was intended
they should 60.
Mr.. Jacobs then read from q contract dated Sept.
O. 1862 the work was to be done by April 1870, and
was to cost in the aggregate S741S3 On that con-
tract S68COJ has already been paid. and the work
is not done yet.
Senator Woodin here inquired concerning the pro-
visions of the contract, and whether it was dis
tncty stated in it that the aggregate of payments
should be $74,163. Mr.. Jacobs read from the con-
tract to show that it was stated distinctly. This
contract, he stated, shows plainly the system of
unbalanced bids" In tha5 contract, 1000 yards of
rock excavation contracted for at 81 per yard
$1,000 yards were paid tor at that price. In the
tract there was no provision for extra work.
Yet under this contract $4,000 has
been already paid for extra work. If there
is any law which authorizes such corruption in con-
tracts it is well for the Legislature to know it, in
order that the law may be repealed.
Senator Parmenter here said 81 think before the
Senator proceeds TO take up another contract he
ought to give us the names of the Canal Commits
siOnerS and contractors the contract which he
has Just commented" In reply Mr.. Jacobs said that
the names of the Canal Commissioners were o. BIs-
com and John d. Fay; the names of the contractors
he would not read saying that the Senate were
dealing with public officers.
SPECIMENS OF FRAUDULENT CONTRACTS.
Senator Jacobs said that it was remarkable that a
contract could be drawn with SO much care and
nd yat rnuch stealing Ia dana unlpr IL
He then gave an instance of the attempt of young
man to get canal contract. This man was bent on
obtaining contract; SO determined to get one that
he bid One-half of what the real cost Of the work
would be. The contract was q small one, and the
young man was willing to lose something in order
to obtain a contract, however small But he did not
get the contract for contractor bid $780, while the
young mans bid was $500. But on this little con-
tract for $500 the State has already paid SlS,OOO
Senator johnson here called attentiOn-in the
form of question put to Senator JacObs-tO the
provisions in contracts in regard to alterations and
intimated that payments for extra work and atera-
tions might account for the large payments on
small contracts. Senator Jacobs rejOined that, if
there were any law authorizing officials to mako
such extraordinary changes in contracts, that law
should be repealed. Why should the Legislature
pass law to give to any public officer the right to
plumber the Statei Senator Jacobs then read from
the law Of 1850 which required estimates to be made
by engineers with all possible accuracy. He asked
if this law could have been regarded in the contract
in which 1000 yards of rock excavation were con-
tracted for, and 1900 yards have been paid for.
Senator Dickinson asked for the name of the
Division Engineer who made the estimates. SEN
ator Laning said that he believed that Mr.. Rich
mond was State Engineer at the date of the contract
referred to-September, 1862
Senator Jacobs then made some references to other
contracts, copies of which he had Senator Cole
asked earnestly that the names of the persons con-
nected with these contracts should be given. SEN