New-York tribune., 1889-10-17
POLITICS ON LONG ISLAND.
THE PECoNIC CANAL AS AN ISSUE,
wAsTEFULNEss AND INEFFIcIENCY OF THE
PRESENT DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT.
,aoM sTArr coRRssroXpEyr OF rnE rnrnrrE1

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lFRoMA CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUyE.1
Sag HarbOr, L. J., Oct 1G.-GOvernor Hills pro.
testations concerning the extravaganza OF the Re-
publican Legislature and his own virtue as an econ.
/ omt sound like peculiarly hollow mockery TO the
people OF the South Shore, who have lately witnessed
shameful an exhibition OF Democratic wasefulness
and neglect even the Hll Administration can
furnish. John BOgart, the present State EngInefr r
Of the officers whose splendid record Of honesty
and efficiency the Syracuse convention cited as
for their denomination, IS directly responsible
for this particular offence. He and James shanahan
the Democratic Commissioner of Pubic Works have
together contrlved 10 waste $4,000 of tho tax
payers money in blundering attempts at a simple
operation in practical engineering ard the great loss
and inconvenience which have Indirectly resulted
would have suiced forever 10 disgust voters with Mr.
Hill and his friends, even If this the only score
against them They have seen the honest efforts OF
their representatives perverSely opposed, their own
money squandered and their principal industries
endan gered and II would be expecting too much of
human nature TO ask that they should forget all this
at the polls and desert the men who have really
sought to benefit them.
As anybody can see by looking at the map, the
system of sandy bresstworks and lagcons which ex.
tends along the Atlantic coast almost ss far south
as Cape Fear begins near the eastern end OF Long
Island. The first considerable sheet Of waer which
clans and other shel.fsh abound The inlet on the
maps from the ocean 10 the bay represents quite
uncertain quantity, one storm undong the work OF
another filing in old breaches and shifting the coast
line by the process which has brought Fire Island
Inlet two miles and half TO the westward
within the memory Of man. In this way ShnnecOck
Bay continually suffers for want Of fresh supply Of
salt water. Thousands of bushels of clans, which, by
the way, are worth nearly twice much the
same quantity Of wheat have every year r0ted where
they grew for the want of change OF water. In
warm weather putrescent scum has formed, and the
surface OF the bay has been covered with the floating
bodies of dead fish, and the actual pecunary loss
has been
A few years ago Captain II. f. Hunting, the pres
ent Assembyman from this district and a sound Re
publican, hit upon scheme for saltng7 shinnccock
Bay. and saving about $jOO,0 900 year to the IN
dustrious inhabitants. Ills idea TO cut an open
ing through the rarow neck of sand which bounds
the bay on the north, and admit the waters OF the
Great Peconlc Bay. This proposition met with gen
eIal enthusiasm and in 1855 Captain Hunting secured
an appropriation Of $4,000 for beginning the work
In the hands of Democratic officials, about whose
efficiency and frugality" Governor Hin Is so fond
Of boasting this sum speedily disappeared Further
appropriations were granted from time TO time until
the total has reached S72 600 and McsSrs. Bosar
Shanahan like Oliver Twist, still asking for more
But Captain Hunting has refused TO listen to their
request maintaining that the work has been disgrace
| fully mismanagcd An meXpendtd balance OF aboui
S23 900 still remains; and what Is the condition OF
Tho canal? An opening has, it Is true, been made
from bay 10 BAY and fresh is admitted TO the
stagnant sheet. But the depth instead Of being six
feet as was contemplated by the law. is only foot or
q foot and half. ANY heavy storm may I'LL the open
Ing with sand The material excavated, instead of