The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-27
GOVERNOR TILDEN OBJECTS.
IMPROPER ITEMS IN THE CANAL EXTRAORDINARY
REPAIR DILL.

ovvcfuW Aiiueu mas To-Day transmitted 70 tnc Sccrc-
tary Of State document of which The following is
copy
Assembly bill No. 4ss. entitled can act to provide
for tho completion or cancellation OF all pending
tracts for new work upon and extraordinary repairs OF
the canals, and making appropriation 10 pay tho
expenses OF such necessary extraordinary repairs as
may be approved OF and directed by the Canal Board
MEMORANDUM II object to items conianed in section
4 OF this BILL which are as follows
For The construction OF lit bridge over the Fro
Canal al Main street. in the village OF Brockiort, The
sum OF 800 much thereof rs may be necessary
provided that the present brcsc be taken down and
removed 10 Palmyra and erected over the Erie Canal
between Kent and Earl streets ("
"For the construction OF lnt bridge over the Erie
Canal at Brighton, Monroe county, 70 replace the iron
bridge now existing there, tho sum OF $4,000 or so
much thereof as may be necessary"
For the construction OF swing. hoist or turn table
bridge over the oswego Canal in the city OF Syracuse,
on Saina street. at its intersection with Bridge street.
in place OF the present bridge and in accordance
the provisions OF chapter 49, of the Laws OF 1874 tho
sum OF $4,000, or SO much thereof as may DO
sFor the construction OF lin bridge over the Erie
Canal at Gcncsee street, in West Troy TO replace the
iron bridge now existing, the sum OF $4,000. or SO
much thereof as may be necessary
For building lifs bridge over the Eric Canal at Ex-
Niagara, the sum OF So 0o0 or much thereof may
be necessary
sFor reconstruction OF iron bridge over the Fro
Canal between Earl and Kent Streets the village OF
Palmyra, the sum Of $780, or so much thereof as may
be necessary y
AS 10 these items the State Engineer reports TO me
as folows:-
Lin, hoist or swing bridges.
VI Their first cost and cost OF repairs are much
greater than for ordinary bridges.
- Navigation Is liaoo interruption from want Of
promptncss in their management.
- They arc special, local improvements not neces
cory to secure good Navigation, which the localities
specially benefited should pay Tor and maintain. Il
Mr.. Cole, chairman OF the Canal Committee OF tho
Senate called my attention TO tho fact that, in
OF these law has been passed authorizing tho
construction Tor which the appropriations made
the valuable provisions contains assuming that these
items would not receive the Executive sanction.
In the memorandum on the Appropriation bill for
1919 Tor extraordinary repairs, tho following observa-
tons were made -
made, they should be done upon systematic PLAN
duly considered by the Canal Boar with the approval
Of the State Engineer, and examination OF the par
ticular case should be had to decide whether the pro-
posed change clearly necessary for public purposes
"The tendency 10 change the nnumerable bridges
over the canal at the instance OF private persons and
local Influences; to conform 70 a prevailing fashion,
the contagon Of which passes from bridge 10
another-n the absence OF any resisting power IN be-
half OF the State which finally pays the cost OF the
changc-is serious and very growing evil The APP
pcatons for swing bridgestearng down the existing
bridgcs-aro becoming frequent They demanded
BY some Individual corporate local advantage real
or imaginary. They usually in places which have
boon already largely benefited by the construction OF
the canal They impose tho State large oxtra
cost, and charge 1t with annual expense opcrat-
There 1918 bridges the canals tho ercc-,
tion and operation this plan Of sixth of this
number would probably cost tho State much the
original outlay for the Erie Canal Tho fashion is u;
Of dangcr.'
object also tho following Items contained in Sec
ton OF this BILL
ssFor rebuilding the bridge over the Erie Canal on
Main street, tho village OF Fultonville, the Of
So, 600 or so much thereof as may be necessary"
"For rebuilding bridges over the State ditch on Main
and Delaware Streets in tho village oil Tonawanda and
for building bridge over said ditch Fletcher street,
the sum OF $4,000, or 60 much thereof as may DO nee
cssary."
