New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-05
CANAL EXPENSES.


The Free Canal Amendments we're resisted
largely on the ground that to pass them meant
a large additional burden for the shoulders of
the taxpayers. The reply was that II New
York was to retain her commercial supremacy
it was absolutely necessary that the canals
should be made.ree. The reply proved satls-
factory to the majority of the people anu 'ne
result is that the canals have become free.
But how about the effect upon the ta1pay-
ers Is it true thatfree canals mean n sehsio'e
increase of the tax-rate, big hole III the pun.
lie treasury? Some months ago a gentleman Oh
extended experience in State AFFAIRS III ro-
sponse to an inquiry on the subject, expressed
the opinion that the cost of running the canas'
tolls off, need not exceed hall million uoiIars
annually. These figures have gone unchal--
lenged, and accepting them as approximatihs
to the truth, it remains to be considered now
much the State can save by making the ranas
free. Turning to the annual report OF the
Auditor of the Canal Department, lately trans
mitted to the Legislature, we find among the
canal eEpeu scs OF the last fiscal year the iol-
lowing items:
TO collectors for salaries, clerk hire, pay OF
inspectors and expenses OF collectors - no. .,
To %ssh,mastcra ana their assistants ESQ 80
For salaries of the Auditor Deputy Aualor' 20 M
and clerks Of the Canal DE- paitment 49,. lS00o w
For the compensation OF the Canal ,hp-
prairers ana their clerks, their travelling 90 , -,
and miscellaneous expenses or ONCE. -4'''' 10
Hero we have a total of over ISL 900, all OF
which. or certainly the bulk of which, can be
saved TO the Treasury. OF course the canals be-
ing free there will no longer be any occasion for
collectors, inspectors or weIgh-masters. As to
the Auditors Office, it is only necessary to call
A. 60 hat IN "a
now pending in the Legislature, and that there
is a general demand for its passage. There IA
not the same unanimity of view in regard to
the wisdom of aOolishing the Office OF Canal
Appraiser. But the proposition has many
strong supporters. and it is by no means certain
that the present Legislature will not pass
measure creating board OF large powers ana
functions which will supersede not only the
Board of Canal Appraisers but the Board OF
Audit.
And there are yet other canal expenses which
might be dispensed with Without injury to tho
public service. An ex-State Engineer and sur
vcyor has recommended that the Office Of Resi-
dent Engineer be abolished The report ct the
special committee on Canals appointed 10y the
Senate in 1881 contained the same recon-
mendution The Canal Committees OF the two
Houses Of the Legislature would do well to ex-
anime these suggestions and sec if they ought
not 10 he acted upon. And these committees, II
they dcsire-and we assume that they dO-to do
their whole duty, might proitaby consider the
question whether, considering tho range of the
duties of the Superintendent of Public Works,
even the Office of State Engineer ard Surveyor
could net conveniently he dispensed with. Not
q few leyel-headed men think that it could be.
The Office cost the State last year 1882 A.
We have not pretended 10 point out all the
canal expenses that might be cut on. But We
have named some important ones and trust
that the canal committees will 20 over the EN-
tire list of such expenses closely scrntlnzlnG
each. and will report In favor of summarlly
ending all that cannot be shown to he abso-
lutely necessary. This Legislature must not
forget that although the November vote
showed an overwhelming pIepondcrcnce IN
favor Of free canals, thousands Of those who
favored the amendments would have thrown
thrIr ballots against them if they had supposed
that unusual prudence and economy were not to
characterize the management OF the canals
while the new and most important experiment
was being made.
The State now adopt, hitherto uniricd pol
icy in regard to one of the great sources of her
prosperity and consideration. IL would be
most unfortunate not to lave il tested under
the best possible conditions.