New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-20
GOV. TILDEN'S MESSAGE.
Confined from Second Page.


tuition empowered he Legislature 10 SELL lease, or
otherwise dispose of that while the manner of
their dsposi ion remains undetermined, mo eX9en-
ditures should he r de those works not strictly
necessary i'm view Of their probabie futuTe" in
order to carry out TINS gotoE. ''U iP ~ Si1
specified separated from the provisions Tor the
canals which the Constitution reqmres TO be re-
tanned and should he reduced to the lowest pract-
cable amount In respect to Ordinary expenses ana
repairs 10 the canals which are 30 be retained as
the property Of tine State recur 70 the suggestion
which lad the honor TO submit Ia the annual mes
sage:
10 rerenching thsr coss ana Ia obtaining the largest
In the present ssae'Gf se prices of materials and
tbe wages OK labor II tie puohc officers can Oe IN
spIred with Il resolute purpose TO MAKE every eA-
penditure for these object effective there ought TO
be no difficulty IN reducing the APPROPRIATIONS from
One-QuRrter Ia One-tAlTd below the amount pTo'ueu
tor last year.
The piesent standard of repair and efficiency must
Everything Of good administration consists in the
selection Of tie most necessary ana useIul o1ecl5 Oh
eXpend tuTe and IN securing the greatest eiec I've
ness IN The application OF labor and the most adVan-
tag GUS purchase OF materials.
II = determination to accomplish this result ana
sense OF accountability can DC amused thIouRhout
the agents employ ed IN the pubic service THIS Ob-
ject viii be easily aud certainly attained
APPROPRIATIONS FOR EXTRAORDINARY REPAIRS.
The wisdom e abStainiug from all new work. OK
cept that winch is not only useful but absolutely
scrutinizsd with Jealous care The aggregate ought
to be kept within SjOoOO and as much below that
maximum as possible. 4 thorough retrenchment IN
ordinary and extraordinary repairs Will enable the
State remit for he present ear as colHHareu WIN
the last TO me holtmen ard ransportcrs' IrOIn SJO
OCJ To ~OJO OF tolls and at the same time 10 give
relief fu Our OVcr-burIeOcd taxpayers, IN rtduc-
tnn of faxes To the extent Of more than $l7j0000.
II the restoring of the Lire Canal to Its proper d.
nsIuus aId tnc deepening d It's waterway, Which
il by far -he most uoeiu Improvements contemplated
do. nod D q ftRT
dillon snail Dr accurately aSCDrtaiAei, auu Jhcn ne
proceeded with gradually, tbeyo is little else when
clpuot wait lsuce 10 the people ana 10 ihe
canals demands that al extraordinary repairs be-
ycud what are clearly necessary 10 efficient naNlga-
ion. should be suspended untl thorough lnFeSIl-
.atiol sLail show that every Improvement proposed
reaI nee ,Ssarv and that the work 10 70 De CON
cod under lar lettings and contracts and ID to
be la thAuIiy eAOcGeed'
TIE ERIE CANAL
At the opening of navigation the present season,
the double LOCKS VIII be completed. The capacity
of the Lie Canal 10 do an aggregate business VIII
be several times the requirements of the largest
tonnage 1t has ever bad.
The removal of Tie wall benches viii be so nearly
completed that the ivantascs OF that change Will
be- practically secured -,
ON ,-ut. g. 1874 there remained of wall benches
q $50 miles Oh the tcwng-path side OF wren
i.,-aG uIies are contracted Ia be removed. ana
rl-u1 or tie beu SIDE OF which )J-ly0 IRE con
t..Ct,c 10 DC rcmo' CO. icay ilc y -JO hlles On Ohe
,--,qth side and % j. 100 miles on the bernie
SIDE where tire obstruction Is much less important,
81 equivalent in al to ri miles or both sides lhat
l. less than seven per cent OF the Whole length OF
h~ aI-,-oor's estimate Of the cost # removing
tle remaining wall benches was, ID January loi7'
S7Il.l4'. ana an appropriation OF So5tgOO was maze
b. ..e L.eaia,uIc o. lo,l which VIII DC available
Tor expenditure during the present year
IS the o..v Elect 81 ttc wall benches now remain
ingl5 that they contract the canal az IFS bottom
Il III Is i,ct TO ~ t"t AID m that proporlon the
lower iart Of tle ptlsn forming section tour leet
above tue bottom az tie water-"iX-thns iosSehiHg
t.e tOcy OF wafer 10 WINCH t9e poat hlOles Iol q
fourteenth part of the length OF the channel ana
bur olp-hftn Of thai on the towiD2-path side-the
inconvenience eli tnelr existence TO tals limited
ex oat .s Tot very great or emeIgent.
