The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-01-18
THE COLUMBIA CANAL. AGAIN.

TO our readers the pOslllOn occupied ny
our Representatives upon this important
measure. Last week we cndeaYorcd
simply to state some of the reasons why
the IHTELLIGENCER favors this develop.
mcnt As however, Maj. Moore desires
to discuss the action Of the last Lcgisa-
turc on this point, we chccrfully accord
him the opportunity Of doing 70. 1t
seems TO us, however, that lie has fallen
into several mistakes in his article, and
has assumed positions which are not ten
able TO begin with, We do not think
Maj. Moore has answered lis three
arithmetical questions correctly, for he
makes the aggregate only S52,332.i3!!!
while we would make it from the same
premises $75,7IGS. We reach this con-
clusion as follows 200 convic,s, at l23
cents per day, will he $S533!, and this
sum for 1865 days will be $3l ,l4Gi; then
200 convicts at 20 cents per day, for
salaries and incidcntals, will be $1,000,
and this, for 800 days, will be *l4,G0O ;
then the hire Of one convict for twelve
months, at $3.50 per month, amounts to
$4,000 per year. and this for 200 con-
victs amounts to $4,000, so that the
three items together make 75,7iGT In
discussing a question it is always fair to
have the discussion upon its true basis,
and therefore we have corrected Mai.
Moore's figures to start out upon proper
understanding of the question. The
items charged in it, however, are by no
means accurate, for nearly the whole
cost Of salaries, etc, must come off the
estimate, rs the officers must bc paid
whether the convicts are given to the
Canal or not, and the incidental expen-
ses will be nearly RI great without ns
with these convicts. Likewise, the ad-
ditional cost Of maintaining these two
hundred conyicts will not be .i2a cents
per day, az the larger the number the
cheaper is the rate Of maintenance. 1t
is probable, however, that the construc-
tive cost will amount to from forty 10
fifty thousand dollars year, or sixty
thouSAhu doliarS Win the sum approPrl-
ated, which would make about $500, 900
for the five years required to complete
the work. This, however, is not from II
tax OH the people. The whole thing has
got to be paid out Of the earnings OF the
Penitentiary, and if there are no earn
ings, then there will be no work on the
Canal. In other words, the Legislature
propose to make the Penitcntiary self.
sustaining, and to build the Canal with
it in addition. This is the peoples mon.
ey, however, and should be judiciously
expended.
Mbj. Moore says that his experience
in blasting make. him estimate the cost
of this work at from one to perhaps
more than two millions Of dollars. This
is very great exnctness in the calculation
of cost. 1t only has II margin OF over
one million Of dollars. We presume
this estimate is based OH the assumption
that the work goes through solid rock
al the way. Maj. Moore has probably
not been over more than ! mile out Of
tho q miles, while the Engineers have
been over all Of it. That is the difference
between their estimates. The old Canal
that was dug before the war has already
made about onethird of the necessary
excavation, and, therefore, the work to
be done is that OF enlarging, nearly all of
the way, the present Canal. 1t is, there.
fore, an easy matter for al Engineer to
tell where he will find rock and how
much there will be Of it. Under these
circumstances, we take it that the esti.
mates of the two Engineers, who have
been all over the work, is safer than Mai.
Nloore's guessing.
Next Mnj. Moore wants to know who
#iil utilize the Canal after it is built.
No one knows who will have money to
put into factoriea hvo years from this
time. Capita! does not lie idle for fivo
years waiting for Investment. Had Au.
gnsta waited for any such pledges as
those Maj. Moore wants, her Canal would
not have been built, and she would have
had no factories. There is no room to
doubt that the Canal will be built up
with factories soon after its completion.
There is no such desirably situated water
power in the world which is undevelop.
ed, and this will not remain 30 after its
completion. When home and foreign
capital will come here and build their
own dams and erect immense buildings,
filled with fine machinery, like those at
Piedmont and Felzer, there can be no
fear that power will remain unutilized
where no dam is required, and where
there are four lines of railroad running
into the very factories themselves if do.
sired.
A planter might as we'll say that be.
cause drouth may come or his seed
may not produce harvest he will not
plant, as for a State to act upon the
theory that she must not do anything
chat does not pay her back Immediately.
That legislation which has no care for
the future will never give life or progress
t. State. It will not do for US to stand
still and cry over the misfortunes of the
war, and prate of poverty and calamity.
1t has been eighteen years since the war
closed, and the other Southern States
have entered the race for material deyel.