New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-16
rur cryFsEC STORAGE DAM AGAIN.

The annual attack on the State Treasury FOL
the benefit of the mill owners of Rochester ana
the politicians and contractors OF western New
York is about TO begin. AT each session Tor sew
eral years this scheme has been prought DC
fore the Legislature and vigorously push"d py
politicians of influence and nearly carried
Two wears AGO n bill went through the Senate
and Assembly approprating SoOO.OOO Tor Dcgln-
ming the work, but Governor Morton refused
to sign it and the raid had TO be postponed
No greater success attended last years efforts
bnt now. with a new Governor in the Execu-
tive chamber q new plan is to be drafted and
the agitation begun with renewed hope.
In default of $780, 900 for dam building. the
stora ge dam boomers secured $4,000 for sur
veyng from the last Legislature, and with that
Mr. Rafter. the engineer. has been sketching
out a most bcguiling project. one with which
its advocates doubtless expect to silence all
opposition on the score of economy. because it
promises to cost ever much less than the
sum they had previously fixed as their last and
lowest demand. Mr.. Raftcr proposes 10 build
the dam at Portage instead Of at Mount Nor
ris and thereby store double the quantity Of
water with Il considerable saving of money.
He thinks that a 150-foot dam could be built at
Portage holding 15OOOOO0 cubic feet Of water.
for S16O per thousand cubic feet, or 2,i00,-
600. while a similar dam at Mount Morris. hold
ing less than half much. would cost $3I1 SS
per thousand feet. or S2,1S5,O0o. That estimate,
however includes 100000 for architectural
treatment Of the place. Just why the more
expensive project was pushed first is not ap-
parent. Perhaps previous defeat has disci-
plined the appetite Perhaps there are hopes
that the State may be induced to undertake the
whole Of the cheaper work, whereas nobody
before dared TO demand that 1t should do quite
half 1t has hitherto been proposed that the
State should build a 5S-foOt dam ostensibly
for its own purposes, but build that section
heavy enough, at an added expense Of $1,000
COO, to allow the mill owners to build 12-foot
dam on top Of it for their uses. That Is. the
State to build dam about twice as big
as Il needed, SO that somebody else could build
another one afterward. Moreover, there was
no guarantee that the somebody else would
do anything at all but steal State water. The
somebody might rest content with the benefits
from the State dam, or later ask the State 10
build it up higher. Nobody undertook to
pensate the State for its extra expense or 10
plan cooperative work. The talk Of private
contribution was apparently only II bait.
What the details of the new demand are to
be Is not yet apparent. But there is no reason
TO suppose they will be different In spirit from
those made before. The whole thing is an AT
tempt TO make the State In the name OF canal
Improvements assume the burden Of n private
enterprise. Local pride IL invoked in the cause
until many of those best acquainted with the
character of the project and its injustice 10
the taxpayers OF other parts or the State re-
frain from opposing it, The State is already
weighted down with growing expenses.
$9.OOO.OOO canal Improvement Is under way.
the care of the insane adds largely TO the bud