New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-05
r. SMITH, JR., AND HIS BILL
THEY HAVE ALREADY COST HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

PAYING TWO DOLLARS At LEAST TO EVERY
STATE EMpLoYE-THE ASTOUNDING IN.
CREASE II THE EXPENSES OF
THE CANALS
tynoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBuSEA
Albany. Feb. mir Thomas Smith, u.s. Two
Dollars Day law has increased the expenses Vi 'no
canals 100000 yearly. 1t has caused uehcchoy
I'm the canal accounts this year Of that amount anu
will mako necessary apparently an increased canal
appropriation of 100000 for the coming year 'o'i
10 Mr. Smiths credit to date 100000 lie mas raised
the cost of maintaining and operating the canals from
1904 900 to 81 ,1O4,O00 Probably MI snlth Is INC
most expensive legislator the state has mad lof quar-
ter of a ccntdry, and the returns which aou W inS
glory are not all in yet, because the ~" Is yc' upon
the statute books affecting the cost oil other PUBIC
works besides those Of the canals, increasing the coss
OF State armores state prisons, OF State asyius
NJ State work of every kind, not to speak OF that
upon the new Capitol, II any Is authorized Ihere
are hundreds of thousands OF dollars YET 10 DC put W
Mr. Smiths credit ard millions In sight, ii MS la" ~
10 stand unrepealed The state taxpayers, IN grau-
tude TO Mr. Smith, will doubtless erect monument
to him of pewter the little park east Of the caption
Yet despite his act of craftsmanship, winch mas 40
pIeted the state Treasury, it is to be doubted II the
of the residents OF this State. His biography should
be we'll known In the year 1880 he represented the
IIId Assembly District Of New York City In the Legs
lature This district is known as the shoestrng DIS
trlcts from its peculiar shape 1t Is district winch
runs northward from Canalst to about Twenty-thlrd-
st. directly in the heart Of NewYork. 1t IS district
also of peculiar character its southern section being
filed with tenement houses, and It's northern almost
exclusivelywith brownstone fronts But the tenement
house population far outnumbers that resident about
Gramercv Park II was the tenementhouse vote that
selected Mr. smith as the Assembyman from the dis
trct.
lie was a quiet member. lie never made speech,
and his voice was hardly audible when the roll was
called. In the committee room he was equally re-
firing No one could suspect that this man. who
had no percepblc influence in the Legislature would
be the author of one of its most remarkable enact
ments No one looking the Assembly Chamber
and observing this short man. with yellow hair apd
yellow musache and face revealing little interest In
legislative affairs any other matters indeed, would
have picked him out as the originator of such law
Moreover what was most remarkable, before it be-
came law it the only bill that Mr. Smith, who Is
dealer in safes and Office furniture in New-fork,
presented to the Legislature. Mr. Smith devoted what
ever persistency he had however to passing that blu
and although, as stated he did not seem to have
scrap Of influence In the Legislature, he succeeded III
his aim. Perhaps the political cOwardlce Of mem
bers of the Legislature had something to do with his
success At least one distinguished Senator said.
after voting for Mr. Smiths bill: al never was so
ashamed of myself in my life"
Mr. Smiths BILL in the form Of law, is Chapter $50,
of the Laws Of 1859. 1t is given beloy:
Section T. From and after the passage Of this act the
wages Of day laboers employed by the state, any
officer thereof shall be less than 20 day and for
ell such employed otherwise than as day abores al
rate Of not less than 25 cents per hour
Sec . In all cases laborers employed on any
public in this State, preference shall be given 10
citizens OF the State OF New-York
See. D. This act shall take effect Immediately.
This act was signed by Governor Hin on June g,
1880. Its first effect greatly to embarrass James
Shanahan, then superintendent Of Public Works in
maintaining and operating the canals. Mr. shanahan
had informed the Legislature of 1855 that he would
need about S775 900 for the canals during the fiscal
year beginning October l. 1858, and ending october
1859. lie had made that estimate thinking that he
would have to pay the market rate Of wages. But
Mr.. Smiths act compelled him to pay much higher
than current wages. Tie act said that all men en-
poyed on the canals otherwise than day bOrcrs'
should be paid at the rate OF 20 cents an hour.
There were locktenders Oh the Oswego Canal, for
instance, who were then receiving $50 a month
whose pay was raised to 500 by the Smith law. The
salaries Of other canal men were increased III like
proportlon Mr.. Shanahan cut down his force of
canal employees to keep his expenditures within
his income The law went into effect
on June with the Governors signature
and from that date until October /, the beginning
Of the new fiscal year, Mr.. shanalan had to keep
,lis force of canal men exceedingly low. The ap-
preparations for the canals for the new fiscal year.
however became available upon October l, 1850,
and Mr. shanahan then put his full force at work,
knowing that he would have a deficiency, but rely
ing upon the Legislature to make it good. In the
middle Of December last he resigned his oiicc, and
was succeeded by Edward Hannah, OF Troy, as
Superintendent of Public Works. Mr.. Hannah was,
Of course informed by Mr.. Stranahan of the de-
dciency in the canal accounts created by the Smith
law AS soon as the Legislature met. superintendent
Hannah informed Senator Sloan, the chairman of
the senate Finance Committee, and Hamilton Fish, ir,
chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, OF
this deficiency
In order 10 make the Legislature
fully acquainted with all the facts in the case Mr.
Hannah careful estimate made as 10 the amount
of the canal deficiency caused by the smith law for the
fiscal year. October /, 1850, to October l, 1890 and
also what increased amount must be raised to meet the
increased expenses Of the canals, caused by the same
law for the fiscal year, october l. 1870 10 october l.
1891. lie had a pretty good guide In learning how
much additional money the Smith law had taken out
of the treasury Of the Canal Department. He com
pared his treasury accounts for the months OF Oc-
jObcr and November 1ess, when no smith law was IN
existence. with the same accounts for October and
November 1889. when that law was in operation.
This estimate was somewhat complicated one owing
to the fact that men are employed
on eleven sections OF the Erie Canal,
on three sections Of the Champlain,
two Of The Osweco. two Of the Black River. and one
Of the Cayuga and Seneca Canal. 1t learned that
lie smith law IN the months Of october and November
had increased the cost Of maintaining and operating
the sections Of the canals referred TO by 1904 A.
The expenses OF the canals for the two months or
The year previous to the enactment Of the law were
$40 Gao o. The Smith Law increased them to
sf43. 535 80. This increase. II continued throughout
the months Of navigation Of the canals. wOuld
make the deficiency S2OG.13O "A. The increased
pcnses Of the other five months Of winter. when
large number Of men employed in manufacturing
lock gates excavatng, repairing walls, etc. would
add 10000 to the above estimate bringing it up to
above $500, 900.
Under chapter 600 Of the Laws Of 1850, the sum
Of 3sOf 900 appropriated for operating and main
talnlng the canals To this sum must now be added
$500 900, raising the total amount for canal main
tenance this fiscal year TO 81 100000. Next fiscal
II must also be increased $500 OOO according to
superintendent Hannah, or to 81 100000, that
5000 600 must be put by the Legislature into the
state tax levy this year because OF the Smith law Of
last year.
Why was not Mr.. Smith returned to the LeglsatuT
TO help raise the money to pay this biz bin