New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-28
THE CANALS

The people Of the State have not been re-
Quired 10 wait until the beginning of the legls-
lative session for information concerning the
progress Of canal Improvement, on which they
voted In 1895 to expend S9000,OO0 and for an
explanation Of the demand for 100000 more
to complete the work The response Of the
State Engineer and Surveyor. approved by the
Superintendent of Public Works, to the inquiry
OF the Canal Committee Of the Chambers of
Commerce Is q clear and seemingly candid
statement Of the main facts in the case af-
fording good basis for the discussion to which
the whole subject should be submitted 1t rep
resents that the calculations laid before the
Constitutional Convention in 1894 were neces-
sarily made IN hurry, and were we'll known to
be little more than guesswork; that every eff.
fort has been made to bring the cost Of the
work within the authorized amount but that
II Is now sure to correspond closely to the es-
Inmates made after the thorough surveys of
last year. and that with an additional sum Of
S7,o00000 available the entire improvement can
probably be finished in the spring Of 1899 As
an illustration Of the conditions which have
made the operation far more expensive than It
was originally expected to be the fact is cited
that material cxcavated was unfit for use on
the banks, and as proof of care and economy
1t Is asserted that most OF the contractors have
lost money.
There is no injustice to the men In charge OF
this great work in saying that their report is a
statement rather than demonstration. and
that It will be necessary to subject II to a thor
ough scrutiny before accepting 1t as a salts
factory vindcation Of their skill and prudence.
We assume that they will welcome full In.
CURRY and discussion; for doubtless the first i'm.
preston produced by the discovery that &c.
100000 Is not more than enough to complete
an undertaking for which $4,000 900 was asked
Is an unpleasant impression. Taxpayers will
want TO know why the facts were not disclosed
sooner. and whether It Is virtually certain that
the additional amount demanded will answer
the purpose II was repeatedly lntlmated dur.
ing the session and campaign Of 1895 that
from SlS000,0O0 to S200o0.0oJ could be ad-
vantageousy expended on the canals, and that
the improvement then under discussion ght
lead TO more extensive operations; but we do
not find any evidence either that the particu-
lar scheme Of improvement then proposed was
expected to cost more than 100000 or that
the work now actually III progress is of larger
scope than that on which the people voted. 1t
appears, in brief. that an error. however natli-
concealed in the estimates and that such an
expansion OF tie canals as some persons have
from time to time advocated is no part OF the
present programme The additional expcnd-
ture, therefore. which the Legislature viii be
asked to sanction will do nothing more than
finish the work-complete in one sense and I'M
tial IN another--which the people authorized
two years ago.
AS we pointed out a week or two ago. when
this question Of a further outlay Of S7,000.O00
hrst came up. the vote of 1895 was a decisive
expression Of public opinion. The poll on the
canal improvement proposition. which was only
about 100000 less than the total vote for the
head Of the State ticket indicated remarkable
interest In the subject, and there was n ma
1ority Of more than 100000 In favor of the ex-
psnditure. The vast importance Of the canals
to the State and especially to tho commerce Of