The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-10
THE CANAL DELTNQUENCTEs.

THE CANAL DELINQUENCIES.
PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE CANAL JOINT RvEs-
TrGAr1Nd coGMIrTEE-DIPoRTANT STATE
MESTs by THE AUDIroR-A DELEGATION FROM
THE NEW YORK PRODUCE EXCHANGE ADDRESS
THE GOVERNOR.
ALBANY April O. 1875.
Auditor S. F. Thayer continued his testimony
before the Jolnt committee OF the Legislature
. follows:-
the W TX or one o. the canals Yves by statute
decmred cused and finished IN September 1862,
but the construction account was not closed then,
as IL should nave been. Tue Auditor produced
contract or Horace C4udee, OF Syracuse Tor work
10 be done on the Jordan level OF the Erie Canal,
such as excavation, drilling &e Inc estimated
cost oil the engineer was $4,000 lor tae WolK.
The amount Did lor the work was $4,000. mis-
Included the excavation OF rock at one
cent per cunie yard ia preposterousy low
one dollar would be only lar prlce.')
HemlocS lumber was also old exceedingly low.
q yard was Inornlnatey hign; twenty-five cents
would be nigh enough. seventy thousand yardg
oil this excavation was TO be done at that neure.
me object OF putting In uids Tor work az nominal
figures 10 make up Il fictitious bid ana get Inc
contract by aggregatlng tue WORK. Inc contract
calls Tor AL bids 10 be balanced The bid alluded
TO aoove not balanced, yet the Commission
ers MesSrs. stroud, Barley aud Jackson, ac-
cepted the BID and gave out the contract " tne
party men tioneQ. Tae State requires mat de-
POST OF $4,000 ana ao6 oSnq o. $4,000 oe re,
on account of these severe Donds sort oil money
bids offered ior the work Inc system - dlsad-
yantageous to the state. All WORK present
being done Is III anticipation oil an Appropriation
not made, and sort OF credit system, requr-
ing a large capital by the contractors. Iad
Auditor tnen, as an Illustration, cited tue con-
tract OF John N. Barrett VINO contracted 10 do a
piece OF WORK. near Utica, Tor S0,025, the en-
gineer's estimate being $l2,450. Inc contractors
bill, which was passed, Was SZ0SI4 "; the extra
work allowed was $3977s AZ, making total OF
$50, 1913 SO, or nearly 100000 more tnan the con-
tract price, Ihe Auditor read over the various
items required for the work, the prices OF whlca
vastly dlsproportionate. lne contract OF
George Il. Sherrlll, dated August, $780, was also
cited an Illustration. Tne contract price was
$1,000. There was paid on II, however. So, 552.
rms was XplaIned by showing that nard wood was
bid for at 500 per thousand 1eet, when IL was not
worth half that, and great deal OF II was used
nile OAK was bid at $40 per thousand, less tnan
hail It's value. and none OF it used. Tue Auditor
did not know who canvassed this old. but IL was
very badly balanced. me extra WORK on this con-
tract was but $780, and the Engineers estimate
Sl4,o0J. The contractor secured the WORK on
his oid OF $1,000, and was required 10 deposit 600
aud give bonds Tor $1,000 more. Inc Auditor
stated that when any old was onered X must os
accompanied oy cash deposit Of the amount re.
contracts to those VINO can control enormous
sums OF money.
The examination was then adjourned until nexs
Tuesday Afternoon.
PRODUCE MERCHANTS AND TUE GOVERNOR.
The committee OF tho New York Produce Ex.
change VINO waited on Governor Tiden to-day
consisted OF Messrs Reed, Orr toi Inc newly
appointed commission 70 investigate the canal
Irauds) Armour, Cobb. Harrison ana Smith. Gen.
eral Reed, IN presenting the resolutions OF the
frOuuce EAcnauSe, AGufeSseu tue OoNeInOI ~
Ioliows:-
Your ExcEMESoY-we come TO you as COM
mittee appointed at a meeting OF the New York
Produce Exchange, wnlcn was also attended, ny
invitation, by the different commercial as
sociattons or toe city or .helr representa-
tives. Tor the purpose Of expressing their
opinions OF the action OF Your Excellency Ia the
matter OF the canal irauds, and We are charged
with the pleasing duty OF presenting 10 you the
resolutions wnica now hand 10 you ana which
were unanimously ana enthusiastically adopted
at suat meeting; and. sir, also express the SEN
tlments or tuIs meeting IN saying that great sstIs-
aud good WORK wnicn you have undertaken IA exc
posing the enormous canal frauds 81 the past
years. ana hope t0at through your Instrumental
lily such legislative measures VIII be PROVIDED ~
VIII insure Tor the future an nest ana ialtnIuI
administration or the canal interests. indemnify
Tor the past and security Tor the future.
tue GOVERNORS REPLY.
In reply, the Governor told the committee tnat
no approval or support or class OF MS citizens
could give him greater satisfaction tn1n That COM
ing IRON the business men OF New YORK city.
Pianderers knew no politics. no party; ana, In
order 10 render their scaemes unsuccessful, ~
was the duty OF honest men 10 lit themselves
above all party cOnslderatons even as BAD men I
did In the Gccom oIsnment OF their schemes.
THAMES or COMMISSIONER ORR.
At the conclusion OF tue Governors remarks
Alexander 4. orr, OF the committee, thanked The
Governor for the nonor he han done him Ia ap-
pointing him on the commission 10 investigate
the canal frauds. lie regarded the appointments
q compliment 70 the New YORK Produce Ex.
change, anu In accepting it would pledge himself
to dlscharge the duties uevolved upon him 70 tnf
best or his ability.