New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-05
rh,ch he made correct that he has examined inc

that the prices charged correspond to the Contract
Fur hermore. that the foregoing account correct
statement. that the items Of extra Work 10 the MAJ
account are necessary aud nave been petotueu' anu
that the prices charged are Just and reasonable.
These laws and requirements certainly leave no douht
of the liability of the punishment
on conviction having certified to some Of the Original
estimates which have been published and supplemented
those certificates by the ad1vIts attached to some oil
the final accounts. But there evidently arose cases
where resident not so compliant win me
demands OF tic Rag that ayariclOus Clique GcsFtd
and process OF securing the pay for their extra ser
vices either very slow owing to the obstinate con
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF the engineer or tho amounts Obtained
were inadequate satisfy the Contractors aVarcc II
such emergencies the eyes of the Ring turned toward
the legislature and private relief acts served the puF-
pose equally well. This system began In the early
years OF extraordinary repairs upon the Erie Canal
Directly after the official announcement thai
that great highway completed III IO2 W1en
a canal boat had been hauled with great dIih-
Guilty In places from Buffalo to New YORK
and all after that declared to be extra WORK.
the system OF extraordinary repairs eliminated
and the ingenuity Of the Ring exerted 10 It's utmost
to secure extra money Toe Private Relief act system
was evidently not fayOrito method so long as tae en-
gineers pabe as tho Legislature, anu IL was
until the famous TanmanY se'slonssr 1870 ana 1911
that this rural TImmauy's operations IN Private lIeAe
acts reached its greatest extent.
as follows THE taken is connected with u familiar
Aane and is found in the Session laws OF 1870
An act for the relief OF Thomas Gale passed May o
| 1870
aud required to examine contract Of Thomas Gale.
assignee OF Charles j. DE Graw for constructing Oswe-
20 Fal Dam on OswcgO River. aud his cOnr ct Tor
constructing section No. 90 Cnemung Canal extension
aud to proof regard to the cost OF sad works.
s6eren IN r aGa If 10 the the Board shall after
such examination and proofs, fihd the PRES naInGa
in saiI rae.
work aud other unforeseen causes below the cost OF
such work il shall by resolution to entered It'd
minutes state specifically the prices which SAID CON
tractor for constructing said dam and section snail DC
allowed for ali kuis OF labor whin he has done, aud
the said Board shall allow and award said contractor
such sums together with the previous pay
mens made 10y the State said contract, shall rrm-
burse MIN all moneys expended III the prosecution
OF said work under his contracts, or by reason tleco
including certificate OF deposit for the faithful perform
of said contracts and interest thereon ana also
such additional compensation for the use OF Tools,
implements and suprrnt'n ience as sha nov eNcru ~
ccut Of tho whole amount or the cO' ol Sau WorA
and the sum thus awarded a. herelhDsi1re ptor'ae1
shall be paid to sad contractor or MS o Oh d
money appropriated for canal repairs OF Tor tue exoH
| sIOn If the ChenaugO Canal.
SEC. 2. This act suall take effect Immediately.
The minutes of the Canal Board for juno 1G 1870 only
little over month after the passage Of tins act, show
the following action in this tho Secretary OF STATE
aud Attorney General only being absent:
The Canal Board having pursa1nt to act caapter $50
~ me laws OF le'V eAa4oI n .to Co' ~. VI ic
Gale, assignee OF Charles j. D-Gra" or con't ucllhs
! O,WegO Falls Dam, on the O5vegO RIVER, and taken
|
the suiciency therein; and having on sueh e@amHa-
ton proofs found that the prices ned IN sdcn
forseen causes, beloN the COST OF SAID woc6,
RcSoieed That tAere be and IS, hsrooY allowed and
awarded said contractor to reimburse hm for moneys
expended in the prosecution Of said wora and a. com
pensatou for the use Of tools tnpaments AM sap'Iln
adOped by the votes OF VI ,ssrS. Beach, BRISTOL CEap
man, Fay, Richmond, and Wrght-Gj Nays, none.
The beraty of this may be discovered at once By
the clause providing allowance of % per cent OF the
whole amount awarded Oh TIE contract as compensation
to the contractor for the by himself Of hs own tools
and implements aud for tue superintendent By himself
| OF his own work
An act was passed May q 1870, requiring the Canal
! Board to examine The work OF james IL. Sheriff.
another familiar name-in constructing u stone dam
across the Mohawk River COhocs for tho Ere and
| Champain Canals "and to tx prices upon it which
shall he deemed the prices Instead of hose men
toned in the contract, these newly determined prices
also to rule the extra work which he 10 then en-
gagged and he is also To DO allowed % per cent Of the
whole OF his award as compensation for the loss
of suchmpemeno" Is he had lost durlS The lime OF his
contract. Unexpected din sultle5 are also named in
TINS law as only ordering slch all exlni-
nation and indeed unexpected din 'utes" seem
To have been the highest effort OF magin which the
contractors ingenuity WAS capable Of IN Mr. Slcrrfs
bill, the startling proposition is u1dj TO cancel tlc con
tract at which low prices wcr3 Ohtrc ana let tue
prices not only for pat but Tor future work rug at
any sum which the Canal BJrl ma d'c:ee TIE pin
chile OF allowing . p3r cent OF ths whole amount Of
the award RECOMMENDATION fJr The loss Of implements
IS also cnuncateIi IN th5 remarkable act plain con
strucon os the clause es.m l.ing for instance mat
! me award was $lo)ON. would give "" Sher-
rill tho right to claim S-i0)) for the loss
| even Of a siu-lo spade OF wheeloarrow
The Canal Board in this case decline TO allow the re-
markable deman Of Nj Shcrril a5 TO Tia ed,crnlnng
of the prices the contract Tor future work. but allow
| nina handsome sun the work alrati' done, ia
crcasng the aowuuc. IL tie Ole a., n y. billing AMI
draining from $3.50 ID 500
Charles p Skinner. whose Harle not .imi!iar to
readers OF THE TRIBUNE reports, hal pn a., PISSED for
his relief April 10 1871, fr tho u tp over
the contract price In "rcmoyins shop" wall ana wall
! bench and constructing slope aud pavement wall from
Lock 20 to a point milo above the Upper Mohawk
Aaueduc on the Erie Canal" and he 700, is allowed
the usual compensation for the 81 toos e.. in con
! ductng his own work Mr.. SSnaer was allowed not
| to exceed 5000.
| Mr. John Hand whose nlma has alrcajv appeared in
connection with contracts had act pas'i for ms
relief April 49, 1871 for tho extra expense caused by
"unc expected difficulties" in the inil.ment ri h5 CON
tract FOR dredging IN Back Rock lIlrbor a1l IN the
Erie and Oh!o basins AZ BHiflo. In Mr. Hind3 act 1t
was provided that additional allowance to b. given
him. together with the original price should not exceed
| 40 cents per ward Mcssrs. HGud's and SINNERS bills
were both held Icy the Governor tiIoIntn beyond the
coustitut oaal ten days and CJn>e IlcnuJ became laws
| without his approval
Provision was made Tor the relief OK T. Dtnlson by
an act passed Nav TO- !57I Mr.. Deui.ou had tbs
tract for constructing section No Of the tncnango
! Canal extension Nil hisou's relief ACT con
tains precisely the same provisions the
| first one on the FIST givcn-that for tine re-
lief OF Thomas Galc-pa>sed year previously.
aud include TIE provision for the additional comprnsa
ton not t. exceed . per for the % too and
| implements, and fox superintendent. The Canal
Board on Dee ~ ISL allowed Dir Densou sA6J9 Oj. IN
| purs uauce OF tits act.