New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-30
THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.

THREE CONTRACTORS ON THE STAND--A. O. BEIDEN,
CHARLES D. DIX GRAw. AND JAMES J. BELDES.
THE wELL-KSowN CANAL CONTRACTORS, TEs-
TIEY CONCERNING SOME or THEIR BIDS AND
CONTRACTS.
lBr TELEGRAPH THs TRIBUNE
ALBANY. April 29.-The Canal nvestigating Com
mittee tine center tonight of good show of the
Canal Ring There were present J. J. Belden. A.
Caswell Belden, Henry d. Denison, and Horace Par
dee of the Syracuse Ring and Willard Johnson, Chas.
d. Degraw and John V. Boomer of the 0swego Ring.
The four witnesses the two Bedens and Willard
Johnsons. two dummies-De Graw and Boomer.
From the head of the Syracuse Ring. James j. Bel
den the counsel succeeded in extracting very little.
He could not remember in which he
had come to the Legislature for relief, denied
that canal contractors were very much In poll
tics, and seemed only vaguely informed about
the canals themselves. After he had been asked a
few unprOductive questions or two of the
contracts of his firm, OF which he said humorously
Mr.. Gale member at odd times Mr. Belden
asked for his theories OF Canal Reform, which he
stated at some length. The most important change
he would make, would be TO couforIn canal bids
to the manner of railroad bids In which no quanti-
ties are exhibited, leaving the contractor to make
HIS own estimate. He thought competent engineers
should be employed. He admitted that
tractors exercised considerable influence in
the appointment of engineers, but could not
remember any case where contractors had obtained
money from the Legislature. A. Caldwell Bcden. bus
brother was mOrs frank witness. He said that his
theory Of unbalanced bids TO bud high for an
article Of which he knew great deal would be fur
nIshed. and low for article of which he knew
little would be required In order TO make profit,
he expected that there would be alterations IN
the quantities. and he at the time of making
bid that those alterations would be necessary.
Il NJ Raid had fOr
four piles OF high price, and then furnished very
much larger quantity. He said he knew they would
be required, but did not know how the engineer
estimated for so few. He did not think il his busi
ness TO tell the engineer OF his knowledge.
When asked how he reoOnciled such transac-
ton with his ideas of morality, be evidently
regarded il as a novel. and somewhat amusing para
graph. lie would not admit that changes IN the
specifications made by the engineers through
influence of the contractor. but said they were
often made from necessity. He was closely ques-
toned a. to the OtscO Like reservoir contract, in
which three acres of crubing and cleaning grew TO
40. hut insisted that his profit had not ex-
ceeded 10 per cent, and that the price Of $40
an acre for grubbing and cleaning was not much III
excess of fair price. he said he had nothing to do
with obtaining acts from the Legislature; his work
was more at homo. John V. Boomer, who was one
of tho Witnesses was good instance OF the
contract dummy. He is liquor dealer,
and testified that he had no interest In
the contracts which stood in his name; that
Willard johnson had used bis name in them for his
own purposes, and he knew nothing of it. Charles
J. Degraw's testimony Intentionally and wholly
unimportant. Among the witnesses shortly to ap-
pear before the Committee is Ray Seymour.
nephew of ex-GOv. Seymour, and an honest
and capable engineer He had been In charge
for the last few months Of the great
Dennison contract at Utica, and. 1t Is
said. can make curious revelations about the
operations Of Belden. DennisOn & Co. 1t remains to
be seen how deep the committee will go into that
branch of the subject.