New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-06
THE REPORT.



Resolved n the Senate That tScre be apnohtol
Conmiee 81 tiIrc in the senate 10 y" nhpnlo':n ny
anp,in eli b. The SpC0Kcr 10 Investigate aud examine
inso question Of fraud or COLLISION he ".s'h IN, o'ilo
rcrs an thr contractors In refer, to the lriunG or
~ irsc- tor work upon Toe chiiS
now IN 'Orco ar nn'sbeC ana tn' h"ir sar't cn o n
With the performance thee0i, ana al awaf a nitdo ny
the C,n1 Appraisers, and the shid conhbitl'" p ch
POWERED 10y counsel AMI s'cn"gTalho "nn n'so
b9ve n,vrr q, s,nl for persons and paisIe; nnd lint
said conultte' bs AZ l~rtS to report partially ~ any
time sh,il iurol +" nport la Ia" "itn'" I"V
'Xs o,,.r um\N ovxr>.. Clerk of the Assembly.
By order H.SWi A. Oh -DDS>. Clerk oil tio eTu''"
Ia Accordance IN the 10 iulroLios o! tho above rso
lution tho Joint CJal attoe VI too onatc Ana ASsemS
nppoiaIed under its PROVISIONS re'iSHaS S"ou'' '"'
follow iIS report: -,
fAs Jo.nt Committee met and organized on the
eth day 81 April. 1878, ami having employed
Tie Hon Henry Smith nnl Ru:us W. feckhnm oea" "f
Albany a. counsel and MI W Tanner Bs st'n 'srapher
n Mills as clerk, and O. Msitin,z ~ inrssr''gei. VIC
proceeded to tho investigation and oxhnpaioh "i INC
subieo described In tho resolution FREQ ioh Sessions
have bsen held up this date considerable nnm
Der witnesses have bocn oxdininel whose to''-"n'
hereto appended Is submitted Ia full
PLAN OF INQUIRY.
Az yolr Committee nisod Tina, the first Ques'
on that presented itself was In regard 10 hc pIn anu
scopr of the ,uiry that should DO made Afer gen'
r ,ultatiOn ii seemed Ia b. the most praccaph !"
take up the numbered In the message q" Dis EN-
ceilcury tho Gov rinot fras To 10, inclusive. AMI to
xnmins nto tho tacts and circumstances attending their
xnu and tho nanJr al conducting an The charaO-
t OF The work constructed unIer them SAGA an iuves-
tigiiOB involyol all inquiry into III" aot'i o' S'pH''
uozyssy the work; how po estimated quantities Vi
material aud The work to bo done ana performed Woioar
rive at the character ~ the work Obtaincd tbs method
by which strict perform Of tae contract ny tho
contractors waa obtain the part of the agents oi The
State the pan upou which the contractor ie pa' as the
work Progresses. and the uanuCr ia which monthly oe
mates Of work dvnO are made tho manner IN ~hlch
Changes If plans Accomplished of Tbs work let Under
tho contract and whose Instance aud Tor "hoso Ocnoni
such cha nges OF plans were adopted
All these we're subjects OF inquiry naturally suggested
by All Investigation nlO tbe general facts surrounding
lie contracts already alluded to. or course u VIII br
seen that ~ accomplish I'LL TINT has bcca ABOVE set
forth In the short spdcs OF 80 days. was total inpoS
bilry Your Committee have worked faithfully day and
night and in ori,r far as possoc upon the In
ouy already alluded TO- they compelled to leave
untouched many OF information AMI TO dismiss
from The s.uJ many. Witnesses after an cxi'unau0n IN
regard 10 thor know ie SC of the contracts Ia Question:
when more general plan Of examination would nave
led to more l1d nycsts atom into the knowledge
OF such witnesses upon othor and perhaps equally ln-
poT;an; matters To have done however. wodd have
becu to injure the plan which your Committee hrst
adto and ,etraot from tho trei inquiry even that
amount Of thoronghness which your Committee hac been
enabled 10 give 10 a.
LIMIrAn IN OF TuR INVESTIGATION.
