New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-26
LORD.
MT. LORDS EFFORTS FOR REFORM

LORD.
MT. LORDS EFFORTS FOR REFORM
am sorry if the Senator from the lid could not
refer to the Governors sage in his long and able
speech | supposed that the Committee OF the
Whole were abe TO ind some way to stop stealing
on the canals ] will go as far as any of them
in that effort. tried to perform that duty with the
Senator from the IIII Senator Lord then referred
to the Governors message, commenting upon has
paragraph in regard to the reduction Of tolls and
petition from boatmen forwarders and others, ask
ing the Governor for r.licf. No petition Of that
kind said be- has been sent to the Senate. Ia we
are to legslate for all classes whose business Ii de-
pressed where shall end! II for ono class why
not for anothcr-f0r farmers. for mechanics, Tor
laborers. whose business is depressed? Mr.. Lord
then took M a paragraph in the message in regard
TO the case of repairs. He said that he had never
had any difficulty in understanding the Auditors
and Controllers reports rs exhibiting tdc ordinary
repairs but the Governor has mixed them all up
together. Hs has charged in the ordinary repair
count the extraordinary repair account. Then he
mixes UP things 50 that cannot for the life of me
make out what he means. The statements OF the
message in regard to the lateral canals were then
referred TO- Mr. Lord said | wish 10 say here that
the Governor has zone into the Executive char
charging this Legislature with making foolish eX-
pcnditures o. these lateral canals. He was In the
LEGISLATURE in 1872. Did he raise his voice against
this foolish expenditure For foolish it was
and 1 vas never its advocate. The Governor
voted for apprOpriatinC Si,OWOO, and SiD,WO
WIS for foolish expenditures on the Chenango Canal
WHY did he not protest l believe he voted for the
expenditure. Senator Lord then declared that in
the statements OF the message concerning the locks
of the Erie Canal there was nothing new, nothing
hut what has been known for 20 years. Information
about tile wall benches on the Erie Canal, any one
can find that il the Auditors report. lie then
turned to the allegations concerning decelttui and
fraudulent contracts, and asked. Why did not the
Governor point those out' i. was his duty to tell
us Of those frauducnt contracts that may apply
the remedy. do not say that there might not have
been fraudulent tracts but the Governor should
name them He has stated, for 10 contracts here,
the amount actually paid by the state up
TO Feb. l. 1875 for these $4,000 were
paid He calls these fraudulent. Why
did he not give the names that we could put our
hands on the guilty men' The Governor has taken
particular pains 10 refer to the manner in which
locks are beng built-ignoantly, cannot say dis
honestly. but believe ignorantlv He states that
over s7OoOO0 have been paid. Now the truth il he
is only 800 900 out Of the way The facts are that
1851 have been expended, making difference OF
over Slsl 600 brween his statements and the truth
In another place in his message, the Governor says
that the locks not properly built and with not
proper materials took the earliest opportunity to
require the state Engineer to ascertain about this
If the statement is true the thing should
be stopped; if it Is not true the men building the
locks should not remain under that charge.
UNDER ESTIMATES ~ THE PAST.
The Governor has insnuated that every one who
has had ANYTHING to do with the canals has been
rupt IN other words thief; that the men who have
been elected since 1916 State Engineers, Control
ers Canal Commissioners. and Secretaries of State,
| must all have connived at fraud. For no contract
since 1860 has been let without the sanction Of the
Canal Board. There can be no doubt that the Gov
ernor believes this judging from his words. Mr.
ord then read from the minutes of the Canal Board
to show the precautions taken in the proceedings IT
the beginning Of every piece of work. and went on
10 deny the statements of the Governor that work
has been let by private contracts. If there was
anv fraud said he. l don't know it. In regard
10 the payment for excessive amount of work
IN contractors Senator Lord said that the
contractor is bound 20 do much aud as little
"a he is directed. have read canal contracts be-
fore the Senators that they may understand them.
! | Thought that should go over them line after
line, and make tIom 80 strong that there can be no
fraudulent contracts hereafter. l took from The
! NEW YORK TRIBUNE published yesterday IL con-
tracts purpolting to be fraud1lent-trOln The NEW
YORK TRIBUNE the Governors official paper; | be-
leye he owns them all. Footed up they aggregate
S43l. s1s TO- That was what they were let at. THE
! TRIBUNE says S733S7i Nas pad-tnat is, about 100
per cent over and above the estimated amount
/ The Governor says that these amounts have been
paid the contractors dong the work estimated IN
! the contract Well, now, 10 may be that there Is
a great deal oil corruption IN that. can't
| tell They say that the work has cost
more than the original estimate. Let US go back 10
! the Erie Canal at the time Of its beginning. The
original estimate was Sl726 49, the actual cost was
! S7l434T7 There is an excess Of cost over estimate
of 81 9l6 40, making equal percentage Of excess
over the cost with the II contracts which the Gov
erpor has given III in his official paper, The NEW
YORK TRIBUNE. No man has ventured TO accuse
! the able and distinguished engineer who made this
estimate. of dishonesty. Will any man accuse the
men who I'LL the State offices and handle the money
Dare the Governor call these men thIevesf These
estimates TX eeed the estimates of which The INV
! YuRK TtlniSE spcaks Come down To 1886. Esti-
mates were made for the enlargement Of