"For building farm bridge over the champIan
Canal, on the farm Of Jerry Brown, in the town OF
Whitehall, the sum OF $600 or 80 much thereof as may
be necessary"
.sFor the completion Of tho bridge over the Clients
Falls feeder, east Of and near Green 4 Richards
steam mill, the sum Of $500, or so much thereof as
For tho construction Of throc bridges over the State
ditch in the village OF Tonawanda, In Niagara county,
Marion street, Oliver and Van Wort street. the
sum Of $1,000, or SO mucn thereof as may DO neces
ror the construction OF foot bridge over the Eric
Canal at Mud Lock- at the junction Of tho Cayuga and
Seneca canals the sum OF $780, or SO much thereof
may be necessary"
sFor the construction OF An iron bridge over the
Erie Canal at the South end OF Prospect street, tho
city OF Lockport the OF So 000 much thereof
AS may be necessary"
"For repairing and rcconstructing the docking on
the Main and Hamburg Canal, in front OF Hubbcll
brothers. foundry in tho city or Buffalo, tho sum Of
$1,000 or SO much thereof a. may be, necessary,
ne sra o. 70 the The Bridge
Rochester, $780, or so much thereof - may be
essaty."
harbor Of Buffalo, known tho Bird Island pier, In
GLIDING tho amount already owing and TO be paid by
the State, the sum OF $4,000"
II these items any OF them, shall bo found proper
and necessary, ample provision Is made for them in
section Of this act IL Will be within the authority OF
tho Canal Board under that section and other
OF law TO do this work. IT. in their judgment the
OF the State obligations toward individuals or
localities should SO requires and adequate appropria
tons exist to carry out their decisions
object also to "a tom in section which IL rs fol-
lows:-
assigns amount adjusted by tho Canal Board
under chapter $40 Of the Laws Of 1871 also under
chapter $50 OF tho Laws OF 1872 the sum OF 74s ~
THIS appears 10 DO an appropriation for gsatutous
payment Of interest sum which mere extra
allowance to the contractor. and which purporcd be
BY tho nrst act the Canal Board was authorized to
award TO 4. H. French such sum as they might nnd him
entitled to- al said board shall Ind that sai work was
not embraced in tho special notice OF letting under
which be entered into contract with the State nor
contemplated Al the time OF the letting"
On December Q, 1871, the Canal RoArd. having made
examination Of tho matter pursuant 10 tho said act
found that tho work Tor which French claimed a reward
twas contemplated at the time OF the letttng.n
outon that effect passed; but rcscindcd the Same
day. and the matter laid upon tho table
On December %, 1871 the Canal Board resolved that
French had made expenditures greater than his
price by the sum OF $4,000 but that under said
act allowance can be made thus affirming the rst
resolution adopted far as II found that the
contemplated In tho letting.
Chapter $50, Laws OF 1917, made appropriation OF
$4,000 nor payment Of Edward II. French. tho
amount as adjusted by tho Canal Board Tor work on
section s. Eric Canal, greater than bis contract
price"
As under the drst act allowances could be made,
would appear that French should not have been paid
the $4,000 under the second, or Appropriation act.
Whether this enormously wrongfuiiy gratu-
itousIy. paid him he have claim 10 interest
These Items amount TO 500, 44s e.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
Tho object OF this bill was 10 stop the and
frauds or tho system Of extraordinary repairs It
has hitherto been practiced, to enable the Canal
Board 10 terminate all the existing contracts
mont
might be necessary 10 the beneficial OF
The canals, amt 70 apply the Sl,600.000 which
tho measures Of last year had reclaimed into
the treasury. and the further sums which should DO
recovered real and substantial improvement OF tho
main trunk waterways. II believed that by rc-
storing the Erie Canal 10 its swfG depth Of feet,
and gradually increasing the volume Of the water
tho levels the speed OF tho boats could DO
and the use OF steam motive power facilitated II
intended to increase the draught OF the boat but
merely TO give IL an easier traction and swiiter
tion by csscning the retardng influence ol the
confined IN channel having liked physical boundaries.
IL not doubted that reduction the Of trans
portati0n could have been thereby effected more i'm
arl Than qtIn Inn nj Toll