New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-21
A TRAINED MAN Is NEEDED.
NO MERE POLITICIAN SHOULD BE SUPER
INTENDENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
MIR. MORTON HAS MOST IMPORTANT APPOINT
MENT TO MAKE-THE NEW OFFICIAL MAY
HAVE TO SPEND s2ooc"o" IMpRoN-
ING TIE CANAL SYST

ernor 1t was his ability As business man lh"i
had been demonstrated by his sreaI success a. d
banker II was d success the more creditabe Z" MI
Morton since he had been Obliged il were TO start
at the foo, OF the ladder in that calling lie "dd
been forced 10 suspend business as drygoois me-
chant. but he courageousiy sought fortune again
In the banking business. made money. pad on ms
Indebtedness at 100 cents on the dollar am thth
expanded his banking concern 10 Its present great
proportions.
Mr Morton now assumes the management Of me
business affairs OF the State OF New-York;
and IL - happens that business mat
ter Of the first Importance will ensross rs
attention the moment he takes his oath o! office
This is the selection OF man compe ent 10 draw up
a plan for the enlargement OF all the canals OF th-
State and to begin that great work OF enlargement
j IS a work which will cost nearly So"'"" IL
must b. done under the direction OF the Supeiin-
tendert of Public Works. This IS an officer VINO
will he appointed by Mr.. Morton as soon a the
LEGISLATURE meets in January; since the appoint
ment must ~ confirmed 10y the senate. l'Hl a. t'e
State senate always al the beginning Of Cover
nors urn confirms his nominations a. matter o'
course the appointment cf Superintendent oil
Public Works may be considered strictly in Mr.
Morton's hands.
WHAT THE CANAL AMENDMENT MEANS
The Canal Amendment approved by the people al
the late election is the legal instrument when mas
Clothed The Governor ard the Legislature with the
power Of committing the state to the expenditure
of 100000 upon the canals Before the existence
Of this section of the new Constitution. dent OF
not more than 100000 could be incurred for such
public enterprise such a small expenditure, OF
course. would not greatly improve the canais' and
accordingly the commercial bodies DESTROYS Of an
enlargement OF the canals came before the Constl-
tutiOnal Convention and persuaded that BODY 10
adopt the amendment to the Constitution Just APP
proved the polls. That amendment authorizes the
Legislature to pass a bill. which must be approved
of BY the Governor mourning deb, 20 enlarge the
canals There are however. two restrictions upon
this authorization. one is that the people must APP
prove at the polls afterward this bill The second
restriction is that the deb; thus incurred must he
paid principal and interest within eighteen years
from the time it is incurred. An average depth of
nine feet is desired for the canals.
The principle Of canal enlargement has thus in
directly been approved by the people, 1t only re-
mains for Mr. Morton to appoint as Superintendent
OF Public Works eminent engineer o "''-
known good character to draw up the plans ior
the gigantic enlargement of the canals, al" lo'
the LEGISLATURE and the people to approve them to
have the great work in progress in every cahal
county The canal boatmen the Produce Exchange
of New-York and the Merchants Exchange o,
Buffalo are all interested in the carrying OUT %
the great project Upon its success, IN the4r o''-
ion NAV depend the further continuance o. the
nossession by this State OF the profitable task OF
West TO the East
AN IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT
Tho annointmeYt of Superintendent % Public
Works he;rc of such exceptional importance. as
the success o. the movement for the Improvement
o. the carals may depend upon thc capapiIltes a'u
character Of the man appointed Mr. Nort'h II i
said intends to make the selection OF man for
this great post with exceeding care. tie mas from
this time in November until the first week IN Jan
nary TO make his choice: and therefore mas an
abundance of days in which to have inquiries ma'e
about the training OF the various men VINO "ie
seeking the appointment. No credit Is pun neN :"
the truth OF the boast OF the friends or George "
Aldrdge of Rochester. that they have MI morton
fixed" and that his appointment as SuperHi-
fendent of Public Works is already as soo1 a.
made Mr. Morton is too good business man 10
think Of making such purely political appoint
ment at time when the State needs man o.
the highest qualifications as an engineer TO plan
and carry out the great work OF canal inll ,ti
ment No in Rochester or eiseW heIS Mo'dr
saw for Mr. Aldrldge that ne is great engineer or
that he has had any training 10 NJ MN 10 Graz L
a plan and carry out scheme Tor INC onIarst
times he might fiji the Office in an ordinary man
ner but when such gigantic task as Una. ~ XIV
iarging the canals is to be Executed ne pn 1
Is not the man for the great enterprise. hls ~,
Iointment would simply e v tns ,b@ cana for
warChrs and the canal boatrnen that another POI
charged with the duty distributing the canal APP
pointments among the boys ,. TWAIN. ,.be,
he reapDoirted Edward Hannen as superIn,eiiuenI
OF Pubic Works Hammer originally MAS appoHn ME,
~ Covnrnor Hill at the request OF Edward Mur-
nhv ir II was appointment. however, OF me
kind Hin was in the habit Of making ne knew w
that Uannen would the canal PATRONAGE IN
the various counties in his ana MHrpnys H,earin
Hannen took great eS ar o. bn TRANSACTION OF this
Certainly when the people of the State adopted the
Canal Amendment. they did not DO so with the
idea that a Superintendent Of Public Works would
distribution Of political Offices. Their plan instead
was that great engineer great business man
tendent of Public Works is appointed solely with
the thought Of his ability as pQ naor az ,be
polls in November next will refuse 10 SANCTION tlc
there is every confidence here that Mr. Morton as
business man. will see the necessity OF appoihing
all over the State. Under those circumstances, NJ
Morions administration would begin most credit
ably and the canal men OF the state. who can be
numbered by the thousands, would be delighted.
THE MT MORRIS RESERVOIR NOT NEEDED.
Mr. Morton, 1t is plain. will find 1t necessary to
guard against the appointment Of any man who
will favor the scheme Of the Rochester mill owners
for the construction of great storage reservoir.
ostens!bly for the Erie Canal. but actually for the
use of the mill owners. at Mount Morris. upon the
Genesec River. This storage reservoir Will cost
50 5000 II its cost were added to that Tor canal
improvements s2OCoO.ccO the voters OF the State,
II Is TO be feared would reject the canal improve.
ment scheme. The supporters OF Mr. AldridSe, or
Rochester say that his appointment as Superin-
fondent OF Public Works would have no relation TO
~ storage reservoir scheme But there liz this
10 be said in response to that statement. namely.
that when Superintendent Hammer came before me
Assembly Committee Ways and Means last win
fer and said that IN his judgment there was no
canal was concerned. from that moment the scheme
was dead. But a Superintendent Of Public Works
from Rochester favorable to this proposed piece OF
Robbery could be very influential in the Legisla-
fure in its support Senator Parsons and Assem-
blymen O'Grady, DennistOn and Stone who were
MI AIdrdge's representatives, in the Legislature.
also most earnestly pushed this storage reservoir
scheme last winter Is Mr.. Aldrdge now opposed
10 this scheme? u, ., 81,
State Engineer Adams said TO The Tribune CORE.
snondent the present week: 1T would be absurd
to say that the Mount Morris Reservoir Is neces-
sify for the Erie Canal for II Is obvious that the
canal is in operation and there is plenty of wafer
in the canal at Rochester" Edward Hammer the
SUPERINTENDENT OF Public Works, also said to The
Trihnne correspondent: "There Is no need OF the