IA ~ judgment, -,.r IHD4c important improve
~. ul ...e En- CANAL would ne Cucctcu o. 2
thorough syst'm Of ordinary repairs winch should
c-re Tie waterway It's proper and lawful dInen-
t.c.s: AID by plo-ie 5iyciJ deepening H. "hcre-
ever ..ruDiJ I.H,Irab,c from seven 10 eight
i... AS rr- cuiec, would hoe merely 10 enable the
sr.,tsrpe section OF tine boat 30 move III larger
area OF water. that tne displaced Hud could pass
tn boat ID larger space. II would not De necessary
10 alyr c Gu Vc!tr or Othef siIuc' ues OF 10 GARY
tLs . Al, q ,lc canal uelOw the present bottoms
a1d the bgreA. would he realized IL each portion OF
T.. canal I4l0r. we'd without reference 10 any othcr
mar of nr channel which should remain unchanged.
facilitating go" NOV cn,,nt OF the boat and quick
c,lrp lts sre,d. IL would increase the amount Of
s.rvIce reud'r IN gwen Tune, ana would thereby
diminish t4elv element OF the cost Oi tansporta-
Ton. I, WOud benefit TIE b0aincn and carriers
more even luan one cen5 busncl remission OF
fills. IL would be # more real utility 10 LaVlga-
tiol than i've OF tn times lts cost eXpendfd IN me
t.,.I-t I'D.
ui.1 wo..s But D. Is too simple 100 prachcaliy
u-...l. 10 enlist the Imagination o. projectors VINO
seek tlr fame Of magnificent c0ns'IuctOns ana oil
engineers VINO bvid monuments for e&Moltion 10
their rivals or to awaken the rapacty Oh cOsnofahts
WHO ia4t-u ON Jobs.
renew The Recommendation Of my annual mes
SAGE upon THIS sut oct and particularly that pro-
-Vi0us ac made g llN ~ enable tue = ate iSiAeei'
soon aiJcr navigation IL opened, 10 measure Ile
dptb OF water the canal by cross sections as otten
a. every four RODS Ot us lengoh, ana on the upper
auG lover L4IyeI-slu OF eacu lock-
CANAL LETTINGS.
The Constitution Of the States provides that
ali contracts for work materials on any canal
shall be made with the person who shall offer to do
or provide the same at the lowest price. with ade
Guate security Tor their performance" IDS re-
ouirement was intended to protect the State from
v-r,vaogr,t contracts. but By artful bids, ana. IN
some cases 10y fraudulent combinations II Is maze
an instrument TO defeat the very END had IN view Dy
us author ! nave examined more than 100 con
tracts aud lLd hat most are SO contTlyed that
not only does the state In the end pay from Two 10
four times the amount OF the contract Dut tnat Ihe
work is not gwen to the lowest bidder In fact. al
though IL NAV be ii form Inc result Is brought
about by tie following contTl vance:
When a contract is TO be let the engineer makes
estimate OF the quantity ana Kinds OF w0Ik
10 be done. Those who make bids state at what
prices they viii do each KIND OF WORK or furiilsh
each kind of material These prices are footed up,
and the bId winch amounts to the smallest sum Is
accepted. The thus agreed upon average Dut
little more than One-haH the amounts estimated ny
the engineer, and apparently the State makes ad-
yantagpOus contracts On examination is VIII De
found that the prices for the several items bear no
relation t. theluTeal value. In some instances e&-
cavatiOn of eartn put at one cent per CUBIC yard
and IN others s. cents are asked. Excavation OF
rock blasted at one cent IN some cases and 81 IN
Others. Slope wall Is bid for IN some cases at ~
cents, and n others at 81 Hemock timber, winch
is worth az least So per thousand IL Ill some con-
tracts put at less than % per thousand, and IN
Others at So per thousand. Oak timber IN one in
stance is put az 81 per thousand and in others at
fly Of