IN
very brief history OF ths contracts already 'udod"
The test mony will show that perfectly thorough ana
exhaustive inquiry into tho facts and circumstances
O! those contracts has not yet bfon achieved tonr
Committee no, hs Oplrrtuaity IT, call all the W.T.
ooSSs OF the OF enguoos aud contractors VINO nave
been competed with those tou c'tia' aud are nv" on
gagged In examining the drrnt contractors cOnnrc'oo
with such yet had tint to complete
sunb examination The termination Of tho@e members
OF the Canal Board who oonnec,o In any way Win
toss contracts and their history has not bSen ~ yet
attempted any further than ~ call the Canal C0nmis'
soncrs charge Of the division oa which the WORK GOV
er,d by some Of the CONTRACTS locaod aud also TWO
former stale Engineers The ieason, W want
OF time, has prevented your Committee from
making any inquiry Whatever into tbe snyoct VI
canal awards canal da'baEns. which ~as
rcfrred to by the resolution ANY inquiry We
could have made into trat subject would vi necessity
have been 20 10 have pr"duned no bo
ecal n.sults whatever Your Committee are satisfied
from the results Of inquiry thus nr thai 1t must be
regarded only the btY1uning OF tuat ioio eken'eo
na exhaustive inquiry which should follow H. Inc sy"
tenn Uf letting and prescribing contracts Tor woE upon
the canals Is full Of grave defects giving opport
tie, for numerous and drocptions and frauds
o,,s,rtuntlrs that Designing have nut hesitated
In embrace In the brief time allowed II would
probably he impossible to make even catalogue III de-
tail of the frauds which the Testimony Indicates I'D addi
ton to which seems to eoDciisivty proVe oucn
fact hay
full In painting way for further Investigation rs well
@. In showing soIns oi tho Legislative measures which
are advisable aud necessary Many OF the evils shown
10y The testimony could not hive occurred the existing
laws had boen observed and the pnbc officers had faith
fully discharged their duiirs under them and others a
pear ~ have the dirret result OF special legislation
~ 10 particular SUBJECTS which doubtless ma hc'puon
IN the action Of tho parties inteIosiod.
ExrRAoRDIN ,IY REPAIRS.
brief description OF tbs mode 0f prosecuting what
arc called extraordinary repairs upon tho ibe oi tie
canals viii best illustrate the defoSts OF tho system
Eoue specific piece OF work Ia needed perhaps the oud
ing OF lock. perhaps the enlargement Improvement or
repair Of section VI the canal Bostmen, forwarderS
ana resdonts OF the vicinity have called attention 70 the
subect and the canal officers certify 10 its necessity
The Legislative Committee accordingly report IN favor
OF an appropriation FOR IT, and the BILL after more or less
discusss and after some reduction OF the amount Ii
duly enncted, approved aud botOines law Generally
this appropriation Is for less than the desired work Will
actually cost but 1t is accepted by all Concerned AZ being
much the Legislature Will couscnt to voto at once
The next step IA preliminary estimate. The Canal Com
missioner In whose division tho locality Ia situated
directs the Division Engineer To make one he or ono OF
his assistants examines and the ground and
prepars estimate Of tho quantities OF material and
labor with the approximate prices 81 each IL ne IA
honest and capable 1t Ia prepa,cd with and exact
mesa n he Is Negligent dishonest he makes IL care
I-sy aud often colusiOD with and for the benefit OF
some Of the persons who intending to bid for the
tract But either the estimate ID for the whole
enterprise IL 10 only for 10 much material and
labor a. the Legislative appropriation viii This
estimate rs exhibited the Division Engineers Office In
orrr 10 invite scaled proposals. for tho work 6uOh pro
posals are advertised for In Tho newspapers largo
number are received and the close OF three weeks the
Board OF three Canal Commissioners meet TO open and
examine the bids and award the contracts. But VI ose
three commissioners only is familiar with or feels
auya
Ia wholly lc almost tic Commissioner In CHARGE who
ractoxly aos The swardb, and aftcrward has entire