, 1875-03-23

Graded l'y the following contrivaucc:
When tho engineers estimate nf quanltica and kInds
of material aro published by tho Commissioners, tin
contractor will fnd ols y collusnn or In rome other
way, what quantities Of each kind If wnrk material
WILL in fact, fo required hn viii wlat Influence
In can exert to ciangc the contract after Is male II
i ehangc no now letting In had, bnl he clana thu
te, m his right
lilo then rna in lila b!d offering 10 10 aNeh work
to furnish arh ntcrla In IND, will mt bt required
at A or In suall quantities, at absurdy low prizes, al
quarter OF In nome instances At lweutieth part If
its cost. Tho tcma which will 10 required In lHll, an1
probably In extra quantities. he vii! put It unrcaaona-
bly, high rates, anu It turns out That what tho contrsct
or Offers 1t low prices s called for III sa1l quantities,
II A. ALL while those Which arc put al high rricts are
nnt only required In full but III aos cases In e1traor
binary quantities.
1to gives mn illustration Of Inv this scheme
Is carried out. Tho engineer estimated for
tho following work:
100 cnIic yarsa Of vertical val! at t3,....$ anooo
asSS cubic yns:|s Of slope wall q. s0..... o,;sso
800 feet H. n. white TAX nj kD............ l:U,N1
coo"1 feet D. II. hclnloek 1t I$s............ ec0.O
Total estimate. ,lo2:o
~ ia. iih ior tho sas1lc was, for
tee sahis yar!!s vertical wal It so.:.....3 eoooo
!.40o fcct H. 1t. vte oak Il IT, iss,o1
eo,eeo ftct u. II. lrn1ock At $3......."... 1So.U1
Tho proposal If D. apparently 80 advantageous to
the Stair, was accepted. and tile contract awarded to
him m the "iowcst bidder" But aftctwasd, hy some
influence, It WIS decided to make only rorticsl md no
hl"ph wal and to only oak and no homock timber.
There Was no reettlug although tho agreement had
leen IN fact rcyunred into atlh different
tract, which embed Il 10 collect from thu tato for
9sJ cul!: yards RI yerrsl wall at $e......
62Aoo feet B. II. wh!lo oak at ts'u...........". AIN
Thu n,,,, of ...-. ....-.... .... CIV mo
Tho Governor cites ten contracts under
which work was to be done for aio+, 7aG, and
upon tl.eac contracts, manipulated rs cx-
planned, the State Inns already paid IL $50, 7G9,
or noarly four times the price contracted
for, md for mono Of tho increase was there
my public letting. When it il remembered
TINT this kind Of business l,as been going Of,
for thirty years, mud that the canal Inns fur
nished tho spois to politicians nad enriched
them, tho public may Judge Of the extent of
the spoliation.
expenditure, ordinary md extraordinary, e1
ceed $50,0o0oo0. How much mora they
would hive been had it not been for this
systematizesl and long -practice1 robbery, wo
nro unable to state. but tho country, and
especially tho Wcst can understand how
severely they lnvo been taxed in the way Of
tolls to maintain system which is now Of
Acially shown to havo been corrupt and dis
honest for years. One-fonrth of tho money
stolen by this dishonest system would havo
enlarged aud decpened tho Eric Cannl many
years ago, and m honest administration Of
tho cana revenues would havo enabled the
tolls on n VASTLY increased trade to llavo been
reduced to worry low minimum. The mes
sage seems to have struck the Assembly will,
force. Many Of its members nro doubtless
involved in the exposure, and wo question
whether tho Governor will be g,,stained in
Ills landablo efforts Mt reform without an-
other appeal to the people.
Commenting on tho message, the Now
York Tines says:
AZ fearchtng Analysis Of ono Of tho longca|-yet
systenn Of Official recula.on In tho sale tho message
has III interest for tito general taxpayer far hcyon1
the subject to which 1t Immediately refers, OF course
these thngs cannot he done without fraudulent col1.
sion between Commissioners, engineers, and CONTRACT
orB aud the exteut to which they haye been tloup III
tho pas. BugEeEts the conclusion tint good many
people connected with canal management hnve laid
themselves open 10 Indictment Tho Governors REM
ea!cs for the ahustH Of acnagsnent tho strict
enforcement af Official accountability, md sharp TO
trcnchncnt In the sns annually yote,l for exraor-
dnary rcralss Ie proposes further to incsease tho
volume Of bHbineaa on thes canals, and revive tho
dropping prosperity Of thoso engaged In tho trans
portation Of canal freight by reducing tolls in tho fol-
loving proportions: On gran onethIrl; on lumber
olle-quarter; aud on merchandise, nnc-haf. Nnilo
It may be too Late to dctoct oil frais he bc.:cycs that
"many may bc exposcd And punished, and check put
upon PRACTICES 40 destructive to morals as well 10
tho public interests Of thu people Of tho Etats."